Latest Press Releases

Mull Slaughterhouse & Butchery is launching a new livestock collection service this spring, picking up animals directly from farms across the Inner Hebrides and west Highland mainland - making it easier than ever for remote producers to access a high-quality,...

TwinPeakes Fly Fishing is celebrating an extraordinary month of achievement, as two of its instructors win major national qualifications and international competitions and become the youngest to reach this level of discipline. At just 23 years old, Blaine Lyon from...

A kinder, more open autumn allowed winter barley crops to establish well and now, with good yield potential evident in these crops, and spring crops emerging in good conditions, growers are planning their fungicide programmes to ensure this potential is delivered. In...

The upcoming Galbraith Stirling Bull Sales sees entries up across all breeds compared to previous May sales, with 251 pedigree bulls entered alongside a select group of females, including the dispersal of autumn calvers from the well-known Ettrick herd of...

With margins under pressure, growers are taking a far more nuanced approach to crop investment this season. Ongoing concerns around fuel and fertiliser costs continue to sharpen focus on input spend. In the field, variable weather, yield potential and yellow rust are...

A lack of supply and persistent political uncertainty keep the market in a holding pattern, but demand remains resilient and values are largely stable    The feeling of treading water that settled over the farmland market in 2025 has shown few signs of...

BASF | Nunhems invests €40 million in next generation seed processing facilities in the Netherlands Strategic investment in seed processing to strengthen global vegetable seed supply Construction to begin Q2 2026, completion expected by the end of 2028 Celebrating 110...

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) has announced Ben Makowiecki will join their board from April 2026, replacing Corrina Urquhart, who, due to a change in career, has decided not to take up her appointment as a Director. The charity, which has just celebrated 90...

Scotland’s Gordons Construction Equipment is opening its seventh location, the first in central Scotland, this summer. The new depot for the family-owned plant machinery specialists, which is headquartered at Castle Douglas and has six sites in Carlisle and the...

MDS Ltd has launched a new apprenticeship programme for college and sixth form leavers aged 18 or over. The Fresh Futures Programme offers a direct route into the agriculture and food industry and a practical alternative to university.  The programme builds on the...

Knight Frank’s rural consultancy has enhanced its biodiversity net gain (BNG) advisory capability through a partnership with BNGx, strengthening its ability to support clients in the sourcing and transaction of biodiversity units. The move comes as activity in the BNG...

Potato production is a risky business, but there are a growing number of strategies to combat the ever-growing lists of threat to the industry. GB Potatoes recently discussed risk in its Cutting the odds: Managing risk in potato production webinar. It heard from GB...

When Callum and Zara Lindsay took a leap of faith and moved to the Isle of Arran to take on a farm tenancy in 2023, they couldn't have imagined how different their lives would be, only a few years later.   The couple and their two daughters, who are currently starring...

ADAS have modelled how fungicide programmes reduce septoria damage Key finding: Swapping from Ascra Xpro to Revystar® XE at T1 mitigates the increase in septoria damage from drilling early Key finding: Variability in fungicide efficacy is the same for all fungicides...

The Institute of Auctioneers in Scotland is disappointed with the recent announcement from Scottish Government on Bluetongue restrictions which will have a significant impact on our members and their farming customers operating cross border, particularly, though not...

Farmstrong Scotland, the wellbeing charity for farmers and crofters, has launched its Foundations of Mental Strength workshop programme, backed by the Scottish Government's Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund. The Scotland-wide project will bring structured,...

A nationwide competition to encourage primary school children to grow, harvest and menu plan with carrots is launched today. In partnership with Elsoms Seeds, a UK independent seed company, the British Carrot Growers’ Association aim to inspire young people to...

This year’s End of Season Beaters’ Bash, held at Lonach Hall in Aberdeenshire, celebrated the strength and support found within rural communities. Welcoming gamekeepers, stalkers, ghillies and all those within the industry, many came together for a well-earned social...

Five individuals from farming, veterinary and medical backgrounds are set to abseil 100 feet from the top of the Falkirk Wheel on 22 March, raising funds in aid of Farmstrong Scotland. United by a shared belief in the importance of wellbeing support for those working...

Growers from across Scotland gathered in Perth last week for the Scottish Agronomy conference to hear from scientists alongside economics and business experts about the lay of the land for crop production in the UK.  Bringing views from across the UK and Northern...

The Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS) is delighted to congratulate the five young auctioneers who have become Fellows and Associates after successfully completing the next stage of their professional qualifications. Graduating at a ceremony at...

GB Potatoes has celebrated the creativity of fourth-year students at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) after judging a series of marketing campaigns developed as part of the agricultural communications module within the college’s agricultural degree.    The project...

For Ben Hanmer, farming Border Leicesters isn't just a passion, it's a family legacy nearly a century in the making. His great-grandfather brought Border Leicesters down from Scotland back in the 1930s, and now, almost 100 years later, Ben is proudly continuing that...

A vibrant and focused seed industry is essential to the British potato industry, visitors to the British Potato Event heard. Introducing the GB Potatoes seminar Future changes to the UK’s supply of seed potatoes, Richard Baker, Managing Director of breeders HZPC UK...

In this season update, four independent agronomists discuss current conditions and crop status, how the approval of a new herbicide in malting barley will improve grassweed control and, what they are doing to prepare for the season ahead. Despite record-breaking...

Almost 190 farmers and maize specialists attended the Maize Growers' Association (MGA) Annual Conference in Leicestershire on 4 and 5 February, marking the highest attendance in the event’s recent history as growers seek profitable alternatives to traditional break...

Farmstrong Scotland, the wellbeing charity for farmers and crofters, has been shortlisted for an award at an international ceremony later this month. The ‘Let’s Talk About Menopause’ campaign featured the lived experiences of multiple women in the industry through...

GB Potatoes has named the first cohort of its new Potato Industry Development Programme, with 14 early and mid-career professionals completing the initial phase of training last week (2-4 February). Delivered in partnership with the British Potato Trade Association...

Scott Walker, CEO of GB Potatoes, said: “Following the announcement that mancozeb would be withdrawn from use in the UK at the end of the 2025 season, GB Potatoes explored the feasibility of progressing an Emergency Authorisation (EA) application to allow a continued...

An Aberdeen Angus bull matched a 60,000-guinea record and prices reached a new high for Beef Shorthorn at the prestigious Galbraith Bull Sales at Stirling this week (2 February). The first of two bull sales hosted by United Auctions at Stirling Agricultural...

One hundred years of the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS) was celebrated with members and industry friends last weekend at a Centenary Dinner in Edinburgh.  The Institute was formed in 1926 to professionalise the sector, when, under economic...

The quality assurance body for grain grown in Scotland, Scottish Quality Crops (SQC), has launched a new website as part of its ongoing commitment to growers and the industry to improving communications and transparency.   SQC was originally formed by a group of...

For Sally Crowe, the working week hasn’t always been so well planned, but a chronic illness left her with no choice but to reevaluate how she approached each day. “I now live by the ‘work smarter, not harder’ philosophy, with the phrase even pinned to my desk as a...

Maris Piper has had its day; or has it? That was the provocative title of a GB Potatoes debate at the British Potato Industry Event. Arguing that the stalwart’s days are numbered was Katy Pook, Head of Brand & Marketing at Greenvale. She touched on Maris Piper’s...

How to make farming profitable again Minette Batters talks exclusively to James Farrell, Head of Knight Frank’s Rural Consultancy team, about her recently published review into farming profitability In spring 2025, the then Defra Secretary Steve Reed commissioned...

BASF Agricultural Solutions and ADAMA partner to co-develop breakthrough Gilboa® fungicide technology Joint effort expands access to Gilboa®, offering new solutions for European cereal growers to manage resistance and secure lasting yields Gilboa-based formulations...

With farm profitability firmly in focus, experts urge growers to consider maximising returns and nitrogen performance by using urease inhibitors this season. Multiple factors are driving the need to optimise nitrogen use this spring. Continued geopolitical unrest and...

IHT concessions calm market The farmland market remains becalmed, but the government's IHT U-turn could boost confidence. The price of bare agricultural land remained virtually flat in the final quarter of 2025, taking the total fall in average values across England...

A Year of Breaking New Ground: Alix Ritchie on Farmstrong Scotland in 2025 As I reflect on the last 12 months, I keep coming back to one number: 4,000. That’s how many farmers and crofters that Farmstrong Scotland has engaged with, in person this year. From Orkney to...

“Our own winter wellbeing routine should be planned just as much as the winter-feeding regime for our livestock.” For Alan Gaul, a farmer from Turriff in Aberdeenshire, this isn't just a nice idea - it's the key to him thriving through winter. Born and bred at Little...

James Farrell, Head of Rural Consultancy at Knight Frank, commenting on the Farming Profitability Review   “The completion of the Farming Profitability Review brings a necessary and welcome focus to the business realities of farming. Farms are, at their core,...

Scott Walker, CEO of GB Potatoes, said: "GB Potatoes welcomes the publication of the Farm Profitability Review, led by Baroness Minette Batters, which highlights the importance of a supportive business environment for farmers, growers, and the wider UK food supply...

Knight Frank has been appointed by St Paul’s Cathedral to lead a long-term masterplanning project for the Tillingham Estate in Essex, one of Britain’s oldest continuously owned estates and a cornerstone of the Cathedral’s historic property portfolio.    The...

The 2026 Oxford Farming Conference report, UK Agriculture: Grasping the Opportunities, calls for urgent action to move the UK’s farming and agri-food sector from survival mode to a mission-driven, opportunity-focused sector capable of thriving in an increasingly...

When Will Oliver first planted maize for grain five years ago on his family’s 2,000-acre Warwickshire farm, he wasn't taking any chances. "I got into a contract because I didn't want to grow something I might end up being unable to sell," he explains. But fast forward...

AHDB’s latest fungicide performance curves show that while there are sensitivity shifts to SDHI chemistry, Revysol’s efficacy and stability endures. Safeguarding new chemistry was a hot topic at the recent AHDB Agronomy Conference. The 2025 fungicide performance...

This year’s Poultry Club of Scotland Dinner held at the Dunblane Hydro Hotel celebrated the continued growth, demand and confidence in all areas of Scottish poultry production, including layers, breeders and broilers. According to UK Egg Industry Data, egg consumption...

The organisation, which offers peer-to-peer stories and recommendations, supported by experts and scientific knowledge, was started in 2022 following the Doug Avery Tour, which saw thousands of farmers and crofters attend events across Scotland to hear a first-person...

Turkey may have been replaced by beef or a nut roast, sprouts by peas, but the one stalwart of the Christmas dinner is the potato according to a new survey*. More than two-thirds of Britons will not sacrifice the roast potato this Christmas and a third will be eating...

The CIPC Residues Monitoring Group (CRMG), a cross-industry body, has submitted its second-year draft report with the Health and Safety Executive's Chemical Regulation Division (CRD). The report provides new evidence on chlorpropham (CIPC) residues in potatoes stored...

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) has appointed three new Directors, who will join the board, on a three-year term. Vicky Robinson, Head of Sustainability at the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), Dan Smith, Farm Manager and Consultant, and Corrina...

Christine Cameron farms 6,000 acres of hill ground near Killin in the Highlands along with her husband Euan. With 1,500 Blackface sheep and a small herd of Lowline Angus cattle, managing menopause alongside farm life hasn’t always been easy, but she’s learned to adapt...

Inclusive Farm Scotland has welcomed the first students to its 22-acre working farm at Tarland on Royal Deeside as the charity's purpose-built facilities near completion. Through significant fundraising efforts, what was ley ground and old stone buildings has been...

This year has reminded us just how unpredictable potato growing can be. We got off to a great start with early planting and good soil conditions, but then the rain more or less stopped. Apart from the odd shower, it stayed dry right through to harvest. Only about 30%...

Farmlay welcomed North East MSPs and councillors to Cockmuir Farm outside Strichen last Friday 21st November as part of Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) ‘Meating Our Potential’ campaign, which encourages Scotland’s beef farmers to add just two more cows to their herd...

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) has confirmed the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds MP, will deliver the annual political keynote address before taking questions from the audience. Hosted in Oxford and online from 7th to...

ABP UK has launched a new Farm Ambassador Programme, bringing together a group of progressive beef and sheep farmers from within its supply base to help shape the company’s sustainability and supply chain strategy, and to act as advocates for the British red meat...

A bespoke demographic mapping tool developed by Knight Frank’s viticulture consultancy has helped one of the UK’s largest wine producers, MDCV UK, achieve a 90% year-on-year increase in visitor footfall and more than a fivefold uplift in sales of its most exclusive...

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC), supported by TIAH and BASF Agricultural Solutions, has announced the 15 individuals who will participate in its next Inspire Programme, including a fully funded ticket to OFC 2026 (7 – 9 January), themed Growing Resilience. Focused...

AgriScot, the UK’s premier agricultural business event, has recorded the highest attendance in its 24-year history as well as a significant increase in participation in their Dairy Classes, Silage and Business Skills Competitions. Welcoming close to 12,000 visitors,...

One of Scotland’s best homegrown products will be taking centre stage on menus across the country later this month for St Andrew’s Day.    An idea sparked by a sheep farmer and a livestock auctioneer to make Scotch Lamb the natural choice for celebrating St Andrew’s...

GB Potatoes has launched a new Potato Industry Confidence Survey to capture a comprehensive picture of grower sentiment, production trends and the factors shaping the future of the potato sector across Great Britain. The survey is designed not only to measure...

Knight Frank believes a major rewilding project on the edge of London could mark a new chapter in how private capital supports environmental restoration in and around cities. The Enfield Chase Landscape Recovery Scheme, led by Enfield Council, will see 1,500 hectares...

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC), supported by McCain Foods, has announced the four entrepreneurs and researchers selected for its Inspiring Innovators programme, returning for its second year at OFC26. The programme gives people working across food, farming and...

The 2025 ABP Winter Fair, held at the Bridge of Allan site on 8 November, saw increased entries from 2024 and reaffirmed its place as a leading celebration and showcase of Scotland’s red meat industry. Organised by ABP, alongside the Scottish National Fatstock Club...

MDS is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Willgoss as its new Chair, following the planned departure of Christine Tacon, who steps down after nine years of dedicated service. During her tenure, Christine has overseen a period of significant growth and...

As the risk of virus spread by aphids continues to rise due to climate change, BASF’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) platform has sparked a wider conversation on sustainability and crop protection across the sector. In 2023, BASF embarked on a journey that led to...

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) has announced details of its renowned Oxford Union Debate, which returns as part of the 2026 programme with a motion inspired by the conference’s 90th anniversary: “This house believes that in the next 90 years farming will become a...

Long-time and respected podcaster Ben Eagle is to swap out the microphone to produce a new podcast bringing fresh voices to the big debates in UK agriculture. Hosted by dairy farmer Sophie Gregory and the arable and combine karaoke farmer, Ally Hunter Blair, The Big...

The 2025 Scottish Agriculture Awards, held last night (Thursday 23 October 2025), welcomed over 600 attendees at a glittering ceremony, celebrating innovation, progression and some of the shining lights within the industry.     Organised by AgriScot, RHASS (the...

The competition recognises agriculture’s outstanding individuals from across the UK.   Three finalists have been announced for the prestigious AgriScot Business Skills Award 2025. Rachel Baillie from South Lanarkshire, David Massie from Aberdeenshire and Erin...

From Kent to South West Wales drilling of winter crops is near completion but agronomists are keeping a close eye as grass weeds continue to germinate.  In this BASF blog two agronomists – Chris Taylor from Down To Earth Agronomy and Simon Roberts from CCC Agronomy –...

Louise Penn is an independent agronomist and farm consultant working at Ceres Rural, covering Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and parts of Cambridgeshire. Louise grew up on her family’s tenanted 550ac mixed farm in Northamptonshire but always knew she wanted to be an...

The farmland market in England and Wales remains in limbo as the sector braces for the government’s upcoming Budget and the looming introduction of Inheritance Tax (IHT) reforms. According to the Knight Frank Farmland Index, the average price of bare agricultural land...

Eurostar Commodities has been named a finalist for Sustainability Initiative of the Year at the prestigious Baking Industry Awards for its RISE RE:GEN regenerative flour range, developed in partnership with The Green Farm Collective (TGFC). The company is one of five...

British growers produce over 70,000 tonnes of tomatoes each year, but it would not be possible without seed breeders like BASF | Nunhems who ensure that within each seed is the science to ensure it’ll thrive. Recently, growers, suppliers, retailers and experts came...

A charitable giving page that opens like this, lays bare the agony of losing a child.   “On Sunday 26th January 2025, our 2-year-old, Eleanor and her big sister Fiona, went to bed like any other night. We played, read stories, tucked them in and sang a lullaby....

BASF Agronomy blog featuring award-winning Niab agronomist, Patrick Stephenson Current situation: “We were doing quite well at delaying drilling this autumn but the dam has now burst and diesel is being burnt. Weather and soil conditions are just too good to hold back...

Wallace Currie’s inspiring journey is a powerful reminder that looking after your wellbeing is important for your physical health but can also help you to transform your mindset. His positive and driven outlook on life has carried him through remarkable personal...

The Galbraith Stirling Bull Sales this October boasts a strong line up with 339 pedigree bulls entered alongside over 250 females many with calves at foot, including three herd dispersals.   Scotland’s leading livestock auctioneers, United Auctions, will be holding a...

A livestock nutrition expert is urging farmers to make critical decisions now on winter feeding strategies, with a hot, dry summer resulting in reduced silage stocks across Scotland. "This year has once again reminded us of the unpredictability of weather 'patterns' –...

Now in its 25th year, the AgriScot Silage Competition has opened for entries to showcase the very best of this year’s silage production from across the country. The longest running silage competition in the UK, with entries from over 3,000 farmers since it began, it...

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) has announced the speaker line-up for its 2026 conference, taking place from 7 to 9 January, with the theme ‘Growing Resilience’. Opening and closing the programme will be global food systems expert Jack Bobo and conservation...

Wellbeing charity Farmstrong Scotland has announced a new campaign to help the agricultural community better understand the menopause and its impact on farming homes and workplaces, for both women and men. Launching in October, to coincide with Menopause Awareness...

The overlooked strength of a staple British Food Fortnight invites us to reflect on the food we grow in this country and the farmers who bring it to our tables. It is also an opportunity to look beyond the familiar and rediscover the true value of staples that too...

Julian Thirsk is an Arable Consultant for Niab. He is responsible for 7,800ha across Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland, as well as his own 325ha farm located in North Yorkshire. In this latest blog Julian reflects on last year's grassweed control, the current...

Farmers, chefs and nutritionists are coming together this Autumn to celebrate one of the UK’s most heroic vegetables. Friday 3rd October is the second British Carrot Day, created by a group of passionate UK farmers who want the nation to rediscover the versatility,...

Farmers, chefs and nutritionists are coming together this Autumn to celebrate one of the UK’s most heroic vegetables. Friday 3rd October is the second British Carrot Day, created by a group of passionate UK farmers who want the nation to rediscover the versatility,...

Wellbeing charity Farmstrong Scotland has launched its annual survey for 2025 following last year's findings that revealed over one third of farmers and crofters across Scotland reported low wellbeing levels. The 2024 survey, conducted in partnership with research...