The Farmers Weekly Podcast

Farmers Weekly
  • 4.3 (7)
  • Business News
  • Updated Biweekly

The inside track on the biggest stories affecting UK agriculture - with Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Every Friday.

  1. Sep 28

    SFI26: Sifting through the wreckage of the Sustainable Farming Incentive

    Farmers are ploughing up environmental features after thousands were shut out of the Sustainable Farming Incentive when funding ran out less than six hours after applications opened. In this episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast, we hear from Lincolnshire farmer Charles Anyan as he returns buffer strips to wheat production following problems with his SFI application. NFU vice-president Robyn Munt sets out what the union wants Defra to do next – including urgent clarity for farmers left without agreements and an earlier opening for SFI 2027. Shadow farming minister Robbie Moore gives the Conservative response and argues that the government and Treasury must provide greater certainty over future funding. And we visit the Allerton Project in Leicestershire, where a planned SFI agreement worth about £85,000 a year failed to get through. Allerton head of sustainable farming Joe Stanley considers what the debacle means for environmental delivery – and whether private natural-capital markets can fill some of the funding gap. Chapters 00:00 – SFI fallout: farmers start ploughing up environmental features09:27 – Autumn drilling update: grassweed control with Bayer Crop Science12:19 – NFU demands answers from Defra25:41 – Political fallout from the SFI closure37:18 – Markets: beef and sheep strengthen39:42 – Allerton Project: £85,000 SFI shortfall45:20 – What now for farm environmental policy? Special Guests Charles Anyan – Lincolnshire farmerRobyn Munt – vice-president, National Farmers’ UnionRobbie Moore MP – shadow farming ministerJoe Stanley – head of sustainable farming, Allerton Project Useful links Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 – scheme information Defra: SFI26 Window 2 update Defra: SFI26 Window 2 applications and statistics NFU: SFI scheme guidance and information Allerton Project This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker. To get in touch with the Farmers Weekly Podcast: - Contact or follow Johann: linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/ Contact or follow Louise: linkedin.com/in/louise-impey-95470b20b/ Contact or follow Hugh: linkedin.com/in/hugh-broom-9b11906a/ For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly To contact, sponsor or advertise on the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. Sep 22

    Emergency Episode: SFI26 funding gone in under six hours – what now?

    Defra is under intense pressure after the £233 million budget for the 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive was exhausted just five hours and 48 minutes after applications opened. In this emergency episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast, farmers describe technical problems that prevented them from submitting complete applications despite weeks of preparation – leaving some facing holes of more than £50,000 in their farm budgets. Farm business consultant James Bush explains what went wrong, what farmers should do next and why Defra and the Rural Payments Agency need urgently to clarify what happens to those who missed out. Podcast hosts Johan Tasker, Hugh Broom and Louise Impey discuss the wider fallout – including fears that farmers could abandon environmental measures if funding remains unavailable. In this episode 00:00 – SFI funding exhausted in under six hoursThe £233m budget disappears after applications open, leaving thousands of farmers without agreements. 00:52 – West Sussex farmers hit by application problemsFrans de Boer and Rupert Hoare describe unexplained compatibility errors, missing options and incomplete applications despite extensive preparation. 02:45 – £55,000 hole in a Cambridgeshire farm budgetBeef and arable farmer Peter Hatley explains how technical problems prevented his application and why losing expected SFI income could force major changes to his farming system. 04:14 – Dartmoor farmer loses £50,000 agreementMatthew Cole describes spending hours preparing his upland application only for errors to prevent submission before the budget disappeared. 05:19 – Hugh and Louise reactHugh Broom and Louise Impey discuss the stress, confusion and frustration surrounding the application window – and the consequences for farmers who missed out. 08:07 – Farm consultant James Bush: what went wrong?James Bush, head of agriculture at GSC Grays, describes consultants preparing for a 24-hour application marathon – only to see the entire budget exhausted within six hours. 10:08 – What Defra needs to fixTechnical problems, mapping issues and the shortcomings of a highly compressed application window. 12:00 – What farmers should do nextJames explains why land-use codes, land cover, digital mapping and contingency plans need to be checked ahead of any future application window. 13:07 – The particular problem facing upland farmsWhy farmers in the uplands have fewer alternatives when environmental support disappears – and how one moorland agreement was left with a major funding shortfall. 15:04 – Don’t panic – but demand clarityWhat farmers need to know about another SFI window and how SFI 2026 might interact with future schemes. 16:10 – Could environmental land go back into production?Hugh warns that frustration with government schemes could encourage farmers to remove margins and other environmental measures. 19:38 – Budget, IT – and communicationLouise argues that Defra must either provide sufficient funding or redesign the scheme around the budget actually available. 21:03 – What happens nextThe team looks ahead to Friday’s Farmers Weekly Podcast and further coverage of the SFI fallout. Guests Frans de Boer – West Sussex farmerRupert Hoare – West Sussex farmerPeter Hatley – Cambridgeshire beef and arable farmerMatthew Cole – Dartmoor farmerJames Bush – head of agriculture, GSC Grays Useful links Farmers Weekly – latest Sustainable Farming Incentive news and analysis Defra – Sustainable Farming Incentive guidance Rural Payments Agency – SFI applications and scheme information GSC Grays – agricultural and farm business advice This emergency episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker. To get in touch with the Farmers Weekly Podcast: - Contact or follow Johann: linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/ Contact or follow Louise: linkedin.com/in/louise-impey-95470b20b/ Contact or follow Hugh: linkedin.com/in/hugh-broom-9b11906a/ For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly To contact, sponsor or advertise on the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. Sep 18

    SFI scramble, sugar beet arbitration, maize quality, & Daniel Zeichner on life inside Defra

    Farmers face a race to secure funding when the Sustainable Farming Incentive reopens – with warnings that the available money could be allocated within just 24 hours. We look at how to prepare an SFI26 application, why growers should resist simply chasing grant money and what could happen to farmers whose existing agreements prevent them joining this time around. Sugar beet growers face another period of uncertainty after price negotiations between NFU Sugar and British Sugar break down. With the 2027/28 contract heading to arbitration, we ask whether the crop can continue to earn its place in the rotation. After one of the earliest maize harvests on record, we examine maize quality, forage shortages and why regular silage analysis could prove particularly important this winter. And former farm minister Daniel Zeichner gives an extraordinary account of life inside Defra – including his claim that he knew nothing about the government’s inheritance tax changes until after they were announced in the 2024 Budget. This episode is brought to you by Bayer Crop Science – weeding out uncertainty. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction01:09 – SFI26: will the money run out in 24 hours?08:01 – SFI: preparing for the scramble14:21 – Autumn drilling update: managing dry seedbeds16:56 – Sugar beet price talks head to arbitration20:50 – Does sugar beet have a future?25:39 – Around the farming world30:01 – Maize harvest: quantity versus quality34:25 – Markets: livestock up, grain down and diesel jumps36:46 – Daniel Zeichner: what really happened inside Defra?44:20 – Abi Kay on an extraordinary interview Special Guests Chloe Timberlake – farm business adviser, Ceres RuralNick Scantlebury – senior farms manager, Elveden EstateNeil Groom – maize specialist, GrainseedDaniel Zeichner MP – former Defra farm ministerAbi Kay – Farmers Weekly chief reporter Useful links Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026SFI26 Window 2 updateSugar beet price arbitrationBritish Sugar’s Cantley plansBovine TB transmission researchDaniel Zeichner interview This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker. To get in touch with the Farmers Weekly Podcast: - Contact or follow Johann: linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/ Contact or follow Louise: linkedin.com/in/louise-impey-95470b20b/ Contact or follow Hugh: linkedin.com/in/hugh-broom-9b11906a/ For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly To contact, sponsor or advertise on the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. Sep 17

    Abi Kay's Big Questions: Former minister Daniel Zeichner lifts the lid on life inside Defra.

    In an exclusive interview with Farmers Weekly's Abi Kay, former farm minister Daniel Zeichner gives an extraordinary account of life inside Defra.  Revelations include Mr Zeichner's claim that as a minister he knew nothing about government plans to impose inheritance tax on farmers until after they were announced in the 2024 Budget. He says he was then “dutifully dispatched to defend” the policy to furious farmers. Mr Zeichner also admits that Labour was not sufficiently prepared for government when it was elected in July 2024. He says he was unable to tell farmers the “full story” about problems with the government's flagship Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), which ran out of money in March 2025. He also describes feeling “man-marked” by Treasury officials he had never met – and says the government should have foreseen the trouble its inheritance tax plans caused. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker. To get in touch with the Farmers Weekly Podcast: - Contact or follow Johann: linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/ Contact or follow Abi: uk.linkedin.com/in/abi-kay-38927130 For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly To contact, sponsor or advertise on the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Abi Kay's Big Questions: Former minister Daniel Zeichner lifts the lid on life inside Defra.

  5. Sep 15

    Farm rent cuts, secret rural crime workshops, pig sector crisis, & Derek vs Derek

    Tenant farmers are being urged to seek rent reductions as difficult arable economics put pressure on farm businesses – but how far should landlords go to share the pain? This week, we examine calls for rent cuts of up to 20% and ask whether landlords and tenants need a new approach to negotiating rents during difficult years. We also investigate the secret workshops helping farmers protect themselves against increasingly sophisticated rural crime. Security specialist Frank Cannon explains why some crime-prevention advice is deliberately kept behind closed doors. Meanwhile, pig producers face a difficult autumn after processors served notice on supply contracts. Thousands of pigs could be left without a contracted buyer each week, accelerating the decline of independent production. And finally, we head to the cinema for Derek vs Derek, a feature-length documentary following two neighbouring Devon farmers with very different ideas about the countryside: dairy farmer Derek Banbury and rewilder Derek Gow. Derek vs Derek is directed by James Dawson and follows Derek Banbury and Derek Gow over three years. Its UK cinema release begins on 2 October 2026. This episode is brought to you by Bayer Crop Science – weeding out uncertainty. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction00:59 – Should tenant farmers demand rent cuts?09:41 – Who should carry the pain in a bad year?13:27 – Autumn drilling update with Bayer Crop Science15:23 – Secret workshops tackle rural crime18:11 – How farmers can make themselves harder targets25:10 – Farming politics on the road27:35 – Back British Farming Day29:06 – Pig producers face contract crisis33:43 – Markets: livestock, grain and fuel36:09 – Derek vs Derek: farming meets rewilding38:38 – Food production or nature – must farmers choose?47:23 – Podcast wrap-up Guests and useful links: Richard King – partner, Andersons farm business consultantsJeremy Moody – secretary and adviser, Central Association of Agricultural ValuersFrank Cannon – chartered security professional, Rural SafeGuardAlistair Driver – editor, Pig World This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker. To get in touch with the Farmers Weekly Podcast: - Contact or follow Johann: linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/ Contact or follow Louise: linkedin.com/in/louise-impey-95470b20b/ Contact or follow Hugh: linkedin.com/in/hugh-broom-9b11906a/ For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly To contact, sponsor or advertise on the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  6. Sep 4

    River Wye pollution progress, gene-edited soya, falling livestock numbers & Great British Harvest Festival

    In this episode, we examine new farm-level evidence suggesting phosphorus is coming into balance on farms in the River Wye catchment – and ask what it means for water pollution. We visit a field trial where precision breeding could make UK-grown soya commercially possible. We examine the continuing decline in cattle and sheep numbers, and run the rule over the latest livestock and arable markets. And we discover why some of Britain’s biggest music names are heading to Suffolk for a harvest festival with a difference. This episode is brought to you by Bayer Crop Science – weeding out uncertainty. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction00:51 – River Wye: are farmers turning the tide on pollution?10:18 – Bayer autumn drilling update: tackling weeds field by field12:20 – Could gene-edited soya become a UK break crop?21:51 – Farming news: El Niño, Asian hornets and SFI2626:07 – Why are Britain’s beef and sheep herds shrinking?32:21 – Markets: beef firms as grain prices rise34:59 – A Great British Harvest Festival with a difference42:13 – That’s all for this week Guests Dan Smith – farm facilitator, Herefordshire Rural Hub Rachel Banks – technical manager, Bayer Crop Science Dr Frank Röber – Europe Breeding Alliances lead, Corteva Agriscience Philip Case – Farmers Weekly Prys Morgan – beef and lamb sector director, AHDB Andrew Sunnucks – farmer and music producer Useful links River Wye nutrient balance projectRiver Wye water quality – Environment AgencySFI26 Window 2AHDB Beef & LambBayer Crop ScienceGreat British Harvest Festival This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker. To get in touch with the Farmers Weekly Podcast: - Contact or follow Johann: linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/ Contact or follow Louise: linkedin.com/in/louise-impey-95470b20b/ Contact or follow Hugh: linkedin.com/in/hugh-broom-9b11906a/ For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly To contact, sponsor or advertise on the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. Aug 28

    Autumn drilling gamble, fertiliser warning, sugar beet drought, Brazilian beef imports, and firearms licensing

    In this episode, how much rain is enough to start drilling after one of the driest summers in recent memory? We look at autumn crop establishment as growers weigh up whether to put oilseed rape and other crops into exceptionally dry soils – or wait for more meaningful rainfall. We assess the prospects for the coming sugar beet harvest after drought, heat and pest pressure take their toll on crops. And farm leaders call for tougher controls on Brazilian beef and imported eggs as questions mount over whether food coming into Britain meets the same standards expected of UK producers. Meanwhile, fertiliser suppliers urge growers to start talking about next season’s requirements as geopolitical disruption threatens to disrupt another buying season. And finally, a police watchdog says firearms licensing in England and Wales is “not fit for purpose”. What would a new national licensing authority mean for the thousands of farmers and other rural businesses that rely on shotguns and firearms for their work? This episode is brought to you by KWS – seeding the future since 1856. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction00:53 – How much rain is enough to drill oilseed rape?02:24 – How late is too late for oilseed rape?03:21 – Drilling into exceptionally dry seed-beds04:01 – Should growers increase seed rates?05:07 – Has this week’s rain changed anything?07:14 – Grass, cover crops and an exceptionally early maize harvest08:21 – What happened to cabbage stem flea beetle?09:24 – Farmers Weekly Harvest Update with KWS11:45 – How badly has drought hit sugar beet?14:02 – Beet armyworm adds to pest pressure15:01 – Building more resilient sugar beet crops16:05 – Can plant breeding deliver drought tolerance?16:52 – What are growers expecting from harvest?19:29 – A difficult lifting campaign ahead?20:49 – Calls to stop Brazilian beef imports21:11 – Imported eggs and the salmonella outbreak22:53 – Farmers urged to plan fertiliser requirements early24:17 – Geopolitics puts fertiliser supply chains under pressure25:01 – But what about farm cash flow?26:17 – Can the supply chain cope with another late rush?28:59 – Markets update29:20 – Firearms licensing ‘not fit for purpose’30:25 – Farmers’ experience of firearms licensing31:26 – Would a national firearms authority work better?32:18 – Closing remarks Guests Jock Willmott – partner and agronomist, Ceres Rural Matt Bull – product manager, KWS Dr Georgina Barratt – head of crop production, British Beet Research Organisation Harriet Trewin – head of fertiliser, Agricultural Industries Confederation Lee Freeman – HM inspector of constabulary Useful links ⁠Ceres Rural⁠British Beet Research Organisation⁠Agricultural Industries ConfederationLatest UKHSA salmonella outbreak updateGovernment firearms licensing guidance This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker. To get in touch with the Farmers Weekly Podcast: - Contact or follow Johann: linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/ Contact or follow Louise: linkedin.com/in/louise-impey-95470b20b/ Contact or follow Hugh: linkedin.com/in/hugh-broom-9b11906a/ For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly To contact, sponsor or advertise on the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  8. Aug 21

    Drought crisis loans, does regen farming stack up?, bluetongue vaccination, & China food security

    Could government-backed crisis loans help cash-strapped farmers recover from drought and keep Britain producing food? This week, we examine industry proposals for a Keep Britain Growing Loan – an interest-free, government-backed scheme planned for farmers. With the bluetongue outbreak continuing to spread northwards, we hear why livestock producers are being urged to vaccinate susceptible cattle and sheep as soon as possible. We look at China’s drive for greater food self-sufficiency and what it could mean for global agricultural markets. And a new report called From Risk to Reward examines the financial cost of switching to regenerative farming. If farmers lose money during the transition, should food companies and the wider supply chain shoulder more of the risk? This episode is brought to you by Bayer CropScience - weeding out uncertainty. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction01:02 – Could crisis loans keep farmers farming?04:30 – Would the loans make a difference?09:46 – Autumn Drilling Update with Bayer Cropscience11:44 – Bluetongue spreads further across Britain17:05 – Is it too late to vaccinate?17:57 – Preparing for bluetongue in 202723:34 – Harvest, autumn cultivations and SFI27:07 – China targets greater food self-sufficiency30:06 – Markets33:16 – Who pays for regenerative farming?39:02 – Should food companies share the risk? Guests Alex Godfrey – Lincolnshire farmer and chairman, GB PotatoesRachel Banks – technical manager, Bayer CropscienceClaire Wise – acting national livestock chair, NFUMandy Nevel – head of animal health, AHDBJoe Stanley – head of sustainable farming, Allerton Project Useful Links Keep Britain Growing LoanBluetongue – latest situationBayer weed management adviceRegenerative agriculture and NestléAllerton ProjectFrom Risk to Reward This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker. To get in touch with the Farmers Weekly Podcast: - Contact or follow Johann: linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/ Contact or follow Louise: linkedin.com/in/louise-impey-95470b20b/ Contact or follow Hugh: linkedin.com/in/hugh-broom-9b11906a/ For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly To contact, sponsor or advertise on the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also text the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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4.3
out of 5
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About

The inside track on the biggest stories affecting UK agriculture - with Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Every Friday.

Information

  • Creator
    Farmers Weekly
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    2026 © The Farmers Weekly Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Farmers Weekly Podcast

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