Latest Agricultural News


Philip Clarke
blogs on many of the same agri-business topics covered on this page.  Andersons even get an occational mention in his column.  Read Philip Clarke's blog...
  
 
08 February 2010 - Farm Incomes Fall (From a Height)
Total farm incomes fell in 2009 compared to 2008. The latest Total Income from Farming (TIFF) data shows a 6% real-terms drop. This will come as little surprise to those in the industry, and corresponds with what has been happening at an individual farm level (unlike DEFRA’s pre-Christmas estimate)....
  
 
05 January 2010 - Combinable Crop Markets
Compared with the market movements of the previous 12 months, 2009 was a relatively docile year.  November 2009 wheat futures moved by £63 per tonne, but the November 2008 contract moved by more than £100...

 

 

11 December 2009 - Outlook 2010

Andersons annual ‘Outlook’ publication, now in its fourteenth year, has just been released. The widely-respected briefing aims to provide a realistic and objective assessment of the prospects for the faming industry over the next 12 months and beyond...

 

 


01 December 2009 - Single Payments Start
With the 1st December reached, it becomes legally possible for Single Payments to be made (EU regulations state that they can only be paid after this date). There seems to be a bit of inter-agency competition as to who can get the most payments out quickest . . .
read more
 
 
25 November 2009 - Farm Incomes for 2009
Somewhat surprisingly, DEFRA is estimating that farm incomes will be a quarter higher in 2009 than they were in 2008. The department has released its first estimates for 2009 and 2010 Total Income from Farming (TIFF). This shows agricultural returns increasing by 25% in real terms for the current year, and then falling by around 9% in 2010 . . .  
 
 
01 November 2009 - ELS Renewals
In 2010, nearly 14,000 Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) agreements will come up for renewal. Natural England (NE) has a target of 70% of the Utilisable Agricultural Area (UAA) in England being under an environmental agreement. Currently the area in schemes is just under 66%. Therefore, just to keep levels where they are, never mind increase them to the target figure, a high proportion of those ELS agreement holders will need to be persuaded to re-sign...
 
 
01 October 2009 - Single Payment Rate for 2009
 UK farmers will get a welcome boost to their incomes this year. The ECB’s official exchange rate on the 30th September is used to convert Single Payments from Euros to Sterling. The rate has been fixed at €1 = 90.93p. This is a 15% increase on last year...
read more
 

 

01 September 2009 - Dairy Profitability
Dairy profitability could improve for the 2010-11 milk year.  But for a fairly typical farm, the returns from producing milk are still marginal – it still requires support payments to bring about a reasonable level of business surplus.  These are the messages from the latest figures produced for Andersons’ model dairy business ‘Friesian Farm’...
read more

The data was prepared for the forthcoming Dairy Event and Livestock Show due to be held at Stoneleigh on the 16th and 17th September 2009.  Andersons will be exhibiting their usual indepth industry analysis in Hall 1 on Stand 128 and our consultants will be on hand to discuss the latest issues.
 
 

 

01 August 2009 - Harvest Progress

The combines are rolling in many parts of England eagerly harvesting oilseed rape, barley and oats. However, the showery weather has made the harvest a very stop-start affair so far. Progress is well behind the average for this point in the summer...

read more
 
01 July 2009 - CAP Reform 2012

The timetable for the next round of CAP reform has become clearer.  This is the result of recent comments made by the EU Commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel.  As we have previously stated in these pages, what happens to the CAP is inextricably linked to the budget settlement for the 2014-2020 period...

read more
 
02 June 2009 - Arable Profitability in 2009 and 2010
In preparation for the upcoming Cereals Event (to be held at Vine Farm, Wendy, Nr Royston, Cambridgeshire on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th June), Andersons have updated their Loam Farm Model. We think that this highlights some interesting trends in the profitability of cereals production...
read more
 
  01 May 2009 - Grazing Agreements and the NVZ Rules
It is the time of year when a lot of land is being let on grazing agreements - promoting a number of questions, especially on how cross-compliance is treated. This is because, under a licence, the landowner is almost always claiming the SPS, and is thus responsible for ensuring cross-compliance...
read more
 

 

01 April 2009 - Rents and CAP Reform

Many tenancies, either new or renewals, are being negotiated based on 5-year terms.  It should be remembered that this takes them beyond the current lifespan of the Single Payment Scheme which has its final year in 2012...

read more
 

 

16 March 2009 - NVZ Livestock Manure Loading Derogation Confirmed
The EU has agreed to the NVZ derogation on whole-farm livestock manure limits. This will allow farmers in Great Britain to have a maximum whole-farm livestock manure application limit of 250 kg/Ha of Nitrogen rather than the existing 170 kg N/ha limit...
read more
 
March 2009 - Land Prices Start to Fall
Land prices are starting to fall according to the latest figures from the RICS Rural Land Market Survey of Great Britain.  According to the survey, the weighted average price (opinion based) of bare arable and pasture land fell from £12,965 per Ha in the first half of 2008 to £12,336 per Ha in the second half of the year, this represents a 5% decrease compared to a 24% increase in the first half of 2008...
read more
 
 
February 2009 - Set Aside Replacement

There has been a lot of talk recently on how DEFRA is planning to deal with the environmental effects of the end to set-aside. Set-aside was always intended as a supply mechanism but it also provided considerable benefits to wildlife. Issues have recently been coming to a head...

read more
 
 
January 2009 - Renewables Boost

Over the last couple of months there have been a number of policy moves that are likely to boost the renewables sector. 

 

Firstly, EU Leaders agreed a ‘Climate and Energy Package’ during their December Summit that sets new targets for the use of renewable energy.  The whole package is known as ’20-20-20 by 2020’ and has three elements...

read more
 
 
December 2008 - Andersons Outlook 2009
Andersons has now launched its Outlook 2009 publication which is available for download by following the link below.  Outlook 2009 provides a sector by sector overview of the agricultural industry with comment and predictions for the year ahead.  Please contact us if you require hard copies of Outlook 2009.
 
Download Outlook 2009
 

 

November 2008 - UK Harvest Results and Prospects for 2009
The large size of the 2008 UK harvest has been confirmed by DEFRA’s provisional Cereal Production Survey.  A record wheat crop of 17.458 million tonnes was harvested – this is almost a third higher than last year.  This is thanks to an increased planted area ....
read more
 
 
October 2008 - Single Payment Rates

The exchange rate on 30th September, the date for the setting of the SPS conversion rate for 2008, was €1 = £0.79030. This is an increase on last year of 13.8 %....

read more
 
 
September 2008 - Andersons at the Dairy Event and Livestock Show
Andersons will be at the 2008 Dairy and Livestock Show at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire. Please come and see us in Exhibition Hall 1 on Stand 130 on the 17th and 18th September.
 
 
 
 
August 2008 - The John Nix Farm Management Pocketbook
The next edition of The John Nix Farm Management Pocketbook will be published at the start of September 2008.
  
The Pocketbook has been fully revised incorporating the dramatic changes in the economics of all sectors of UK agriculture this year. It has over 270 pages of updated information including:
  • over 100 gross margins
  • a new section on Renewable Energy
  • Government Support
  • chapters on overheads including labour, machinery, other ‘fixed’ costs
  • capital and finance information
  • other budgeting information such as a chapter on agricultural taxation
If you are farming, advising in agriculture, studying agriculture, or involved in the industry in any way, a copy of the Pocketbook is an essential to keep in your pocket.
Phone 01664 564 508 now to order your copy or visit the Pocketbook website to download an order form or view the content's pages.
 
 
 
July 2008 - 2009 Budgeting Figures Published
Recent cost increases have reduced projected returns for 2009 dramatically compared to the current year. This is demonstrated in new budgeting figures recently produced by Agro Business Consultants (ABC).... read more.
 
 
 
July 2008 - Set-Aside Goes After 20 Years
Farmers planning their autumn plantings can safely count on not having to set any of their land aside. The EU Commission has confirmed that compulsory set-aside will not return for the 2009 harvest.... read more.  

 
 
June 2008 - Focus On Renewable Energy
A detailed Economic Assessment of Anaerobic Digestion Technology and its Suitability to UK Farming and Waste Systems has been published. This was undertaken by The Andersons Centre on behalf of the National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC).  A downloadable cost calculator for estimating costs of anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities was also built by The Andersons Centre as part of the project.  The report and the calculator can be downloaded by following the links on the Clients and Previous Work page.
 
Work was also undertaken by The Andersons Centre for the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) that provides an Economic Evaluation of Biodiesel. This is also avaliable by following the links on the Clients and Previous Work page.
 
For further information on the services that The Andersons Centre offers in the renewable energy sector please contact Graham Redman on 01664 503 200.
 
 
 
Andersons at the Cereals Event
Andersons will be at the 2008 Cereals Event at Heath Farm, Leadenham, Lincolnshire. Please come and see us on Stand 213 on 11th and 12th June.
 
 
 
 
May 2008 - FREE Business Support
A FREE business advice and support service is now available for any Land Based Business in the East Midlands. This service is being delivered by specialist Business Link rural advisors. Please contact Oliver Lee on 01664 503 200 for further information or to arrange a FREE business visit.
 
 
 
April 2008 - RDPE Grants Now Available
A range of rural grants are now available for land-based businesses throughout England.  These grants are being delivered under the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) 2007-2013.  The grants are being administered on a regional basis through the respective Regional Development Agencies (RDA’s) in each English region.
Please contact The Andersons Centre for further information or for assistance in developing an RDPE grant application.  Please call Oliver Lee on 01664 503 200.
 
 
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