With millions of people having to cancel their Easter holiday plans due to the pandemic, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents 5,000 rural tourism businesses, is urging everyone to re-book cancelled holidays in the UK once it is safe to do so. Choosing a ‘staycation’ is not only greener but is a great way to support the local economy.

Rural tourism is worth £18.5 billion a year to the economy and employs over 600,000 people. Yet, almost overnight, many businesses have shut down for an unknown period of time. This is having crippling consequences on a beloved industry.

Going on holiday in the UK is also one of the easiest steps you can take to reduce your emissions. An average domestic flight gives off three-times more Co2 emissions per km travelled compared to travelling in a car.

Many farms now provide holiday lets, camping, bed and breakfasts and farm stays as a way to support their business. These farmers, who have already suffered from flooding and uncertain trading conditions, now face another hammering to their income. They need the support of British holidaymakers after this crisis is over.

The CLA is seeking reassurances from the UK Government on support for the sector, such as:

A clear definition of what businesses make up the tourism industry so every business that needs it can access relevant Government support schemes.

Fast payments of financial support to struggling firms, including wage cost support.

A flexible approach from the insurance industry when dealing with rural tourism business claims.

Clear and prompt guidance on what will happen to support schemes in the next 3-6 months so businesses can put in place recovery plans.

CLA Vice President Victoria Vyvyan said: “Once the coronavirus pandemic is over, millions of people will want to take a well-deserved break, especially those who have cancelled their Easter holiday with friends and family.

“When re-booking their holidays, we are asking people to consider staying in the Great British countryside to support local businesses. The hard truth is that thousands of businesses, who are extremely welcoming to their guests, will go bust without their support.

“Choosing a staycation not only helps out small businesses up and down the country, but is also a great way to lower your carbon footprint.”

A new online marketplace, Foodens has launched in the UK – connecting shops and food suppliers with their local communities. Businesses can list food boxes for sale (for both collection and delivery), helping to distribute food across the UK in a safe zero-contact manner.

The Non-Profit is run by Somerset based couple, Rob and Anna Kerry, who said, “We started Foodens as a way for people to receive a reliable source of food, without queueing at supermarkets and whilst also supporting independent local businesses. We want to keep local food suppliers afloat through COVID-19, whilst also stopping the panic buying and mass gatherings at supermarkets.”

The online marketplace will offer services for suppliers such as, farm shops, butchers, patisseries, fruit and veg wholesalers, ready meal companies, restaurants and anything in between. The company welcomes anyone that can provide local people with food, in accordance with Food Standards regulation.

Having always wanted to create a marketplace for food and being lucky to be surrounded by fantastic local food producers, Rob and Anna decided that now was the right time to put their plans into real action, helping local communities across the UK.

The Farming Help charities – Addington Fund, Farming Community Network (FCN), Forage Aid, Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I), and RSABI, supported by The Prince’s Countryside Fund – are working together to support the farming community during the current coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

To raise awareness of how the charities can support the farming community throughout Covid-19 and beyond, next week (13th-17th April) they are launching Farming Help Awareness Week. The Farming Help charities will be using social media to promote each other’s work in supporting rural communities during Covid-19.

The purpose of the week is to:

• raise awareness of what each of the charities involved in the Farming Help partnership does;
• highlight that although the charities support the farming community in different ways, they are all working together under the umbrella of Farming Help to support the farming community through this difficult time;
• encourage farmers and farming families to get in touch via the Farming Help helpline – 03000 111 999 – and make use of the support that the charities offer, taking a proactive approach to help their farm businesses and personal wellbeing.

The Farming Help initiative is in conjunction with The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, The National Farmers’ Union, and the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust.

Utilising the Farming Help helpline (operated by FCN) and respective organisations/volunteer networks, the charities can offer the following local support. Get in touch on 03000 111 999 if you:

• Feel concerned or anxious and would like to talk to someone who understands farming, will listen to you and help you think through your options
• Would like help to draft a contingency plan to ensure you and your farm are prepared, should you be unable to work for a time.
• If you or people you rely on become ill or are self-isolating and you need to find help locally- we will endeavour to find support for you in your local area. We will source contact details of local organisations and groups who may be able to assist you in finding help to feed livestock, collect shopping or collect prescriptions if you are unable to do so. This directory will be revised and updated in the coming weeks and months.

Call 03000 111 999 or visit www.farminghelp.co.uk 

Dry conditions are well known to increase the risk of nitrogen losses from granular urea but perhaps less widely acknowledged is the risk for liquid fertilisers. For over a decade, granular urea users have been able to switch to a urea fertiliser product treated with a urease inhibitor, to reduce such losses. With the introduction of a new urease inhibitor from BASF, liquid fertiliser users now also have the opportunity to better manage this risk, according to Richard Corden from BASF.

“Liquid fertilisers e.g. UAN, are an excellent source of nitrogen, allowing accurate application and improved workload efficiency. However, it is often not fully understood that nitrogen can be lost after application. Up to half of the nitrogen in UAN is derived from urea. As the urea component is converted to plant available ammonium, it is subject to ammonia volatilisation, unless sufficiently washed into the soil.

He adds: “ADAS led a project to evaluate ammonia volatilisation losses from UAN over a 3-year period and found that nitrogen losses due to volatilisation ranged from 5.5% to 19%.”

Certain environmental conditions, many of which are currently relevant for much of the country, can increase the risk of ammonia losses, including:

• Low rainfall: To minimise volatilisation, more than 10mm of rainfall is required within two days of application to wash the nitrogen into the soil
• Dry or drying soil surface: This reduces the diffusion of the nitrogen away from the soil surface
• Warm soil temperatures or high soil pH: This speeds up the conversion process resulting in greater losses

“Fortunately, these risks can be managed, and losses reduced by adding Limus Clear to liquid fertilisers,” notes Mr Corden.

Managing the risk with Limus Clear

Limus Clear is a new product to the market, available exclusively from Frontier Agriculture and designed specifically for liquid fertilisers. Extensive field trials carried out by BASF have demonstrated that Limus Clear reduces ammonia emissions from urea by up to 98%, minimising nitrogen losses and improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE).

Ed Downing, Frontier’s National Crop Nutrition Technical Manager notes: “Nitrogen use efficiency is always important, but given the challenging season we’ve had so far, it is perhaps even more so.  The high over-winter losses of nitrogen have left very little in the soil, meaning we’ll be even more reliant on applied nitrogen than usual to feed our crops.”

“Limus Clear is fully compatible with all liquid fertilisers, both straight N and NS grades, is easy to use and low cost” he adds. “A low rate of Limus Clear, typically less than 0.2 l/ha (specific for each liquid grade), costing £2 – 4/ha, is mixed in with the liquid fertiliser during sprayer filling. This makes it an excellent risk management tool. When soils are moist and sufficient rainfall is shortly expected i.e. low risk, you wouldn’t include it. However, if no rainfall is forecast and there’s little or no canopy cover, resulting in fast-drying, bare soil, you would definitely use it,” Mr Downing adds.

This sentiment is echoed by Essex farmer, James Faulkner, who farms 1350ha at Peldon in Essex. He took part in one of three ADAS managed Agronomics, field scale trials on wheat crops last year, in which he added Limus Clear to his final two UAN applications.

Mr Faulkner noted how the small pack size made it a flexible product to take with him when he is operating the sprayer: “It has a low dose rate and it is an easy product to carry with you on the sprayer, so you can decide whether to add to the tank or not, depending on the weather conditions at the time.”

ADAS Agronomics trials show yield and economic benefit

Like many farmers, Mr Faulkner has switched from solid fertiliser to UAN in recent years. James invited BASF and ADAS to run a tramline trial after seeing Limus Clear perform well in Frontier trials, and was pleasantly surprised with the results.

“It didn’t seem like the type of season that Limus Clear would have big effects. The UAN went on as a split application in April and there were rainfall events soon after both applications,” he recalls. However, the results told a different story.

“The average yield of the farm standard crop was 12.78 t/ha. The modelled effect of the Limus Clear treatment, using the ADAS Agronomics methodology, was an increase in yield of 0.29 t/ha and an improved margin over input costs of £36.15/ha,” he concludes.

Results from the other farms were also positive. A cross-site analysis carried out by ADAS showed a clear yield and economic advantage from using Limus Clear.

*MOIC based on wheat at £150/t  **Statistically significant

A useful tool for the current season

Frontier’s Mr Downing adds: “Given the weather extremes we’ve experienced in recent years, who knows what the coming weeks will bring. However, if it stays dry and temperatures increase, liquid fertiliser users now have a flexible, effective and low-cost tool to manage the risk of ammonia losses.”

You can find out more at BASF’s website here or contact Frontier here.

With the nation’s restaurants closed for the foreseeable future, farmers and chefs are teaming up to help people enjoy the perfect steak dinner at home.

Usually, 20 per cent of beef is consumed in the eating-out market, with steak a popular choice, but current closures mean there will be 2.5 billion fewer eating-out occasions between April and June this year.

With social media an increasingly important source of recipe inspiration, AHDB is rallying industry and chefs to use the hashtags #steaknight and #makeitsteak over the next three months to show consumers how to enjoy restaurant-quality steak in the comfort of their own home.

The initiative aims to put steak on the menu for some of the additional 500 million meals a week which will now be consumed at home during lockdown.

For those unsure where to start, AHDB has a range of quick and easy recipes on its simplybeefandlamb.co.uk website, such as steak nachos with salsa, Korean beef bibimbap and bistro steaks on garlic bruschetta.

Will Jackson, AHDB Strategy Director for Beef & Lamb, said: “We want to join up the supply chain and showcase the fantastic ways we can all enjoy an eating-out experience in the comfort of our living rooms by linking up communities across social media with farmers and chefs to share their expert knowledge and tips.

“We encourage everyone to prepare and share simple steak recipes to help people cook with confidence in their own home during these difficult times.”

Steak can also make a valuable contribution to a balanced diet, as red meat is naturally rich in protein, low in salt and provides eight vitamins and minerals which contribute towards good health.

Red meat, such as beef, is one of the main sources of vitamin B12, which is typically only found naturally in animal products, such as meat and milk. Vitamin B12 helps the immune system work normally and contributes to normal psychological function.

#Steaknight is part of AHDB’s extensive consumer-focused marketing and PR programme, and complements Great British Beef Week, taking place from 23 to 30 April.

Stories of farmers being forced to dump milk due to the impacts of the Covid-19 lockdown have been circulating widely on social media, prompting calls for crisis talks with the government to protect the sector.

NFU has said the survival of many dairy farming businesses depends on urgent action from the government. It is calling for a meeting with Defra secretary of state George Eustice today (9^th April).

The Covid-19 lockdown has seen demand for milk from cafes, restaurants, pubs and hotels virtually disappear as businesses are forced to close. Meanwhile, an additional strain is being seen by processors due to staff being off sick or having to self-isolate.

RABDF estimates around 300 farms are affected based on the amount of milk being disposed of, but a significantly higher number of farmers are being impacted by reduced milk prices and/or payment terms.

Similar problems are also being seen on a global scale, including in the US and Canada.

Speaking to the BBC Points West programme, RABDF chairman Peter Alvis said: “It’s having a massive impact – there’s farmers that are really distressed and they can’t see an end to what is happening. They’re not receiving any income so they can’t afford to pay their bills. You can just see on social media and from speaking to people the devastation it’s causing on farms.”

Winterdale Cheese in Kent said on social media that their milk was not collected on 5^th April and it has still not been paid for February’s milk. Northleaze Farm in Wiltshire was also recently ordered to dump milk due to staff shortages and slower production. Meanwhile, farmer Melissa Underwood posted an emotional video on Twitter after tipping away 2,000l of milk, which she said was “absolutely devastating” for the fourth-generation farm, saying they “can’t go on in these circumstances”.

‘Move fast’ to mitigate impacts

RABDF said suppliers are working to redirect milk and fresh dairy products to shops as quickly as possible, but it is not a simple process. The government is currently looking at proposals put forward by the association to directly reimburse farmers who are receiving significantly reduced value or are having to dispose of milk as a result of their processor being highly reliant on the food service sector.

NFU president Minette Batters said: “For weeks now, we have been flagging to government in our daily calls the issues within the dairy sector and working with Defra to try and find solutions. But the situation is becoming untenable. Only four weeks ago all of this milk was being used, losing businesses at this stage will leave consumers reliant on convenience stores and other difficult to reach outlets not being able to have access to the same supply of milk.

“We believe there may be at least 2,000 dairy farmers suffering severe financial pressure and that number is growing by the day as a result of the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak and as things develop very few dairy businesses will be left unaffected. We need to move fast to mitigate the impacts of this unfolding crisis on dairy farming businesses across the country.

“The Secretary of State needs to step in now and take urgent and decisive action, before it is too late and many of those iconic dairy businesses go to the wall.”

NFU dairy board chairman Michael Oakes said a key issue is that dairy farmers or processors largely cannot access the treasury schemes designed to help businesses through the Covid-19 crisis.

In a statement, a Defra spokesperson said: “We have taken a number of measures to support our food and farming sectors to manage the impact of coronavirus on the dairy supply chain. We are also working very closely with farmer and processor representatives to understand the specific challenges that the dairy sector is facing.

“Frequent discussions with the dairy supply chain will continue through this crucial period to understand what further support the sector needs.”

• Yellow rust pressure on wheat is increasing across the country
• Less than 20% winter wheat crop drilled in areas of Leicestershire and Warwickshire
• Lower levels of black-grass in Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire
• High increase in spring barley cropping area expected across the country

In a regional round-up from BASF Agronomy Managers, feedback suggests it’s a real mix bag of winter wheat and oilseed rape crops, unsurprisingly following the wet winter.

In the north of England and Borders region of Scotland, Neil Thomson estimates between 85-90% of the winter wheat was planted in the region. He said, “The crops that were established earlier, in the first half of September, before ground conditions deteriorated are looking great. However, the later drilled crop that went into poorer seedbeds isn’t as good. Disease wise, nothing much to report, we can get yellow rust, but nobody has seen any yet.”

Further south and east, in Suffolk, that’s not the case. Matt Keane said, “There is quite a lot of yellow rust about, but it hasn’t been moving very quickly because it is still cold. The thought is to try and tidy it up at the imminent T0 with pyraclostrobin or epoxiconazole.”

Because of the wet winter, crops have not had to forage for moisture. Mr Keane said, “Root plates are not as good as you’d like and nowhere near what they’d be in a normal year. The use of plant growth regulator in the tank mix at T0, as well as giving rooting benefit and helping retain tillers, will give the growers a bit of an insurance plan for T1.”

80-85% of winter wheat crops were drilled in Suffolk and neighbouring Norfolk. Mr Keane said, “Although a lot of crops went into sub optimal conditions at least they went in. Consequently, growers are having to manage anything from late drilled thin crops to really good, lush forward wheats.”

Across the Midlands, growers are glad if they have a winter wheat crop to manage at all. Colin Mountford-Smith said, “In the west of my area, in parts of Leicestershire & Warwickshire less than 20% of winter wheat is in the ground but spring drilling is now progressing well.

Disease levels are typical for this time of year with Septoria and mildew readily found but yellow rust is also starting to be talked about. Forward crops will be getting a CTL based T0 about now.”

In the south east, in Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire, Jonnie Dennis reports, “In terms of disease there is Septoria in the lower leaves and yellow rust starting to come in across most varieties. There are lower levels of blackgrass this year; because of the moisture in the autumn residual herbicides have worked very well.”

Another winter crop, oilseed rape, is looking fine in the north of the UK, where it established well but it has taken a while to get going and is requiring a bit more nitrogen than normal. Mr Thomson said, “The crop has sat with its roots in anaerobic conditions until recently and the rooting is not great.”

Further south Mr Keane said there have been 40% losses of sown crops in Suffolk, however, in neighbouring Norfolk, Hugo Pryce reports only 10-15% losses. He said, “Crops are variable but generally they are alright. There are some big crops out there that have had Caryx applied for canopy management and with the earliest drilled crops now starting to flower the first flowering spray for Sclerotinia is not too far away”

Spring drilling is well underway across all of the UK. On the south coast Andrew Clune said, “About 35%, of the land destined for winter wheat didn’t get drilled, this will be taken up by spring barley, beans and peas. With lots of chalk ground in the area it is relatively easy to produce malting barley.”

Many growers may find themselves growing malting barley and indeed spring barley for the first time this year. Mark Tucker, Agronomy Manager UK, Yara said, “With spring barley, early nutrition is the key to success; it is always a short season, so you need the crop drilled and up out of the ground. Typically we would recommend 60% of the total nitrogen going into the seedbed, with some fresh phosphate and potash. Then aim to get the balance of nitrogen on when you can start to see the tramlines, at three leaves and certainly before the crop gets to GS 30.”

In terms of the total amount of nitrogen to apply, that’s largely down to the market it is being grown for. Mr Tucker said, “For feed, the nitrogen can be pushed up to 170kgN/ha, for a particular market with a specific grain nitrogen value needed, approximately 160kgN/ha will get you high N type contracts, up around 1.8 % grain N . If you are trying to achieve a low grain N, then the nitrogen regime needs to be nearer the 120kgN/ha – 130 kgN/ha.”

Micronutrients also have to be addressed early in the growth of the crop. Mr Tucker said, “Zinc, copper and  manganese are crucial for achieving high grain number in the ear, 60-70% of the samples that we take are deficient in those nutrients, so either take a prophylactic approach or use farm data to help guide the programme.”

Farmers, landowners and members of the public are being urged to be extra vigilant amidst a spike in fly-tipping caused by recycling centre closures and disrupted bin collection services.

Councils across the nation have closed down Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) in response to the coronavirus lockdown and some have also scaled back rubbish collections due to reduced staff numbers.

Rural insurance specialist Lycetts is calling on farmers and landowners to take all necessary steps to protect their land, liaise closely with neighbours and ensure they have sufficient insurance cover in place should they fall victim to fly-tipping. Members of the public are also being encouraged to report any suspicious activity they witness to the police.

“At a time when farmers are working flat out to feed the nation ahead of the busy harvest months, they can ill-afford to contend with the costly and time-consuming burden of removing waste from their land,” said Rupert Wailes-Fairbairn, Rural Divisional Director, Lycetts.

“Although the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has strengthened local authorities’ enforcement powers in recent years, the onus still lies with farmers and other private landowners to dispose of fly-tipped waste on their land. They can even be prosecuted if they fail to do so quickly enough.

“Despite pressure on government from organisations such as the Tenant Farmers Association and the Countryside Alliance, there are currently no plans to change the law.

“Although local authorities can investigate fly-tipping incidents on private land, and bring prosecutions when there is sufficient evidence, the Local Government Association has called for more funding to help them do so. The coronavirus pandemic has further intensified the pressure on stretched council resources.

“It can be difficult to prevent fly-tipping, but we should look to support each other as much as possible during these testing times by keeping a lookout and reporting incidents.”

Wailes-Fairbairn has also reminded farmers of the steps they can take to help deter those responsible, including ensuring that fields, particularly those which are roadside, are gated and locked where possible.

“Security lights and cameras at vulnerable locations throughout farms, and at entrance points hidden from view, can also be effective and help to provide crucial evidence should councils decide to investigate,” he added.

“Furthermore, farmers should consult with their insurance broker to see what cover is afforded to them in the event of an incident, particularly in the case of repeat offences.  Many combined farm insurance policies will cover the cost of the cost of removal and disposal of fly-tipped waste – generally around £5,000 per incident and capped at £15,000.”

According to Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) statistics, 1,072,431 incidents of fly-tipping were dealt with by local authorities in 2018/19, an eight per cent rise on the 998,000 in 2017-18.

Farmers are being warned to take every precaution to protect their machinery, equipment and livestock, as reports come in from around the country of thieves targeting farms during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Car thieves are said to be turning their attention to the countryside as their usual revenue streams dry up, according to NFU Mutual. Rural affairs specialist Rebecca Davidson said: “Our agricultural vehicle specialists, who work closely with the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service and police forces across the UK, are reporting high levels of agricultural vehicle and machinery thefts across the board.”

Rebecca warned that criminality is being “displaced” to rural areas during lockdown and NFU Mutual is seeing quads stolen in high numbers across the North West counties, large tractors and telehandlers from Norfolk and Lincolnshire, and horse boxes and trailers from Hampshire.

“Newer UTVs appear to be topping the thieves’ wish list, which is raising concerns that they are being taken to enable other crimes on rural terrain,” she added.

Meanwhile bigger units and agricultural construction equipment are also being taken by thieves with curtain-sided lorries, who are cashing in on deserted sites. The Country Land and Business Association’s director general, Sarah Hendry, also said she has seen reports of £5,000 worth of insulation material being stolen from a farm site that was undergoing renovations, as well as items worth £1,000 being stolen from a dairy farm.

Lincolnshire Police similarly tweeted that it is seeing a ‘marked increase’ in thefts of agricultural machinery.

NFU Mutual reported a spate of highly organised, large-scale sheep thefts back in March, including 70 stolen sheep that were recovered by police in North Yorkshire, and 47 lambs stolen from Monmouthshire. There have also been worrying reports of sheep being butchered in farmers’ fields, presumably committed by criminals looking to cash in on current public concerns about food shortages.

Farmers are being advised to take all possible steps to secure machinery and check livestock regularly to prevent thefts. Tractors and other farm vehicles with smart keys, which have electronic information needed to start the machine, are also being targeted, so it is essential to ensure keys are not left in the vehicle and are stored securely in a remote location, Rebecca Davidson said.

Rural scams

PC Chris Collins, rural affairs officer for Devon and Cornwall Police, said the force is investigating reports of small-scale livestock thefts involving poultry and sheep that have been slaughtered at the scene, most likely for private consumption or sale. The force is also seeing a number of scams relating to rural areas, he added.

“We have had some reports of individuals cold calling on rural business and farms and the subsequent theft of scrap metal, road fuel and heating oil. The Environment Agency has provided a report in relation to waste disposal, where an individual has visited farms offering to upgrade their tracks and roads for free as a way of getting illegal waste onto the land.”

Police are urging the public to be their eyes and ears on the ground during the lockdown. All crimes should be reported to 999 in an emergency or 101 in non-emergency situations. PC Collins also advised farmers to sign up to local watch schemes such as Farm Watch.

Crimestoppers said it anticipates that certain types of crime will increase during the Covid-19 lockdown, potentially including rural crime as thieves exploit the current conditions, with fewer farm workers and members of the community out and about. Crimes can be reported to the charity anonymously online at crimestoppers-uk.org or by phone on 0800 555 111.

Top tips for crime prevention

CLA offers the following general tips to help prevent crime on your land:

• If your business premises is unattended for a prolonged period of time then you must make contact with your insurer to let them know so they can be sure that you have the correct level of cover in place.
• You may also want to review the level of security you have installed at your premises. CCTV and security lighting are very useful and do not have to be complicated or expensive systems.
• If vehicles are kept at the property then think carefully about where the keys are stored. Could these be kept off-site during a period of shut-down? Can valuable stock and equipment be stored at a different location?
• Could you install any barriers at your site, such as bollards and fit wheel-clamps on trailers. Ensure that gates are secured at both ends, using reverse or cap hinges and a good-quality padlock and chain.
• If you witness any suspicious behaviour then record the details of the sighting – date – time – location, information about the vehicle, make – model colour- registration number and any distinguishing marks.

For more advice on keeping your farm secure, see the Farmers Guide farm security newsletter next week – if you don’t receive our newsletters already, please email your chosen email address to digital@farmersguide.co.uk and you will be added to our recipient list.

Global AgTech company AgriWebb has announced the launch of its new farm management software into the UK to help farmers scale and advance their operations quickly.

Offering an unrivalled set of tools to improve livestock management, AgriWebb can be used anywhere, anytime, both online or offline, on a single farm or across multiple sites. It digitises farm mapping, herd management, tasks and record keeping, empowering livestock farmers to grow their businesses in increasingly tough conditions and in the face of current market uncertainty.

An easy-to-use desktop and mobile app makes it simple to record farm activities while in the field, aiding operations with GPS-enabled tasks and linking business goals to herds and individual animals. Using farm data, tailored best practice recommendations are provided and support farmers to produce more with what they have.

The software is cloud-based, meaning if there is no internet coverage on-farm, data recorded to a mobile device is uploaded once internet connection is restored. It also integrates directly with popular hardware such as Tru-Test, allowing farmers to scan EID tags as usual and see the data auto-populated into the app, removing the need to manually update records. Crucially, AgriWebb integrates with all government databases across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; data entered into the app automatically syncs with your government account, removing the need to regularly log in, and makes potentially stressful audits very easy.

Currently used by farms across four continents, users have seen livestock production performance increases of up to 20%. The software aids the management of over 10 million animals across 4,000 farms in Australia, and has been tested successfully in the UK with an exclusive early adopters program for the last 5 months. This program included testing, researching and developing for UK farmers’ specific needs, alongside 100 British beef and sheep farmers, to ensure the software more than meets the demands of the UK industry.

James Smith, tenant farmer of Abermangoed Farm in Carmarthenshire, has used the app to manage his farm of 134 acres since November. He said: “I’m using AgriWebb whenever I’m on the farm. Whether I’m working out dosage rates, working out feed rations or keeping movement records, it saves me so much time.

“Before, I would have winged it and overspent, overstocked, and had drugs and medication sitting around that I didn’t need. Recently, with AgriWebb, I knew that I had the exact amount to dose a mob of ewes. It saved me going to the vet – I knew I could crack on and do the job – and it was more efficient. I’ve probably saved £200 – £300.

“One of the biggest benefits is my time with my family in the evening: I’m not sitting around with scraps of paper trying to find information to fill in books. I know I can relax.”

AgriWebb was founded in 2015 by Justin Webb, Kevin Baum and John Fargher. Webb and Fargher are fourth and fifth generation livestock farmers, respectively. Having met in the UK, the trio realised that pen and paper as a primary record-keeping tool and the time-consuming double entry of records to meet compliance requirements was a major problem impacting agriculture.

In 2018, the company acquired Northern Irish agricultural software specialist FarmWizard to strengthen the existing AgriWebb platform. The company is backed by the Wheatsheaf Group, a leading global investor and developer of AgTech businesses, which contribute solutions to help meet the food requirements borne out of the increasing demands of a changing global population.

Justin Webb, Chairman and Co-Founder at AgriWebb, said: “With our own experience of livestock management, we set out to build a tool that’s easy to use in the field. There’s so much industry change to navigate at the moment. “Our goal is to work with and serve British farmers with actionable data insights to make profitable decisions in the current environment – be it adapting to future subsidy criteria, broader environmental challenges or the numerous cost pressures. We’re proud to be working with the community.”

Campbell Mauchan, UK General Manager at AgriWebb, added: “We speak to British farmers on a daily basis and deeply understand that their time matters, as does meaningful data to help make informed decisions. Tighter profit margins mean increasingly having to do more with less. During our early adopters program in the UK, we’ve gained great feedback, particularly on our government database integration that helps to save a lot of time.”

Those interested in the software can sign up for a 14 day free trial.

Key features of the app include:

• An interactive farm map making it easy to monitor and update the location of livestock – as well as automatically calculating stocking rate, DSE load and grazing days.
• Sight of everything from a farm’s arable area, to auto-calculated grazing days remaining, currently occupying herds, and a full history of related records.
• Ability to create a customised livestock farming calendar with a full plan of all operations based on regional science that will increase a farm’s productivity and efficiency.

AgriWebb is a cloud-based platform available on desktop and mobile, iOS and Android. For more information on AgriWebb features and customer use cases, please visit agriwebb.com/uk.