With many children stuck inside, what better way to pass the time than with an activity pack? Colour, craft, puzzle and bake alongside fun farming facts, with a quiz for older generations as well!

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On 3rd April 2020, Kubota Corporation, one of the world’s leading machinery and engine manufacturers commemorates more than a century of excellence in the market. The company released a statement :

‘In these challenging times we express our solidarity with all our customers, employees, suppliers and distribution partners. We thank all those of you who are on the front-lines helping others; like farmers who make sure that we have food or healthcare and medical professionals who take care of all those who are suffering. Kubota is #OnYourSide and we will be there long-term to support you.

Kubota’s journey started in 1890, by manufacturing Japan’s first iron pipelines for waterworks. Its founder, Gonshiro Kubota, laid the foundations of a company that is now one of the major players in the industry. Starting off as a foundry, Kubota would soon become a benchmark company in the global agriculture, construction and water-related industries.

Over time, the company expanded its business along with its range of services and products. In 1922 it started producing kerosene-driven engines for agro-industrial use, where it achieved significant progress in the field.Later on, in the 1960’s, the company launched its range of tractors for dry-field farming, before beginning work on water supply projects and sewage systems. In 1974, Kubota introduced its own compact mini excavator, making ground breaking work easier for all. By 1998, Kubota had extended its agricultural machinery business further as part of its internationalisation strategy, and had also established a manufacturing and sales operation in China.

Farming consultants have created an emergency document to help farmers plan ahead in case they fall ill during the coronavirus pandemic.

With sheep enterprises in particular facing a challenging lambing season, farmers are being urged to make a plan B as soon as possible.

The Emergency Plan template, created by the Farm Advisory Service (FAS), allows farmers to record the names and numbers of key contacts such as vets, feed representatives, accountants and contractors.

They can also provide information about where stock is housed – including in isolated facilities such as outlying steadings and out-winterings, and when lambing or calving is due to start.

Chloe McCulloch, Principal Consultant at SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College which delivers the FAS programme, urged farmers to complete the document as soon as possible.

“The key to success this year, regardless of the type of farm, is to have a robust plan and to take some time now to think through what you would do and who you would phone in the event you or members of the team become unwell,” she said.

“The template won’t take long to complete and will ensure that if you become ill, your livestock can still be cared for.”

Farmers can download the template from the FAS website and are advised to keep it somewhere that is accessible to all staff, such as the farm office.

More templates allowing farmers to record sector-specific information are also available on the website, together with additional guidance and information, including support for less experienced people who may find themselves helping on the farm.

There are also links to other sources of support during the crisis and information about how they are able to help with this specific challenge, including the farmers’ charity RSABI which can be contacted on 0300 111 4166 for help preparing an emergency plan or putting farmers in touch with a labour exchange or consultant.

This year’s Cereals Event is set to go online for the first time ever, as Covid-19 restrictions are expected to prevent face-to-face meetings and gatherings for some time.

Producers may be unable to physically attend the event, but they won’t miss out on any of the content, as all features are now being delivered virtually, including seminars, machinery demonstrations and even the exhibition, organisers say.

Event director Alli McEntyre said: “These are challenging times and while we are disappointed to have had to postpone the event, we are determined to do our utmost to support the industry,” she explains.

“It’s really important to us that we deliver all of the content we had lined up for visitors so they can keep up-to-date with the latest information, products and innovations in the arable sector.”

Seminar sessions will now be run as video-based webinars, allowing attendees to collect Basis and NRoSO points.

“Farmers will be able to hear from top speakers covering a range of subjects, from the impact of coronavirus on trade to new plant breeding technologies, adapting to climate change, digital innovation and agricultural career options,” Alli added.

Producers will also be able to ‘visit’ exhibitors and watch machinery demonstrations via an interactive map on the Cereals website, with live chats making for a fully interactive experience.

“We have had strong support from exhibitors for taking the event online, so there will be a full range of exhibitor led content on offer,” Alli said. “This will include video from crop plots, sprays and sprayers and working demonstrations, as well as exhibitors’ own video content and new product launches.

“Visiting an online event is going to be a new experience for most people, but by working closely with exhibitors and stakeholders, we are aiming to make Cereals as interactive as possible,” says Ms McEntyre. “Farmers are rightly being celebrated for the key role they play, and we are committed to supporting the industry by bringing everyone together during this difficult time.”

The event will be held online on 10-11 June 2020.

Farming landlords and tenants are being asked to work collaboratively and be compassionate in overcoming disputes during these unprecedented and challenging times.

The Tenant Farmers Association and Country Land and Business Association have joined forces to offer support during the Covid-19 crisis.

In a joint statement, with Defra’s support, the organisations are appealing to all rural landlords and tenants to work together, particularly when it comes to rent payments, notices to quit and finalising new tenancy agreements.

Neither party should seek to take advantage of the current situation, or use it as an excuse to act unreasonably, the statement says. Both parties are urged to consider the impact of their actions on the other and avoid taking a hard line on any issue.

TFA and CLA said never has it been more important for the whole of the farming industry to focus 100 per cent on supplying the nation’s food.

CLA president Mark Bridgeman said: “We know that landowners value their relationships with tenants deeply, and we are working with CLA members to underline the importance of working closely with tenants who are experiencing difficulties due to coronavirus.

“We have advised landlords to discuss with farming tenants any problems they are facing so that a mutual solution can be found, and we make sure farming businesses can carry on as well as possible in these difficult circumstances.

“We also suggest that, as far as possible, current disputes are put on hold and that formal proceedings for any non-payment of rent are used only as a matter of extreme last resort.”

TFA national chairman Mark Coulman added that it is “inevitable” that some tenants will struggle to meet rent payments or other tenancy obligations due to cash flow problems and other impacts of the Covid-19 situation.

“In these circumstances we are urging landlords and tenants to work together to agree alternative arrangements. We are already hearing of positive examples of landlords and tenants working together during this trying time.”

TFA says it is actively assisting members left in difficult situations beyond their control due to the current restrictions in place.

“As always, communication will be vital and we would encourage dialogue between landlords and tenants, so that practical solutions can be found for any ongoing issues or any that arise during this challenging period,” Mr Coulman added. “TFA and CLA members should contact their respective organisations for any further guidance needed.”

ADA has set out recommendations in line with Government guidelines to ensure that the landscape and rural communities remain defended during this national emergency.

In an unprecedented time, when the health, safety and wellbeing of the public is paramount, communities are being reassured that critical assets and operations to reduce flood risk and manage water levels will continue to be managed in a safe, secure and effective way.

ADA, the membership organisation for water level and flood risk management authorities throughout the UK, has been maintaining regular contact with the Environment Agency, internal drainage boards (IDBs) and other members during the coronavirus (COVID-19) national emergency.

ADA has agreed a series of recommendations for its members in line with Government advice. In particular, these aim to support the essential role that IDBs are playing in keeping watercourses flowing in our lowland landscape at this difficult time, in order to reduce flood risk, and maintain water resources and the water environment.

Understandably, the focus in the current circumstances will be on those parts of their systems that are most important and urgent. The recommendations encourage a proportionate and flexible approach by authorities, with officers working from home and utilising virtual meetings where possible. For their workforce and operational partners, taking steps to maximise physical distancing when they are out on the ground maintaining and inspecting watercourses and assets. Operational teams undertaking essential services have been designated key workers and will be adhering to the latest Government public health advice.

“IDBs, local authorities and the Environment Agency provide an essential public service by ensuring pumps, sluices and other critical flood defence assets remain up and running, which protect people, property, infrastructure and farmland,” explains ADA chief executive Innes Thomson.

“First and foremost, our number one priority is of course, protecting public health, including that of our valued water management teams,” he adds. “We have advised on a number of guidelines to reduce the risks to key teams and individual staff, while allowing water managers to provide these essential services to the public.”

Further information about your local IDB, the Environment Agency and local authorities can be found at www.ada.org.uk.

As the UK’s core supermarkets struggle to keep up with increasing demand and the most vulnerable in society are forced to stay home due to Covid-19, farmers have been out en masse – not just spring planting, lambing and feeding the country as normal – but going the extra mile to help the elderly, vulnerable and those who cannot get basic supplies.

Farmers Guide spoke to just a few of these heroic farmers, who are putting the needs of their communities above their own.

Norfolk farmer Tim Briscoe is one of a countless number of farmers helping to support his local community in these troubled times, and now starts his day early so he can deliver 12.5kg bags of potatoes to the most vulnerable in his area, within a 5-mile radius of the farm.

Tim, who manages the Buxton Potato Company, has also set up a point-of-sale box shop at the entrance to Dudwick Farm, based in Buxton near Aylsham, offering a “totally isolated shopping experience” so customers who are able to get out can collect potatoes and leave cash in the office without interaction.

Usually the farm supplies to many restaurants and pubs but since the UK went into lockdown and these businesses closed, Tim realised those that were self-isolating or vulnerable in the area would need a safe, hassle-free way to shop. The farm also managed to get 84 sacks of potatoes to a man in Costessey, Norfolk, who started a local help group for his area. Tim said it is “incredible” what people are doing and “everyone is really pulling together as a community”.

Similarly, Essex potato farmers Laura and Robert Strathern have responded to the crisis by setting up a free home delivery service for the local community. Fairfields Farm, based in Wormingford near Colchester, is delivering sacks and boxes of potatoes and hand-cooked crisps.

Like the Buxton Potato Company, Fairfields usually supplies to various food outlets including restaurants, pubs and schools, and when the Covid-19 situation broke, Laura and Robert decided to do what they could for their local community and beyond if possible. Other local shops had run out of potatoes, so many people in isolation were calling on Fairfields to get basic supplies. Robert said: “It’s a feel-good thing to do when the community really needs that support and you see the community pulling together to help each other.”

He added: “I hope that it’ll make people value the importance of buying local produce – it’s good for health, it’s good for the local community and it’s good to support rural businesses. It’s good for farmers and local people.”

Laura told EADT: “We wanted to do something to help and thought home delivery would be a good idea. Since launching, we have been so busy with our home delivery service around the local area. We are so happy to be able to do something to help and to serve our community. Things on the farm are also really busy, with the team out planting for the new season.”

They are still supplying to the very limited number of local businesses that are open, including a pub that puts together meals for local people. Laura and Robert are hoping to broaden their home delivery radius as resource frees up.

Meanwhile, the Probus Young Farmers group in Cornwall is helping the elderly and vulnerable in their communities by taking shopping lists of food and medical supplies, collecting them from local shops and delivering them to those who are at particular risk if they leave their homes.

Young farmer Sam Oatey said: “We saw other organisations and people offering support and thought what a great idea for us as young farmers with a good network of people across the county, we can go out and offer our support.”

Local demand for the service has increased this week as people are taking the pandemic increasingly seriously and the government has stepped up restrictions on our normal way of life. Commenting on the unprecedented times we are facing, Sam added: “Now is the time for us to come together as a community; the more we work together and support each other, the quicker we will get through this.”

Another farmer, Andrew Ward, is helping the local and wider community by taking to social media, giving the public a window into his farm and country life, as many are stuck inside and unable to enjoy open spaces.

“A lot of people in towns and cities are isolating in their houses and not able to get out at the moment,” he said. “A lot of their amusement is going to be coming from social media, so I wanted to try and do something informative to show what we’re doing out in the countryside and on the farm.

“What I want to get across is that we are still farming even though the country is in lockdown, but we’re taking the virus extremely seriously and putting in lots of measures to keep contamination out. With so many people at home and on social media it is an ideal opportunity to help bridge the gap between urban life and the countryside, and dispel any myths that farmers don’t care about the environment and climate change. We care about the same things that everyone else cares about.”

In the first video post on Twitter he said: “The virus is causing huge problems all over the world, and it’s no different here in farming. I just thought I’d start every day posting a video of what I’m up to and what we’re doing out in the countryside and on the farm.”

Andrew will post a video a day under his twitter handle @wheat­_daddy.

A glance at social media reveals an almost endless number of similar acts of kindness and community spirit among farmers up and down the UK. Third generation farmer Chris and his wife Amber have also been out delivering bags of potatoes to vulnerable people in their local community in Lincolnshire, after their local parish identified a list of residents unable to get to their shops.

Amber said: “Potatoes are really good for you. They’re versatile and they keep. We’ve had a great response from those we’ve visited and we’ve also had a couple of phone calls saying how thankful they are for the deliveries which has been nice.”

Addressing the public in a post on social media, NFU president Minette Batters summarised the incredible actions of British farmers in recent weeks: “I want to give a massive shout out to each and every one of you from farmers right across the UK. We are working 24/7 and we are absolutely determined to keep on producing the high quality, affordable, high welfare food that you enjoy and I just want you to know on behalf of all farmers, we have got your backs.”

While farmers are out feeding the nation, it is also critically important for them to protect themselves; although the isolated nature of many farming operations reduces the risk of Covid-19 spreading, it is important that farmers observe social distancing and hygiene advice from the government when coming into contact with the public or workers outside the immediate family. For further guidance visit: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Are you going above and beyond for your local community, or do you know a farmer that is? We want to hear from you! Email editor@farmersguide.co.uk or get in touch via Facebook @FarmersGuide1979 or Twitter @FarmersGuide.

With school closures as a result of Covid-19, children are spending more time on their family farms and may even be called on to help if family members are vulnerable or have contracted the virus. Farming organisations have issued advice for parents to ensure children stay safe in these unprecedented times.

Farming is well known to have the highest rate of worker fatal injuries in the main industrial sectors – 18 times higher than the average rate across all industries. HSE figures show two children were tragically among the number killed in 2018/19.

Transport, including overturning vehicles or being struck by moving vehicles, was the most common cause of death.

Farm Safety Foundation said children should not be allowed in the farm workplace and should enjoy outdoor space in a secure fenced area. Any access to the work area by children under the age of 16 should be planned and fully supervised by an adult not engaged in work activities. Children under 13 are not allowed to drive or ride on agricultural machines.

The foundation has teamed up with the HSENI to produce an eight-page online booklet for parents, as well as guidance on child safety and resources for Key Stage 1 and KS 2 children, their parents and their teachers. This includes colouring pages, a word search and two videos, Dangerous Playground for children aged 4–8 and Farm Safe for children aged 8–11. There is also a farm safety app called Farm Secure.

‘We don’t know how long this will last and our wonderful NHS workers are already feeling the strain of dealing with the spread of Covid-19,’ FSF said in a statement. ‘We need to take responsibility for our own safety and the safety of our loved ones and not risk any of us having a farm accident that will add to a workforce already under pressure.

‘They are working hard to keep us safe, the least we can do is farm safe for them!’

NFU Scotland is also reminding farmers and crofters to employ the highest possible safety measures and take the time to check over the farm or croft and make any necessary adjustments for child safety. Provisions should also be put in place to socially distance children from workers or delivery personnel who are not part of the immediate household.

Vice president Charlie Adam, who sits on the UK Farm Safety Partnership, said: “We all want our children to be involved in farm life but it is more important to make sure we create a safe environment on farm.

“Technology has changed so much in recent years, which has made a lot of work much more effective but has also made it a lot more dangerous for children to be in or around farm activities. We need, as an industry, to accept the change in times and change our practices with it.

“Farms are not playgrounds and we need to keep children off farm whenever it is not completely safe to have them there. Keeping our children safe and sound has to be a priority for all of us.”

Top Gear host turned farmer Jeremy Clarkson yesterday welcomed ‘panic buyers’ to his farm shop but warned them not to get out of the car.

Clarkson’s farm shop – called Squat Shop – is open and currently stocking only potatoes. In a post on Twitter, he wrote: ‘People of Chipping Norton. My farm shop will open at 11. Only potatoes on offer. Panic buyers welcome. Don’t get out of your car.’

In a separate post he added: ‘Two things. To maintain a safe distance, it’s cash only. And no you can’t have a selfie.’

Clarkson first opened the doors to his farm shop in Oxfordshire a month ago, bragging that produce grown on his 1,000-acre farm is ‘cheaper than Aldi’, with vegetables ‘guaranteed non-organic’ and ‘drizzled in fungicide’.

The Grand Tour star bought the farm a year ago and his endeavour will be the subject of an TV show on Amazon Prime. He has previously told the media that farming ‘fills [him] with joy’.

Following Boris Johnson’s announcement last night that the UK will be subject to a lockdown amid the Covid-19 crisis, Clarkson joked on Twitter: ‘Good news everyone. You can relax. Her Majesty’s government has decided that I’m a key worker.’

Supermarkets and other premises selling food, including market stalls, are among those that are allowed to remain open, while farmers have been named as key workers.

Under the strict new rules to tackle the virus’s spread, members of the public may only leave their homes to shop for essential items such as food and medicines, to fulfil any medical or care needs, to exercise once a day, or to travel to and from work where ‘absolutely necessary’.

Gatherings in public of more than two people who do not live together are prohibited and people should keep 2m away from people they do not live with.

The seven new varieties added to the 2021 sugar beet list are BTS1915 from Limagrain UK Ltd, Evalotta KWS, Catriona KWS, Eldorana KWS, Sancha KWS and Smart Rivetta KWS from KWS UK Ltd and Lacewing from SESVanderHave UK Ltd.

These demonstrate the improvements that breeders are making to the crop. BTS1915 was the highest yielding of all varieties on the list; Lacewing is a new BCN variety; Smart Rivetta KWS is the second ALS herbicide tolerant variety to join the list whilst Evalotta KWS, Catriona KWS, Eldorana KWS and Sancha KWS produced no bolters in three years of normal sown RL trials.

“No season is easy but harvesting in the very wet autumn of 2019 was particularly difficult and all credit must go to the harvesting team and trial operators for getting sufficient trials harvested and analysed to allow this RL to be completed. It was good to see that the control varieties achieved a mean yield of 118 adjusted tonnes per hectare (it was 112 last year) with new varieties offering up to a greater than 8% yield increase above the controls,” commented Mike May, Chairman of the RL Board.  “In addition it is also good to see that the herbicides are now in place so that growers will be able to grow ALS herbicide tolerant varieties.  Whilst these herbicide tolerant varieties yielded less than the controls, the RL trials are treated with conventional herbicides and it is expected that the ALS tolerant ones will produce higher yields when used with the Smart®Conviso herbicides. The breeder will have more information on how best to use these varieties in practice.”

The 2021 list shows how successful breeders have been with 10 out of the 22 varieties on the list recording no bolters in the 20 RL yield trials, which were sown from mid March onwards, and make up the database used for the 2021 RL.

In the 2021 RL table the average plant population harvested was 103,100/ha and average sugar content 17.8%. The numbers of early-sown bolters are from trials sown between mid February up to the first nine days of March.  Growers should use these latter figures for guidance if sowing early, or if very cold or other stressful conditions are expected.   Those varieties indicated by a X in the tables are not recommended for sowing before the 15^th March but present a much lower risk for normal sowing.

“Before ordering any of the special varieties bred for BCN, AYPR or ALS herbicide tolerance, growers should discuss options with the BBRO and breeders who will have more information on their performance and use in the presence of the specific problem,” advises Mike.

The RL/DL table can be found on the BBRO website (bbro.co.uk) along with the supplementary tables showing the three-year data for the varieties, plus seed provenance, vernalisation experienced in the early-sown bolter trials over the last three years and juice impurities.