Changes to Government policy dominate our headlines, from the APR reform to our 'Save Our Family Farms Campaign' looking to support farmers through changes to IHT. It can feel like our farming industry is constantly reacting to policy.

In this podcast, we discuss how a vision that George Freeman, Conservative MP for Mid Norfolk, has put to the Government, setting out how smarter regulation, investment in innovation, and technologies such as precision breeding could unlock higher yields, improved resilience, and new opportunities for arable producers.

2025: the one where it didn't rain for months, we lost a major yellow rust resistance gene, SFI's were abruptly halted, and UK tractor sales tanked.

It has been a challenging year, but where there is challenge, there comes opportunity for change.

Join Ash, Toby and Jane as they chat all things arable, policy and machinery - while uncovering positives among the negatives as we round up 2025 in our final arable podcast offering.

Speakers:

Ash Ellwood - head of arable

Toby Whatley - head of machinery and farm technology

Jane Thynne - head of news and business

This month, Farmers Guardian headed to Agri-TechE's REAP Conference in Peterborough and caught up with some speakers, industry professionals and researchers to find out what the key takeaway messages were from the conference, what research and innovations are on the way into the industry and what technology is currently being utilised on farms.

Speakers

Dr Belinda Clarke, Director of Agri-Tech

Dr David George, researcher at Newcastle University

Todd Jex, agronomist and Agri-TechE Ambassador

Ali Capper, hops and apple grower at Stock Farm and chair of British Apples and Pears

Dr Nadia Radzman, biologist at The Sainsbury Laboratory at Cambridge University

Louise Penn, farmer, agronomist and Agri-TechE Ambassador

Penelope Bossom, managing Partner at Overbury Enterprises

Ryan McCormack, farm manager at Dennington Hall Farms