Welcome to this special episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast – the Farmers Weekly Question Time Event at the 2026 Association of Independent Crop Consultants Conference.

Recorded in front of a live audience on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, farmers and other conference delegates quiz industry leaders on topical agricultural issues.

Our panel is:

• Baroness Minette Batters, author of the Farming Profitability Review
• Andrew Blazey, AICC chairman and partner at Prime Agriculture
• Jenny Brunton, senior European policy advisor at the British Agriculture Bureau, Brussels
• Yorkshire farmer Paul Temple, of the Global Farmer Network.
• Oli Fletcher, is a Leicestershire farmer, historian and Farming Explained YouTuber

Farmers Weekly Question Time is hosted by Farmers Weekly Podcast editor Johann Tasker. To attend or sponsor future Farmers Weekly Question Time events, visit fwi.co.uk/questiontime.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, failure to test illegal meat imports could leave livestock farmers exposed to animal disease, say food safety experts.

Sheep producers face a government clampdown on tail docking and lamb castration – how you can have your say on animal welfare.

And why farming needs better leaders: how a professional approach – and chartered status – could help recruit more people into agriculture.

To have your say on lamb welfare, visit the Defra consultation on on proposed changes to castration and tail docking methods.

The Society of Agriculture website is soc-ag.org.

The white paper by Paul Harris about putting people first in farming can be downloaded from https://real-success.co.uk/white-paper-2/ (you will be asked to submit your email address).

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker.

Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

Contact or follow Hugh (X): @sondesplacefarm

For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

To contact 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.

In this episode, questions are raised over agriculture's Net Zero ambition after the NFU makes two climate change experts redundant.

With cereal margins under pressure, can independent agronomists help make arable farming profitable again?

Farm leader Tom Bradshaw faces a leadership challenge from NFU deputy president David Exwood: we preview next month's union elections.

And we examine the prospects for the farmland market in 2026.

A reminder that the deadline to enter the Women in Agriculture Awards is 30 January 2026. Join the Women in Agriculture Network by downloading the StayPost app for iOS or Android.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker.

Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

Contact or follow Hugh (X): @sondesplacefarm

For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

To contact 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.

Welcome to this special episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast – the Farmers Weekly Question Time Event at the 2026 Oxford Farming Conference.

Recorded in front of a live audience on Wednesday, 7 January 2026, farmers and other conference delegates quiz industry leaders on topical agricultural issues.

Our panel is:
- Tom Bradshaw, NFU president
- Henry Tufnell, Labour MP for Mid- and South Pembrokeshire
- Kelly Hewson-Fisher, head of rural research, Savills
- Peter Craven, head of agriculture, Natural England
- Emma White, FairShare & The Felix Project

This Farmers Weekly Question Time is sponsored by Savills.

Farmers Weekly Question Time is hosted by Farmers Weekly Podcast editor Johann Tasker. To attend or sponsor future Farmers Weekly Question Time events, visit fwi.co.uk/questiontime.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can the government really win back farmers' trust in 2026? Or is it a bridge too far?

Defra secretary Emma Reynolds uses the Oxford Farming Conference to set out her vision for the relaunched Sustainable Farming Incentive.

After the Treasury's partial climbdown on inheritance tax, should we continue campaigning for further concessions?

And we take a look at the New Year Honours for farming.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

Contact or follow Hugh (X): @sondesplacefarm

For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

To contact 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.

In this special episode, we examine what the government's partial U-turn on inheritance tax means for your farm business.

It follows the Treasury decision to water down plans to impose 20% inheritance tax on farm assets worth more than £1m.

In a major concession the government has announced that it is increasing the threshold for inheritance tax on farm assets from £1m to £2.5m.

We look at how the decision came about, what it means for family farms and where the sector goes from here.

With special guests: NFU president Tom Bradshaw; Country Land & Business Association external affairs director Jonathan Roberts; and Sam Kirkham, partner at accountants Albert Goodman.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

Contact or follow Hugh (X): @sondesplacefarm

For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

To contact 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.

In this episode, we get to grips with the long-awaited Farming Profitability Review and its 57 recommendations for government.

Will it really make a difference? We've a special interview with review author Minette Batters.

How you can forge a better future for your farm business – we preview the 2026 Oxford Farming Conference.

And we meet Suffolk farmer Tom McVeigh, who is carving a niche for himself by growing hazelnuts – and looking for other farmers to join him.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

Contact or follow Hugh (X): @sondesplacefarm

For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

To contact 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.

In this episode, is the government about to backtrack on plans to pay farmers for creating and improving wildlife habitats.

We report from the frontline on the battle to save biodiversity net gain.

A warning for arable growers looking to use two key fungicides together – how to avoid cross-resistance.

Lamb war with France – what it means for UK sheep producers.

And how Red Tractor plans to streamline assessments and ditch unnecessary farm inspections.

This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

Contact or follow (X): @sondesplacefarm

For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

To contact 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.