Autumn drilling gamble, fertiliser warning, sugar beet drought, Brazilian beef imports & firearms licensing

In this episode, how much rain is enough to start drilling after one of the driest summers in recent memory? We look at autumn crop establishment as growers weigh up whether to put oilseed rape and other crops into exceptionally dry soils – or wait for more meaningful rainfall. We assess the prospects for the coming sugar beet harvest after drought, heat and pest pressure take their toll on crops. And farm leaders call for tougher controls on Brazilian beef and imported eggs as questions mount over whether food coming into Britain meets the same standards expected of UK producers. Meanwhile, fertiliser suppliers urge growers to start talking about next season’s requirements as geopolitical disruption threatens to disrupt another buying season. And finally, a police watchdog says firearms licensing in England and Wales is “not fit for purpose”. What would a new national licensing authority mean for the thousands of farmers and other rural businesses that rely on shotguns and firearms for their work? This episode is brought to you by KWS – seeding the future since 1856. **Chapters** **00:00 – Introduction** **00:53 – How much rain is enough to drill oilseed rape?** **02:24 – How late is too late for oilseed rape?** **03:21 – Drilling into exceptionally dry seed-beds** **04:01 – Should growers increase seed rates?** **05:07 – Has this week’s rain changed anything?** **07:14 – Grass, cover crops and an exceptionally early maize harvest** **08:21 – What happened to cabbage stem flea beetle?** **09:24 – Farmers Weekly Harvest Update with KWS** **11:45 – How badly has drought hit sugar beet?** **14:02 – Beet armyworm adds to pest pressure** **15:01 – Building more resilient sugar beet crops** **16:05 – Can plant breeding deliver drought tolerance?** **16:52 – What are growers expecting from harvest?** **19:29 – A difficult lifting campaign ahead?** **20:49 – Calls to stop Brazilian beef imports** **21:11 – Imported eggs and the salmonella outbreak** **22:53 – Farmers urged to plan fertiliser requirements early** **24:17 – Geopolitics puts fertiliser supply chains under pressure** **25:01 – But what about farm cash flow?** **26:17 – Can the supply chain cope with another late rush?** **28:59 – Markets update** **29:20 – Firearms licensing ‘not fit for purpose’** **30:25 – Farmers’ experience of firearms licensing** **31:26 – Would a national firearms authority work better?** **32:18 – Closing remarks** **Guests** - **Jock Willmott** – partner and agronomist, Ceres Rural - **Matt Bull** – product manager, KWS - **Dr Georgina Barratt** – head of crop production, British Beet Research Organisation - **Harriet Trewin** – head of fertiliser, Agricultural Industries Confederation - **Lee Freeman** – HM inspector of constabulary **Useful links** ⁠Ceres Rural ⁠British Beet Research Organisation ⁠Agricultural Industries Confederation Latest UKHSA salmonella outbreak update Government firearms licensing guidance This episode of the *Farmers Weekly* Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker. To get in touch with the Farmers Weekly Podcast: - Contact or follow Johann: linkedin.com/in/johanntasker/ Contact or follow Louise: linkedin.com/in/louise-impey-95470b20b/ Contact or follow Hugh: linkedin.com/in/hugh-broom-9b11906a/ For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow linkedin.com/company/farmers-weekly To contact, sponsor or advertise on the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email [podcast@fwi.co.uk](mailto: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.