Iran War: Impact on UK fertiliser, fuel & food security

Soaring diesel prices are putting fresh pressure on farm businesses – and the outlook suggests volatility could continue well into 2027. In this episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast, we examine what is driving the surge in fuel costs, whether farmers should buy now or wait, and how hedging and reducing diesel use could help manage the risk. We also ask whether artificial intelligence could eventually replace your agronomist after Bedfordshire grower Andrew Robinson handed control of a winter wheat fungicide programme to AI. Plus, we hear from some of the winners at the 2026 Farmers Weekly Awards, discuss the latest debate over rural Britain and farm policy, bring you our weekly market round-up, and unveil Farmers Weekly Live – a new farm business event coming to Stoneleigh Park in July 2027. The episode also includes the Farmers Weekly Autumn Drilling Update, in association with Bayer Crop Science. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 00:53 – Why diesel prices are soaring 03:59 – Should farmers buy diesel now or wait? 06:33 – What expensive diesel means for farming 14:10 – Autumn Drilling Update 17:02 – Can AI replace your agronomist? 19:05 – How AI could change agronomy 24:36 – This week in farming 27:37 – Rural Britain and Westminster 31:17 – Farming and the UK’s relationship with Europe 34:05 – Markets 36:38 – Farmers Weekly Live launches 43:01 – Podcast close Guests Patrick Crean – fuel procurement manager, AF Group Jenny Deakin – Bayer Crop Science Andrew Robinson – Bedfordshire arable farmer Andrew Meredith – editor, Farmers Weekly Dan Smith – managing director, Farmers Weekly Presented by: Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Useful links Farmers Weekly Live – 6-7 July 2027, NAEC Stoneleigh Details of the new event and registration of interest. ⁠https://www.fwi.co.uk/sp/events/farmers-weekly-live Red diesel price volatility hits autumn fieldwork Farmers Weekly’s report on the sharp rise in fuel costs and the implications for autumn operations. ⁠https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/red-diesel-price-volatility-hits-autumn-fieldwork Farmers Weekly Awards 2026 winners The full list of this year’s winners, including Farm Manager of the Year Will Jones and Environmental Champion Colin Chappell. ⁠https://www.fwi.co.uk/sp/events/past-winners-2026 Alistair Leake – Lifetime Achievement Award Farmers Weekly profile of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement winner. ⁠https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/farmers-weekly-awards-2026-lifetime-achievement-winner Bayer Crop Science – autumn grassweed management Advice on blackgrass, Italian ryegrass and brome management in wheat. ⁠https://cropscience.bayer.co.uk/insights/weed-management/weed-out-uncertainty Alternator Met herbicide information Bayer Crop Science information on autumn cereal weed control and application timings. ⁠https://cropscience.bayer.co.uk/our-products/herbicides/alternator-met Farmers Weekly – latest farming news, analysis and markets ⁠https://www.fwi.co.uk/ Contact the podcast: [email protected] UK listeners can text FARM followed by their message to 88440. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers are ploughing up environmental features after thousands were shut out of the Sustainable Farming Incentive when funding ran out less than six hours after applications opened. In this episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast, we hear from Lincolnshire farmer Charles Anyan as he returns buffer strips to wheat production following problems with his SFI application. NFU vice-president Robyn Munt sets out what the union wants Defra to do next – including urgent clarity for farmers left without agreements and an earlier opening for SFI 2027. Shadow farming minister Robbie Moore gives the Conservative response and argues that the government and Treasury must provide greater certainty over future funding. And we visit the Allerton Project in Leicestershire, where a planned SFI agreement worth about £85,000 a year failed to get through. Allerton head of sustainable farming Joe Stanley considers what the debacle means for environmental delivery – and whether private natural-capital markets can fill some of the funding gap. Chapters 00:00 – SFI fallout: farmers start ploughing up environmental features 09:27 – Autumn drilling update: grassweed control with Bayer Crop Science 12:19 – NFU demands answers from Defra 25:41 – Political fallout from the SFI closure 37:18 – Markets: beef and sheep strengthen 39:42 – Allerton Project: £85,000 SFI shortfall 45:20 – What now for farm environmental policy?

Defra is under intense pressure after the £233 million budget for the 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive was exhausted just five hours and 48 minutes after applications opened. In this emergency episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast, farmers describe technical problems that prevented them from submitting complete applications despite weeks of preparation – leaving some facing holes of more than £50,000 in their farm budgets. Farm business consultant James Bush explains what went wrong, what farmers should do next and why Defra and the Rural Payments Agency need urgently to clarify what happens to those who missed out. Podcast hosts Johan Tasker, Hugh Broom and Louise Impey discuss the wider fallout – including fears that farmers could abandon environmental measures if funding remains unavailable. In this episode 00:00 – SFI funding exhausted in under six hours The £233m budget disappears after applications open, leaving thousands of farmers without agreements. 00:52 – West Sussex farmers hit by application problems Frans de Boer and Rupert Hoare describe unexplained compatibility errors, missing options and incomplete applications despite extensive preparation. 02:45 – £55,000 hole in a Cambridgeshire farm budget Beef and arable farmer Peter Hatley explains how technical problems prevented his application and why losing expected SFI income could force major changes to his farming system. 04:14 – Dartmoor farmer loses £50,000 agreement Matthew Cole describes spending hours preparing his upland application only for errors to prevent submission before the budget disappeared. 05:19 – Hugh and Louise react Hugh Broom and Louise Impey discuss the stress, confusion and frustration surrounding the application window – and the consequences for farmers who missed out. 08:07 – Farm consultant James Bush: what went wrong? James Bush, head of agriculture at GSC Grays, describes consultants preparing for a 24-hour application marathon – only to see the entire budget exhausted within six hours. 10:08 – What Defra needs to fix Technical problems, mapping issues and the shortcomings of a highly compressed application window. 12:00 – What farmers should do next James explains why land-use codes, land cover, digital mapping and contingency plans need to be checked ahead of any future application window. 13:07 – The particular problem facing upland farms Why farmers in the uplands have fewer alternatives when environmental support disappears – and how one moorland agreement was left with a major funding shortfall. 15:04 – Don’t panic – but demand clarity What farmers need to know about another SFI window and how SFI 2026 might interact with future schemes. 16:10 – Could environmental land go back into production? Hugh warns that frustration with government schemes could encourage farmers to remove margins and other environmental measures. 19:38 – Budget, IT – and communication Louise argues that Defra must either provide sufficient funding or redesign the scheme around the budget actually available. 21:03 – What happens next The team looks ahead to Friday’s Farmers Weekly Podcast and further coverage of the SFI fallout. Guests Frans de Boer – West Sussex farmer Rupert Hoare – West Sussex farmer Peter Hatley – Cambridgeshire beef and arable farmer Matthew Cole – Dartmoor farmer James Bush – head of agriculture, GSC Grays Useful links Farmers Weekly – latest Sustainable Farming Incentive news and analysis Defra – Sustainable Farming Incentive guidance Rural Payments Agency – SFI applications and scheme information GSC Grays – agricultural and farm business advice This emergency 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

Farmers face a race to secure funding when the Sustainable Farming Incentive reopens – with warnings that the available money could be allocated within just 24 hours. We look at how to prepare an SFI26 application, why growers should resist simply chasing grant money and what could happen to farmers whose existing agreements prevent them joining this time around. Sugar beet growers face another period of uncertainty after price negotiations between NFU Sugar and British Sugar break down. With the 2027/28 contract heading to arbitration, we ask whether the crop can continue to earn its place in the rotation. After one of the earliest maize harvests on record, we examine maize quality, forage shortages and why regular silage analysis could prove particularly important this winter. And former farm minister Daniel Zeichner gives an extraordinary account of life inside Defra – including his claim that he knew nothing about the government’s inheritance tax changes until after they were announced in the 2024 Budget. This episode is brought to you by Bayer Crop Science – weeding out uncertainty. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 01:09 – SFI26: will the money run out in 24 hours? 08:01 – SFI: preparing for the scramble 14:21 – Autumn drilling update: managing dry seedbeds 16:56 – Sugar beet price talks head to arbitration 20:50 – Does sugar beet have a future? 25:39 – Around the farming world 30:01 – Maize harvest: quantity versus quality 34:25 – Markets: livestock up, grain down and diesel jumps 36:46 – Daniel Zeichner: what really happened inside Defra? 44:20 – Abi Kay on an extraordinary interview Special Guests Chloe Timberlake – farm business adviser, Ceres Rural Nick Scantlebury – senior farms manager, Elveden Estate Neil Groom – maize specialist, Grainseed Daniel Zeichner MP – former Defra farm minister Abi Kay – Farmers Weekly chief reporter Useful links Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 SFI26 Window 2 update Sugar beet price arbitration British Sugar’s Cantley plans Bovine TB transmission research Daniel Zeichner interview 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 [email protected]. 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 an exclusive interview with Farmers Weekly's Abi Kay, former farm minister Daniel Zeichner gives an extraordinary account of life inside Defra. Revelations include Mr Zeichner's claim that as a minister he knew nothing about government plans to impose inheritance tax on farmers until after they were announced in the 2024 Budget. He says he was then “dutifully dispatched to defend” the policy to furious farmers. Mr Zeichner also admits that Labour was not sufficiently prepared for government when it was elected in July 2024. He says he was unable to tell farmers the “full story” about problems with the government's flagship Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), which ran out of money in March 2025. He also describes feeling “man-marked” by Treasury officials he had never met – and says the government should have foreseen the trouble its inheritance tax plans caused. 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 Abi: uk.linkedin.com/in/abi-kay-38927130 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 [email protected]. 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.