English Farming Update – Winter 2023
Welcome to this quarter’s English Farming Update, which is produced by our Farming Research Group and reports on market and administrative issues that affect farmers’ business decisions and on which they may need to act.
According to Defra’s national statistics, all the main cereal crops saw reduced yields in 2023 compared to 2022 (see overleaf) with areas also falling, apart from winter barley, which saw a 5.2% increase in area in 2023. The figures show decreases in both wheat yield and area, yield decreased by 5.2% to 8.1 t/ha and area decreased by 5.3% to 1.58 million ha. The figures indicate that, every region within the UK had a reduced area of wheat for 2023 apart from the North west, which had a marginally higher area. Poor weather starting in late September and continuing through to December has affected autumn arable operations, and in particular the establishment of winter crops and the harvesting of potatoes, maize, brassica, and other crops. Flooding has affected all areas of the UK causing significant losses of unharvested crops and of recently sown cereals.
In farm business news, Basic Payment claimants are receiving statements of how their Delinked Payments for 2024 to 2027 have been calculated by the RPA. The second round of the Slurry Infrastructure Fund is open for any farmer in England whose farming systems already produce slurry to improve or expand their slurry storage capacity. The average price of Woodland Carbon Units has increased to £25 / tonne in the first half of 2023 from £15 in 2021, with a spread between the highest and lowest price of £37.50 / unit.
Read more from the Strutt & Parker Farming Team on:
- Dates for your 2024 diary
- Global grain market update
- Livestock update
- Fertiliser & fuel update
- Farm business news
