Here at Glendale Engineering, we are proud to be able to say that we have over 35 years’ experience designing and manufactur ing Agricultural Buildings & Equipment.
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- Agricultural Buildings
• ATV Trailers
-Electronic Cattle & Sheep Weigh Systems
• Agricultural Buildings
- Large quantity of box section and pipe, Phone for special offers
TEAGLE 1010SC 2018, good working order, Bluetooth control box
NEW / EX STOCK
FENDT 620 POWER PLUS EX DEMO
FENDT 312 POWER PLUS WITH LOADER EX DEMO
FENDT 160 V COMBI EX STOCK
GREGOIRE BESSON 6 FURROW on land / in furrow, Auto reset, Hydraulic vari width, Hydraulic depth wheel £42,500+VAT
NEW NC FORK MOUNTED YARD BRUSHES 2.5m & 3m EX STOCK
NEW TEAGLE 8500 STRAW/SILAGE BEDDER FEEDERS EX STOCK
MERLO TF42.7CS Cab & Boom suspension, LED work Lights, Full Spec EX DEMO
MERLO 33.7 Boom Suspension, LED Work Lights
MURRAY 4CUBIC GRAIN BUCKET c/w Q Fit Brackets and Bolt on Wear Plate
SKY X40+ ECONOV FERTILISER SPREADER weight cells
SUMO 3M TRIO EX DEMO
SUMO 3M TRAILER TRIO EX DEMO
SUMO 3M DTS EX DEMO
SUMO LDS 3M
TEAGLE DUAL 280 & 300 FLAIL TOPPERS
NEW SUMO FRONT WEIGHTS 1000kg, 1500kg, 2000kg EX STOCK
Key Features:
FOR SALE BELT DRYER
Throughput Capacity: 10-50 tonnes per hour
Allows 500kW of constant chilled output 24/7
Energy Efficient: Runs at just 20-25kW
Versatile Applications: Ideal for drying woodchips, sawdust, grain, and biomass
Included:
75kw centrifugal fan
Includes digital speed drive.
Heat exchangers
2 x existing secondary heat exchangers mounted horizontally
3 new (second hand) heat exchangers
Intake chain feeder
Spinning paddle centrally located
Control board
Variable speed belt
Variables peed fan system (runs at 20kw for 400kw)
variable seed intake chain drag
£150,000 +VAT
THREE STEP SHEEP NUTRITION SOLUTION
BUSY DOING WHAT I LOVE
I wrote last month of the fear of redundancy as my work diary was almost empty. How things can change as today I pulled two sheds one outside Galashiels and the other near Selkirk. Both were a challenge as the fields were wet and muddy. Initially I had to be pulled up a hill by a very smart Fendt, a first for me. Once up on level ground I had to negotiate round trees to get myself straight. I was then anchored by my necklace onto a tree at the front, dropped my spades and started to pull. That all went very smoothly, and with the hen house in the new position I had to extricate myself from the wood. Reversing out I was frightened of slipping back down the hill. Once I had turned round Mr Fendt was attached to my bottom should the worst happen, I inched back to the gate. In the end all was fine and I set off for the second pull of the day.
Gibby’s field is level but boggy and as soon as I was off the track I could drive no further. This time a Case tractor was attached and I was pulled into the spot, my cable was attached to his loader and pulled out, round the snatch block pulley and back to my end. Although a tougher pull through wet ground all went according to plan and once the shed was off the muck my cable was detached, wound in and soon I was driving out of the field. With 6 wheel drive engaged I surprisingly drove out unaided.
All in all a most satisfactory day, just what I love. I have two pulls booked next week so my worst fears turn out to be unfounded. If this wet weather continues who knows where my services could be needed.
Quality Steel Framed Buildings
Splaying out the cable, round the snatch block and on to my back end
Shed pulled off the muck, ready for washing
MUNGO G RIDDELL
07836 637638
MungoGRiddell@live.co.uk
• Linkage mounted • Electric motor & petrol engine powered models available along with the full Oxdale Products range • Quality, British built equipment • TM400 wide base linkage mounted model shown
•
Expert
tailored to your needs We provide custom butchery at our FSA-approved facility in Lowick.
NEW CFMOTO CFORCE 520 ATV POWER STEERING, CVT TRANSMISSION, FRONT WINCH ROAD LEGAL £6250+VAT
NEW CFMOTO CFORCE 450 POWER STEERING, CVT TRANSMISSION, FRONT WINCH, ROAD LEGAL £5950+VAT
NEW QUICKE 240SM+ BUCKET BOLT ON BRACKETS AVAILABLE IN ANY SIZE £750+VAT
NEW QUICKE SILOGRAB 210M+ ON EURO BRACKETS £2450+VAT
NEW LWC 3 POINT LINKAGE HYDRAULIC BALE CARRIER £1950+VAT
NEW LWC 1.5M MUCK GRAB ON EURO BRACKETS £1950+VAT
NEW AB WIGHT HEAVY DUTY 8FT 10 TINE MUCK FORK ANY TELEHANDER BRACKETS £2300+VAT
NEW AB WIGHT 60 DEGREE VEE DITCHING BUCKET 8 TONNE ANY BRACKETS £1150+VAT
NEW AB WIGHT EURO TO QFIT FIT ADAPTER FRAME £750+VAT
NEW FLEMING TOP4 4FT TOPPER £1250+VAT
NEW OXDALE 3 POINT LINKAGE HYDRAULIC LOG SPLITTER £850+VAT
NEW AB WIGHT HEAVY DUTY GALV 5X3 ATV TRAILER £850+VAT
NEW AB WIGHT HEAVY DUTY IBC TRAILER GALVANISED CHASSIS C/W DRINKING BOWL £895+VAT
NEW McHALE R5 BALE GRAB ON EURO BRACKETS £1450+VAT
SAS Mobile Seed Cleaning
We offer a high output service producing 10 - 14 tonnes per hour of gravity separated seed We use gravity tables, the only real method, not gravity selectors
We supply 2 men per machine - farm input only 1 man*
We have long serving members of staff who are time served and highly skilled
Our full time staff are employed from the local community
We will be processing spring barley, spring wheat, oats, spring osr plus peas & beans this Spring with:
Redigo pro - treatment for barley covering loose smut, leaf stripe & fusarium
Prepper - treatment for fusarium in spring wheat & oats
Signal - for wireworm & slug deterrent in all cereals
Manganese - for enhanced root establishment in all crops
IF YOUR FARM TRACK OR FOREST ROAD NEEDS SOME ATTENTION, WE HAVE THE SKILLS, MACHINERY AND EXPERIENCE TO DELIVER A LASTING SOLUTION.
• REDUCES OR ELIMINATES THE NEED TO IMPORT MATERIALS.
• IMPROVES DRAINAGE TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE.
• QUICK AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTION THAT MINIMISES DISRUPTION TO TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS.
J & J Grant
Scotland’s Spreading Specialists
5 spreaders available to meet your precision spreading requirements
High output LGP machines to minimise soil and crop damage Weighing systems and auto steer fitted
We supply our own loader and fuel to minimise disturbance to the customer Blanket or variable rate lime spreading compatible with all mapping systems The following can be supplied and accurately applied Lime, Compost, Slag, Henpen, Fibrophos, FYM, Gypsum, other organic materials
Soil Mapping service
• correct variations across fields
• independent analysis
• 4 samples/ha for accurate pH maps
• all nutrients can be tested
• recommendations to suit your enterprise
Contact us to discuss how we can help reduce your costs with the use of organic products Tel 01875 320363 Mob
Simon Bainbridge farms in partnership with his wife Claire and his mother Elisabeth in Northumberland. They run suckler beef, sheep and laying hen enterprises across 650 ha of mainly SDA and moorland - organically. Claire went to a meeting provided by the Farmer Network, funded by the Royal Countryside Fund and delivered by Ceres Rural on Farm Resilience. It was a useful meeting, and always good to be in a room with other farmers, which provides much needed perspective when you feel you’re the only one juggling demands and worries. There was discussion on benchmarking and ‘Controlling the Controllables’. Controlling the controllables is easier said than done, but it’s more manageable than trying to manage things we can’t control – the weather being the most notable. It’s a sea of mud, but we’re aware that we’ve come off lighter on the rainfall than other parts of the country. What can we control now? Forward purchasing to get the best price on products? Selling stock earlier to manage feed reserves? Adjusting systems according to the year. This year we have sold off our remaining hoggs in January, to reduce the number of mouths on our limited winter grazing and reduce the workload on the farm for Davy our shepherd. His workload has instantly increased this week as he and Abbie his partner have just had a baby boy. Congratulations to them. We are delighted for them.
The new hens are in… we literally finished putting them in an hour ago. It is a relief they are in, and the routine can start again. One of the required jobs when new hens come in is ‘putting them to bed’. The lights automatically dim slowly, simulating a dusk environment, so by the time the lights are fully out they are in theory sitting on perches and tucked up almost asleep. However, the first night, many of the birds haven’t quite worked out the layout of the system and could end up sleeping on the floor. We need hens to be on and moving around the system, to access feed, water and nest boxes. If they live and sleep on the floor, they won’t eat as much as they should and when they start laying eggs, they’ll lay on the floor, which creates a huge amount of work later, with floor eggs. By picking up any birds on the floor, we hopefully train them to sleep on the system. When we step in the shed tonight in the dark, with red light head torches on we will be preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. On some occasions there’s been thousands to pick up that first night, on other occasions there’s been a couple of hundred. Fingers crossed it’s the latter. We scanned yesterday and overall we are pleased with the result, except four sets of quads, and over 100 triplets scanned is never on anyone’s wish list. The gimmers were a little disappointing, but we’ve struggled for good ground for them over the summer, so all in all we are happy with the scan result. We’ll review the situation when we’re up to our necks in pet lambs!
John Renton
Agricultural Engineer Tel 07774 163899
Also on-site hydraulic hose repairs
1,2,4 wire hose from 1/4” - 1”
BSP, JIC, ORFS, metric & flange fittings etc.
Trailer brake & Q/R couplings
CONTRACTORS SERVICES
Lime & Alternative Fertilisers
Other Alternative Fertilisers & Organic Products Muck & Slurry Spreading, Silage, Bailing
Construction of shuttered slurry tanks and silos (all built to SEPA requirements)
Christopher07843 208 544
Patrick07701 040 681
Contact:
Christopher07843 208 544
Slurry spreading available with umbilical, dribble bars and ferry tankers. Tractors on floatation tyres
Dung spreader hire or complete service
Complete silage service
All types of digger work undertaken
Patrick07701 040 681
Connon Farms / Connon Construction
Connon Farms / Connon Construction
Covering the Scottish Borders & North Northumberland
Variable Lime Spreading
Soil testing & lime delivery also arranged
Contact Doug Thomson 07967 193438
• Woodland clearance
• Gorse • Willow • Brash
• Trees upto 30cm dia. TILLING / GRINDING
• Tree roots & stumps upto 30cm dia.
• Willow stumps
FLAIL TOPPING HEATHER, BRACKEN ETC. TRACTOR 285-305 HP / DRIVER HIRE
Tel 01750 32264 or 07831 505440 Email gary@garyrenwick.co.uk www.garyrenwick.co.uk
Fitted with WHOLECROP HEADERS & GRAIN PROCESSING MILL PART or WHOLE JOB, AG-BAG or PIT
MOWERS, TEDDER, RAKES TRAILERS, FRONT BUCKRAKES H BIG SQUARE BALING H (Bale Chaser available)
u ALL ARABLE CULTIVATIONS
u DRILLING
u HIGH DENSITY ROUND BALING
u DGPS LIME & FERT SPREADING
u HEDGECUTTING
u SMALL SEEDS DRILLING – Einbock 12m (grass/kale/oilseed rape)
J Hepburn & Co
Northhouse Farm Agricultural Contractors
BYREWALLS FENCING
All types of Agricultural Fencing, Garden Fencing and Decking
A & E Brown, Byrewalls, Gordon, Berwickshire TD3 6JU Contact: Andrew 07725 583737 Euan 07774 004622 Evenings 01573 410260
KENNY HALL & SON
Agricultural Engineer
• Roof & Sheeting Repairs • On-site Welding
• Grain Machinery Repairs • Kit Sheds Supplied & Built
• Gates and Feeding Troughs Made to Measure
• Buildings dismantled or rebuilt • Demolition Mobile: 07740 350461
BLUE CHIP FORESTRY AND VEGETATION
MULCHING
All types of Brash, Gorse, Willow and Rhododendron mulched to 3 inches below ground level
High-Capacity Mulcher powered by 500 HP Fendt
Quickly clears large areas with ease
BIOMASS CHIPPING
ROBOTIC FORESTRY MULCHER & FLAIL
Minimise ground disturbance
Slopes up to 55 degrees
High Performance Fixed Tooth mulching head
Various sizes of machines For Hard to access areas TREE HARVESTING
Biomass G30 and G50 Chipping
High-Capacity Chipping up to 300 cube per hour
Brash Chipping Site Clearances
● 1.3m Cutting head with a variety of flails for grass cutting & Vegetation
● Clear Felling & Wind-blown trees
● Thinning’s
● Timber Forwarding
● Felling Licences
● Brash Recovery
www.billrae.co.uk
All
Two
Direct drilling / Pasture
Rejuvenation
Ploughing / Sowing
Fertiliser Spreading
Agri Haulage
Groundworks / Dump trailers
Topping & Mulching
Tubeline Bale Wrapping
GARY HOGARTH
AGRI ASSIST & GROUNDWORKS
• ALL GENERAL CONTRACTING
AGRI ASSIST & GROUNDWORKS
Earlston
Thorburn Group, Duns
Lower Mansfield Road, Hawick, TD9 8AW
Willowford Farm, Jedburgh
Thorburn Group, Duns
On Our Farm
February 10th 2026
Hugo Lee farms in partnership with his father, Guy, at Sandystones, near St Boswells. Arable crops of wheat, oilseed rape, malting barley and oats are grown, 500 Angus cattle are finished annually, 8000 organic hens produce eggs for Waitrose and 8,000 organic point of lay pullets are reared each year. Since the arrival of the Scandinavian blocking high in early January winter ploughing has ground to a halt. We seem to be stuck in a rut of cold, damp, dreary overcast days. With the NVZ closed period about to end fields will need a fair bit of drying out before any spreaders can travel. Fortunately, we have not had the rainfall that Aberdeen and southwest England have been experiencing. I spoke to a friend in Hampshire who said that it has rained every day since 1st January, roads are flooded and huge areas are underwater. I have taken the decision not to sow Spring Barley in any of our poorer/awkward fields at Sandystones. I will sow a pea/barley mix undersown with grass in these fields which we will whole crop for cattle. The fields will then remain in grass until an improvement in the commodity markets. Currently I have not managed to secure a malting barley contract for the land we started renting last spring. I am still going to sow Laurette in the hope that I will find a malting home for it; worst case scenario I will feed it to the cattle. It has been a bit of a struggle recently buying store cattle as the fat price and store price seem to be going in opposite directions. I am not going to buy cattle just to lose money on them. It appears that lots of expensive stores have been bought on the hope that the fat price would follow last year’s high levels. Unfortunately, the opposite has been true and the fat price has continued to fall. I am a strong believer that the breeders should get their fair share however store prices have been unsustainable in recent months. Last week I took Shaun, Bogdan and Yurii go-karting for our very late Christmas party. Having won last year’s clay pigeon shooting Bogdan was eager to retain his title. On the journey up to Edinburgh Bogdan and Yurii were full of confidence. Shaun ‘Verstappen’ Fagan stayed very quiet. After the first ten-minute stint Bogdan and Yurii came into the pits looking very sheepish. They had completed 11 laps to Shaun’s 15, they looked like they were going on a gentle Sunday afternoon drive! Suffice to say Shaun swept the board and the journey home was a little quieter. I am fortunate that my son Wilf loves sport and a couple of weekends ago he was a mascot at Edinburgh rugby v the Bulls. It was a great game, however Edinburgh managed to somehow throw away a 21 point lead and lose. I then took him to see Newcastle United lose their first home game of the season to Aston Villa 0-2. On the way home he asked why does every team we support lose. I replied confidently that was not true and that Scotland had a great chance of doing well in this year’s Six Nations. Starting with a thumping win over Italy in Rome…
Shaun (centre) wins the go-karting
It is now too wet to complete the winter ploughing
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Talking......North of the Forth February 9th 2026
Tom Pate farms 240ha of arable on a tenanted farm in Angus. Cropping includes wheat, spring barley, rye and oilseed rape along with land let for potatoes and vining peas. Additionally, around 6500 pigs are reared annually under contract and 600 Christmas turkeys sold directly to the public under the KellyBronze franchise. On his wife’s 380ha family farm in the Angus Glens they also run 200 red deer hinds plus followers for venison production, along with developing a forestry enterprise.
A relentless easterly wind has brought a prolonged spell of rain to our corner of Scotland. According to the Met Office, Angus has had its second wettest January on record (2016 still holds 1st place) with up to 285mm of rain being reported (300% of the monthly historical average). This figure will vary according to which part of Angus you are in, but it has been a horrifically wet, damp, cold and dark start of the year for the county. February hasn’t started much better and both man and beast have had enough.
A wiser man than me expects this run of weather to last until the next new moon on the 17th February. A day late for the end of the NVZ closed period but it will be some time before field work can resume anyhow. Crops are surviving remarkably well but they will be needing drier feet and feeding before too long.
A visual display of the sheer volume of water that has fallen in the month was seen at Backwater Reservoir in Glen Isla. This 3km long, 158-hectare area supplies water to the good people of Dundee and surrounding area. It was at only 36% capacity on January 11th but reached 95% by the end of the month. I heard a report that it had risen 1.5m in one day. That is a phenomenal amount of water in a few short weeks! At least Dundonians can bathe with abandon now.
Outside work has been limited but we were able to crack on with some digger work. An 8t machine and dump trailer were hired and we set to work repairing tracks, widening gateways (trailers and fenceposts are now safe), moving piles of stones, and generally having a good tidy up. It’s hugely satisfying doing jobs like this.
The year has barely started, and we have already had a major calamity (I know how much Agrimart readers enjoy my disaster confessions). One morning, on the daily deer feeding round, it was discovered that a group of 100 calves had escaped from their shed. Initially it was thought that someone had released them on purpose but on closer inspection I think a calf must have managed to somehow break the wall fixing, a complete freak occurrence. No matter how they got out there was no sign of them! A sickening feeling.
Deer being difficult to herd in open areas, there isn’t a huge amount you can do to force them in any given direction. Patience and the hope that food and a hefting instinct will bring them back home. Thirty came back the first night and mercifully walked straight into a field that we had left open for them. Another four appeared later the second day and calmly followed the quad bike into the field. Another 30 appeared on day four but stubbornly took up residence on a neighbour’s silage field. They are keen to follow the snacker but any slight spook and they run back to the same field. More patience needed. With vast areas of surrounding hill and forestry it is maybe unlikely we will see them all again. This is a major blow for the enterprise. Some time and thought will have to go into how we can increase security and beef up gates, barriers etc. This is an experience I never want to repeat.
Digger and dump trailer doing a shift
Deer on the run!
Deer disappearing into the gloaming
From Source to Supply
Talking......Business with Edwin Thompson
February 2026
Jack Frater is an Agricultural Consultant at Edwin Thompson, based between their offices in Berwick and Galashiels. Jack specialises in Farm and Estate Management.
The last two years have shown just how much agriculture is impacted by political decisions, and unfortunately there is plenty new legislation coming from both Westminster and Holyrood over the next year or so that needs to be monitored closely.
The Treasury have eased the IHT thresholds for APR & BPR from £1m to £2.5m which will be welcome news for many, although this should not be seen as an excuse to stop discussions with your accountant, solicitor and land agent regarding tax planning and succession and, thought should still be given to cashflow impacts of any IHT liability, especially for arable units given the lower cereal prices this year.
SFI looks set to be returning for English farmers in June, and whilst those north of the border will be relieved to be receiving an area-based payment for the next two years at least, this comes with its own new hurdles including new EFA rules to abide by before the total area increases to 7% next year. Originally it had been suggested that PGRS was going to form part of the calculation from 2027, but this appears to have been dropped. I still recommend planning your EFA requirements early to avoid any late changes to cropping areas.
The Holyrood elections are happening in May (the week before SAF deadlines), meaning a raft of new policies and promises. Land Reform is gathering momentum but the more you read into it, the more questions seem to crop up. Sadly, the whole concept appears to be based on ideology rather than practicalities.
The Scottish Budget was a nothing event to start, but more details have emerged about business rates relief which could significantly impact farming businesses. At present farmers can claim 100% relief if the ratable values are under £12,000 but thanks to a deal between the SNP and the Greens, shooting rates will no longer benefit from relief. Worse still we understand that a business owning any shooting rights will no longer be able to claim reliefs on any other rateable value such as holiday cottages or commercial units. This is still to be confirmed but it is recommended that you review any revaluation notices to make sure the rates are being applied correctly, ensuring they are as low as possible.
The shooting season has now finished, but new UK legislation around shotgun ownership may result in them being classed as firearms, this could make the application and renewal process yet another blow for rural businesses.
Let’s hope that common sense prevails and the current wet weather comes to an end before lambing kicks off, but in the meantime at least we have the welcome distraction of the Six Nations and the Winter Olympics!
If you wish to discuss any of the issues above, and how they might impact your business, please contact me on 01896 751300 or j.frater@edwin-thompson.co.uk
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Your Business Champion.
01382 312100
eqaccountants.co.uk/agriculture
March is more than just a month of preparation; it’s about setting the tone for the year ahead. Building resilience through smarter resource allocation and sound financial planning is essential to managing the inherent risks of farming.
Our approach focuses on your long-term success:
Strategic business reviews
Succession planning
Personalised advisory services
We don’t just offer a checklist of services. We work closely with you to develop a strategic plan that aligns with your vision for the future. Our deep-rooted expertise in the agricultural sector, combined with a commitment to long term relationships, ensures you’re never alone when challenges arise.
Talking......from the boundary February 11th
Guy Lee
AI - A threat or an opportunity?
I opened a blank page on ‘Word’, a message appeared saying alt + i for copilot. Out of curiosity I pressed these two buttons on the keyboard, typed in ‘500 words on the State of Agriculture in the UK’, and within 10 seconds the article below appeared. Apart from being slightly English centric with the reference to ELMs, I can’t fault or improve it, so I have reproduced it in totality just to show what is possible. I apologise as it has no humour or reflects my personality! I don’t think I have to attribute it to anyone. Maybe AI will sue me for breach of copyright?
The State of Agriculture in the UK Challenges, Innovations, and Future Prospects
British agriculture stands at a crossroads, shaped by a complex web of economic, environmental, and political factors. Traditionally, the sector has been a cornerstone of rural life and the national economy, providing employment and underpinning food security. However, recent years have seen seismic shifts in the landscape, with farmers and policymakers grappling with new realities.
One of the most significant influences on UK agriculture has been Brexit. The departure from the European Union has fundamentally altered the regulatory framework, subsidy landscape, and trade relationships that British farmers relied upon for decades. While some have welcomed the opportunity for greater autonomy, others struggle with uncertainty over export markets and the loss of EU support schemes. The Agriculture Act 2020, which replaced the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, seeks to incentivise sustainable practices and reward environmental stewardship, yet the transition has proved challenging for many.
Environmental concerns have become increasingly central to agricultural policy and practice. British farmers are under pressure to reduce their carbon footprint, minimise pesticide and fertiliser use, and promote biodiversity. The government’s Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) encourage farmers to adopt sustainable methods, such as agroforestry, regenerative farming, and improved animal welfare standards. These initiatives align with the UK’s broader commitments to tackle climate change, aiming for net zero emissions by 2050. However, balancing productivity with environmental goals remains a delicate task, especially given the unpredictable effects of climate change itself — including extreme weather events and shifting growing seasons.
Technological innovation is another defining feature of contemporary British agriculture. Precision farming, driven by advances in GPS, drones, and data analytics, allows farmers to optimise yields, manage resources efficiently, and mitigate risks. Automation is increasingly prevalent, with robots assisting in tasks from planting to harvesting, especially in labour-intensive sectors like horticulture. While such technologies promise greater efficiency and resilience, they also raise questions about accessibility, investment costs, and the future of rural employment.
Labour shortages have emerged as a critical issue, exacerbated by Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. Many farms, particularly those specialising in fruit and vegetable production, have struggled to recruit seasonal workers. The government has introduced schemes to attract foreign labour, but the sector continues to face challenges in ensuring a reliable workforce. This shortage risks undermining productivity and leads to concerns about the sustainability of certain agricultural enterprises.
The market for British produce is shaped by consumer trends and global competition. There is growing demand for organic food, local produce, and high animal welfare standards, which has encouraged diversification and innovation among UK farmers. At the same time, imports from countries with lower production costs often undercut domestic products, posing a threat to profitability. The recent rise in input costs — from fuel and fertiliser to animal feed — has squeezed margins and prompted calls for greater support from the government.
Despite these challenges, British agriculture continues to adapt and innovate. Collaboration between farmers, researchers, and industry stakeholders is driving progress towards more resilient, sustainable practices. Initiatives like farm clusters, knowledgesharing platforms, and public-private partnerships are helping to address common issues and unlock new opportunities. The sector’s future will depend on its ability to embrace change, harness technology, and navigate the evolving regulatory environment. In summary, the state of agriculture in the UK is one of transformation. While the sector faces significant hurdles — from environmental pressures to labour shortages and post-Brexit uncertainty — it is also characterised by resilience and ingenuity. With continued investment, policy support, and a commitment to sustainability, British agriculture can continue to thrive and play a vital role in the nation’s economy and rural communities.
SILAGE PITS, FARM ROADS, DRIVEWAYS, ESTATES
SILAGE PITS, FARM ROADS, DRIVEWAYS, ESTATES
BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS, DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS
BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS, DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS
SURFACE DRESSING WITH NATURAL STONE FINISHES
SILAGE PITS, FARM ROADS, DRIVEWAYS, ESTATES
BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS, DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS
SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS, PATHWAYS, CAR PARKS
TARMACADAM, ASPHALT, PATCHING & POTHOLE REPAIRS
CALL FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTATION & SURVEY
LOCAL COMPANY WITH OVER 45 YEARS EXPERIENCE
OBLIGATION QUOTATION & SURVEY
SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS, PATHWAYS, CAR PARKS
TARMACADAM, ASPHALT, PATCHING & POTHOLE REPAIRS
DRAINAGE, KERBING, GROUNDWORKS
PRIVATE & COMMERCIAL WORK UNDERTAKEN
SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS, PATHWAYS, CAR PARKS
TARMACADAM, ASPHALT, PATCHING & POTHOLE REPAIRS
DRAINAGE,
DRAINAGE, KERBING, GROUNDWORKS
PRIVATE & COMMERCIAL WORK UNDERTAKEN
APPROVED CONTRACTOR
SURFACE DRESSING WITH NATURAL STONE FINISHES
SILAGE PITS, FARM ROADS, DRIVEWAYS, ESTATES
BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS, DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS
WITH NATURAL STONE FINISHES
BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS,
Warreners House,
Langtonlees
Broad eld Farm, Symington
Warreners House, Morpeth
Sandystones, Jedburgh
The Stiel, Yarrowford
Broad eld Farm, Symington
APPROVED CONTRACTOR
Sandystones, Jedburgh
The Stiel, Yarrowford
Broad eld Farm, Symington
Langtonlees Farm, Duns
Sandystones, Jedburgh
The Stiel, Yarrowford
Langtonlees Farm, Duns
The Stiel, Yarrowford Broad eld Farm, Symington
Langtonlees Farm, Duns
Warreners House, Morpeth
Sandystones, Jedburgh
The Stiel, Yarrowford Broad eld Farm, Symington
Langtonlees Farm, Duns
Talking......from Lincolnshire
February 9th 2026
Will Howe is an arable farmer from Sleaford, Lincolnshire. The soils are predominantly heavy. There is 1000ha of cropping including winter wheat, spring beans, spring oats and oilseed rape. He also manages a contracting business Thorpe Farming Ltd.
I am unaware of the exact date I aged, but it does seem to have been a very quick process. I am inclined to think it wasn’t at the time my hair started getting grey flecks, but more likely when I discovered a single enormously long hair in my eyebrows. I like my eyebrows to look like a field of wheat in July after a strong PGR and weed control program. Utterly uniform, not with the odd untidy plant. Being in the back end of nowhere we are currently having a real battle with phone reception and 4G, on which we are utterly reliant. With every new phone, the quality of call gets reduced and the likelihood of getting cut off goes up ten times. The internet which comes down the line is useless so 4G is our chosen connection, which now goes missing for days at a time. Seemingly this is not reflected in our monthly subscription, so we are moving to Quickline who have offered us internet speeds so fast that even a hormonal teenage boy won’t slow it down. Yet the connection process is very laborious, we are still waiting, and will have to rely on the coal-fired equivalent for now. Business limiting connectivity is something those in Whitehall will learn all about during their newly announced £650,000 training. I am fascinated to find out which pot of gold this money is coming from, (most likely the agriculture budget), and how this will actually benefit us. You can throw millions at educating radical socialists and they are still radical socialists. I studied Agriculture at University, and we were made up from a core group of farmers sons and daughters complemented by those who had failed to get into veterinarian health and other rural based courses. We had an agreeable chap from Central Birmingham who on a farm visit in our 3rd year after 320 days of agricultural education asked the farmer why he had one plough parked on top of another. To you and me it is known as a reversible plough, but to him it was some form of witchcraft that no educational budget could help with. DEFRA was making a bit of headway with Janet Hughes leading the SFI for 5 years. This is a long time for any civil servant, and I wouldn’t say I agreed with her all the time, but she did seem to listen and her pilot approach to SFI was sensible even if the lack of budgetary control was unfortunate. Yet her 5 years at the helm is still shorter than my rotation so change will always get confused with progress.
In a glimpse of positivity it is not currently raining, the days are drawing out, the crops (and lawn) have visibly grown and there is anticipation in the air. With old crop prices still in the mire, I am selling enough for cashflow and then storing the rest hoping for a better day which I fear might make me less educated than a DEFRA civil servant.
The Old Smiddy, Graden, Kelso, TD5 8BS
Telephone : 01573430338
Email : info@walkergroundworks.com
The Old Smiddy, Graden, Kelso, TD5 8BS
Telephone : 01573 430338
Email : info@walkergroundworks.com
Walker Groundworks are a long-serving company, established in 1996, covering a working area including but not restricted to the Scottish Borders, Northumberland and the Lothians.
Our highly skilled and dedicated team are here to help with any of the following works:
• Earthworks/Site Preparation/Roads
• Crushing
Walker Groundworks are a long-serving company, established in 1996, covering a working area including but not restricted to the Scottish Borders, Northumberland and the Lothians.
• Groundworks/Plotworks
• Deep Drainage
• Field Drainage & Ditching
• River Works
• Concrete Flooring for Agricultural/Industrial Shed (Laid with highly accurate Laser Screed, with finish to meet clients' requirements)
• All Timber work undertaken – including Harvesting, Hand Cutting, Thinnings & Clear Fell
• Haulage including Heavy Plant Movement, Timber Haulage & Hiab Hire
Our highly skilled and dedicated team are here to help with any of the following works:
• In house Welding Engineer/Steel Fabricator
• Earthworks/Site preparation/Roads
• Crushing
• In house setting out engineer/surveyor
• Groundworks/Plotworks
• Deep Drainage
• Field Drainage and Ditching
• River Works
• Concrete Flooring for Agricultural/Industrial Shed (Laid with highly accurate Laser Screed, with finish to meet clients’ requirements)
• All Timber work undertaken – including Harvesting, Hand Cutting, Thinnings and Clear Fell
• Haulage including Heavy Plant Movement, Timber Haulage and Hiab Hire
• In house Welding Engineer/Steel Fabricator
New Services Available:
• AdBlue and ERG Solutions
• HGV Tractor and Vehicle Tuning
• Brake Roller Testing
• Preventative Maintenance Inspection
• Full Servicing Facilities
Advanced Roller Doors (E.K.)
Talking......New Zealand
Kelso Agricultural Discussion Society
Monday 23rd February 2026 7.30 pm at the Cross Keys Hotel
How I Farm
We are delighted to invite you back to our final winter meeting and AGM. We will be joined by some excellent speakers.
Robert MacDonald: Kelloe Mains Farm
Based near Duns, Robert farms ~910ha milking 900 cows through a 72-cow rotary Parlour. The farm extends to 180ha grass and 730ha mixed arable cropping, which includes winter and spring cereals, oilseed rape, spring beans, vining peas & potatoes.
Robert & Becca Rennie: Sydenham Farm
Robert and Becca are 3rd generation farmers at Sydenham Farm near Kelso and since 2017 have also contract farmed Attonburn and Mowhaugh in partnership with Roxburghe Estate (over 2,500 acres of upland). The pair run ~2100 Cheviot, 250 Romney and 70 Texel ewes, along with 100 head of cattle.
Admission Fee
Farmers £15.00 for the whole season (4 meetings) or £5 for a single meeting
Farm staff and under 18s £3 for the whole season or £2 for a single meeting
February 5th 2026
Ian Mackenzie is an arable and dairy farmer from the Canterbury Plain in the South Island of New Zealand. He runs a number of fully irrigated intensive cropping farms, producing grain, vegetable and grass seeds with some stock finishing.
January was a very disappointing month. 3 weeks of rain has turned what could have been a reasonable harvest into sprouted mush. Even the cows got sick of being wet… so we might not discuss farming.
I have tried to go fishing but finding fishable water with most rivers in constant flood has been difficult. However an old friend (Woody) and I did find some relatively clean water way back in the headwaters of the Opuha river. Lots of wee brown trout that we got to stalk and to follow our flies but nothing to take home.
Woody and I were at High School together and in our senior year we used to bunk school to go into the mountains tramping. We got lost a couple of times and had more adventure than we planned. On return to school from one of our mountain adventures we were berated by our housemaster for missing a series of lectures on venereal disease… I checked with Woody and can confirm it is a subject we still know nothing about.
Potential chicken farmers
However we did learn how to cross rivers safely. This was a good thing (and much more useful as it turned out) as the Opuha was fast and deep and bouldery enough that linking arms and helping each other to cross the river was wise. I suggested to Woody that 2 silly old men staggering across an alpine river arm in arm would be an amusing sight and he reminded me that we had been helping each other to safely cross rivers for nearly 60 years.
A couple of days later I went for a bicycle ride. Bicycling can be a very dangerous occupation. Fanatical enthusiasts have died from heart attacks, brain aneurisms and angry wives seeking ‘utu’ for bonking their fitness instructor. Others have had unplanned car door openings, non-fatal head injuries and broken bones, not to mention grazes and bruises. I am not a fanatic but can nevertheless add a new bicycle hazard to the list. A bee flew into my open mouth as I was innocently peddling along which of course I spat out. The ungrateful sod stung me on its way to freedom leaving me with a somewhat swollen face for a few days. Our oldest son suggested I looked like Donald Trump. He is no longer in my will!
Safer way to go fishing
Proud to sponsor Event riders: Olivia Wilmot, Laura Swinnerton, Laura Mitchell, Ellie Bryce, Sarah Hutchison & Morag Sutherland
MOBILE 07860 261088
ARMCO CRASH BARRIERS
• Complete Forest Management, Harvesting, Marketing & Restocking Services. Forestry : Hardwood : Daryl on 07710 289627 Donald on 07710 199071 Harvesting & Marketing: Alex on 07857 471909 Russel on 07354 201399 Daniel on 07354 848234 David on 07354 201398
Berwick Office: 01289 304432
Neal Thompson: jn.thompson@edwin-thompson.co.uk
Edge of Town Land with Residential Development Potential
www.edwinthompson.co.uk
Berwick: 01289 304432 | Galashiels: 01896 751300
Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland Edinburgh 60 miles | Newcastle 62 miles
Northumberland SHLAA estimated yield of 150 dwellings 26.52 acres or thereabouts
For sale as a whole by Private Treaty with vacant possession
2026 BASIC PAYMENT SCHEME
The BPS submission window is between the 15th March and 15th May 2026. At Edwin Thompson we provide a comprehensive service covering all BPS application matters.
