Articles
Business and Policy September 2026 – Arable
Overview As the 2026 harvest nears completion it may well be remembered as one of the driest on record. Across southern and central England, prolonged heat and exceptionally dry conditions have severely affected yields, although Scotland and northern…
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Business and Policy September 2026 – Policy Brief
Bluetongue update BTV-3 (Bluetongue Virus Stereotype 3) was first confirmed in Scotland on 8 August 2026. Across Great Britain, the situation is moving quickly, the number of affected premises is…
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Working Together Across a Catchment: The Upper Forth Farmer and Land Manager Network
Across Scotland, farmers, crofters and land managers are increasingly working together in groups organised around shared river catchments. Usually convened by a rivers trust or catchment partnership, each group has…
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Honest Conversations, Better Farm Businesses
I’m Kerry, I’ve been a Principal Consultant at SAC Consulting for ten years, and I own and operate a couple of rural tourism businesses with my family outside of my day job. I am no stranger…
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Adding A New Enterprise Through Succession – A Case Study
James MacIver, now 27, has returned to the family business after leaving school at 16. In that time he worked several other mixed livestock and dairy farms, as well as a…
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Managing Heat Stress in Beef Cattle
Hot weather can have a significant impact on cattle health, welfare and performance. Heat stress occurs when a critical combination of humidity and temperature is reached, commonly measured by the…
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Getting Ready for Muirburn Licensing
In 2026, muirburn legislation changed in 3 important ways: Everyone will need a licence to undertake muirburn. To obtain a licence everyone taking part in muirburn will need to undertake…
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Greening 2027 – Summary of Changes
Following the introduction of new greening options in 2026 and the broadening of who is required to have Ecological Focus Areas (EFA), the changes for 2027 are more straightforward with…
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Beavers and Water Resilience: A Natural Ally for Arable Systems?
Heatwaves, drought and water scarcity are no longer occasional challenges for arable farmers: they are becoming defining features of the growing season. The UK has already experienced multiple heatwaves in 2026, with drought…
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Business and Policy August 2026 – Sector Focus: Pigs
The pig sector is in the midst of another trough with producers once again selling their pigs at well below the cost of production. With producers facing a perfect storm of rising costs, oversupply and EU…
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