The Farmers Weekly Podcast

Farmers Weekly

Farmers Weekly chief reporter Johann Tasker and UK farmer Hugh Broom discuss the biggest news in agriculture, available every Friday.

  • 28 minutes 17 seconds
    Inheritance tax special - what Christmas climbdown means for your farm business

    In this special episode, we examine what the government's partial U-turn on inheritance tax means for your farm business.

    It follows the Treasury decision to water down plans to impose 20% inheritance tax on farm assets worth more than £1m.

    In a major concession the government has announced that it is increasing the threshold for inheritance tax on farm assets from £1m to £2.5m.

    We look at how the decision came about, what it means for family farms and where the sector goes from here.

    With special guests: NFU president Tom Bradshaw; Country Land & Business Association external affairs director Jonathan Roberts; and Sam Kirkham, partner at accountants Albert Goodman.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

    Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

    Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

    Contact or follow Hugh (X): @sondesplacefarm

    For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

    To contact 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.

    24 December 2025, 3:16 pm
  • 52 minutes 23 seconds
    Farming Profitability Review: will it work? Interview with Minette Batters; How to forge your farming future - Oxford Farming Conference preview; farmers wanted to grow hazelnuts

    In this episode, we get to grips with the long-awaited Farming Profitability Review and its 57 recommendations for government.

    Will it really make a difference? We've a special interview with review author Minette Batters.

    How you can forge a better future for your farm business – we preview the 2026 Oxford Farming Conference.

    And we meet Suffolk farmer Tom McVeigh, who is carving a niche for himself by growing hazelnuts – and looking for other farmers to join him.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

    Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

    Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

    Contact or follow Hugh (X): @sondesplacefarm

    For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

    To contact 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.

    21 December 2025, 6:29 pm
  • 47 minutes 10 seconds
    Nightmare before Christmas: Battle to save biodiversity net gain, cross-resistance fungicide warning, UK-France lamb war, & Red Tractor reviews standards

    In this episode, is the government about to backtrack on plans to pay farmers for creating and improving wildlife habitats.

    We report from the frontline on the battle to save biodiversity net gain.

    A warning for arable growers looking to use two key fungicides together – how to avoid cross-resistance.

    Lamb war with France – what it means for UK sheep producers.

    And how Red Tractor plans to streamline assessments and ditch unnecessary farm inspections.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

    Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

    Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

    Contact or follow (X): @sondesplacefarm

    For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

    To contact 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.

    12 December 2025, 2:54 am
  • 48 minutes 56 seconds
    Should we be more upbeat about farming? New Landscape Recovery scheme, risk v reward – latest wheat varieties, rebel Labour MP suspended over IHT, and African swine fever hits Spanish pig exports

    In this episode, experts voice concern at a get-out clause in government plans for a £500m Landscape Recovery scheme for farmers.

    We look at the opportunities for growers and livestock producers from Defra's Environmental Improvement Plan – and ask: is it fatally flawed?

    How much risk should you accept when chasing high yields? We get to grips with the new recommended list for cereals and oilseeds.

    African swine fever reaches Spain: we examine the impact on UK pig producers.

    And should we be more optimistic about agriculture? We speak to former NFU president Sir Peter Kendall and "Cheerful" Charlie Ireland, star of Clarkson's Farm.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast was recorded live on Thursday 4 December 2025 at the Ceres Rural Agri-Strategy Conference in Cambridgeshire.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

    Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

    Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

    Contact or follow (X): @sondesplacefarm

    For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

    To contact 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.

    7 December 2025, 3:59 am
  • 48 minutes 19 seconds
    Police face questions over banned London tractor protest, inheritance tax & what Budget means for your farm business, and National Fruit Show celebration

    In this episode, Metropolitan Police chiefs face questions after banning protesting farmers from bringing tractors to London.

    As the government makes a small concession on plans to impose inheritance tax on farmers, we examine what the Budget means for your farm business.

    Budget analysis by:

    And we pay a visit to the National Fruit show - where growers are determined to get more British apples and pears on more supermarket shelves.

    Neil MacLeod's Farmer Focus page is here.

    To donate to the Catherine MacLeod memorial fundraiser for Breast Cancer Now, please visit the Catherine MacLeod Justgiving page.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

    Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

    Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

    Contact or follow (X): @sondesplacefarm

    For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

    To contact 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.

    28 November 2025, 5:15 pm
  • 46 minutes 56 seconds
    Update on Sustainable Farming Incentive, new campaign against inheritance tax, food inflation, CLA conference, and Tesco launches environmental baselining

    In this episode, Defra secretary Emma Reynolds reveals the government's latest thinking on relaunching the Sustainable Farming Incentive.

    Ms Reynolds was speaking during a Q&A session at the Country Land and Business Association annual conference in London.

    Farmers return to Westminster to protest against inheritance tax. Can we really expect any changes in this month's Budget?

    Food price inflation increases – but so too do farm input costs.

    And Tesco launches a £1.5m initiative to help 360 beef and sheep farmers baseline their environmental performance.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

    Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

    Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

    Contact or follow (X): @sondesplacefarm

    For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

    To contact 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.

    21 November 2025, 3:24 pm
  • 45 minutes 10 seconds
    Torturous wait for Defra's vision for farming, crowds flock to Agritechnica, herbicide ban threat, & hundreds pay tribute to David Richardson

    Just why is it taking so long for the UK government to set out its vision for farming?

    As Defra secretary Emma Reynolds prepares to give her first major speech to farmers, vital reports and strategies remain unpublished.

    The government says some will be published before Christmas - others later.

    We ask incoming CLA president Gavin Lane what Emma Reynolds needs to say when she addresses this month's Country Land and Business Association conference.

    We pay a visit to Agritechnica – Europe’s flagship farm machinery exhibition – to find out what's selling and what's not.

    And hundreds of well-wishers pay their respects at a memorial service for Norfolk farmer and commentator David Richardson.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

    Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

    Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

    Contact or follow (X): @sondesplacefarm

    For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

    To contact 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.

    14 November 2025, 9:30 pm
  • 51 minutes 42 seconds
    Farm Profitability Review - Minette Batters makes 57 recommendations, MPs call for farm productivity boost, & how growers are being rewarding for regenerative farming

    In this episode, Defra is considering 57 recommendations after Minette Batters submits her long-awaited Farm Profitability Review.

    We take a look at some of main themes – including better collaboration between farmers and a closer relationship between industry and government.

    A cross-party group of MPs say urgent action is needed to improve agricultural productivity and avert the loss of UK farmland.

    And a major food processor explains why it is working to reward growers for adopting more sustainable farming methods.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

    Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

    Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

    Contact or follow (X): @sondesplacefarm

    For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

    To contact 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.

    7 November 2025, 10:26 pm
  • 47 minutes 29 seconds
    Supermarkets refuse to engage with farm assurance review, gene-editing and classical swine fever, & why the world needs more red meat

    In this week’s podcast, some of Britain’s biggest supermarkets are refusing to engage with a review of UK farm assurance schemes.

    A progress report on improving schemes like Red Tractor has struggled to gather input from Britain's big retail chains.

    Just three supermarkets have responded on an individual basis with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) refusing to participate.

    Could a breakthrough by UK scientists mean the end of classical swine fever?

    And we find out why the world needs more red meat.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

    Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

    Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

    Contact or follow (X): @sondesplacefarm

    For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

    To contact 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.

    31 October 2025, 10:32 pm
  • 43 minutes 9 seconds
    Legal advice over backdated milk price cuts, Scottish farming future funding, & encouraging the next generation into agriculture

    In this week’s podcast, dairy farmers could launch legal action over back-dated milk price cuts.

    Can a partnership approach between industry leaders and the Scottish government aims to deliver a better future for farming?

    And we discover that urban youngsters often know much more about farming than we think they do.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

    Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

    Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

    Contact or follow (X): @sondesplacefarm

    For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

    To contact 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.

    24 October 2025, 5:17 pm
  • 53 minutes 48 seconds
    Banned Red Tractor advert - what can we learn? Farm management company serves notice on 8,000ha, future for contract farming, & stewardship extension

    In this episode, we examine the lessons to be learned after the UK advertising watchdog bans a TV ad for Red Tractor farm assurance.

    We look at the future for arable farming following Velcourt's decision to serve notice on 8,000ha of contract farming agreements.

    Are family farms better placed to ride out tough times?

    And is a last-minute extension for Mid Tier Countryside Stewardship a sticking plaster or a solution?

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom.

    Contact or follow Johann (X): @johanntasker

    Contact or follow Louise (X): @louisearable

    Contact or follow (X): @sondesplacefarm

    For Farmers Weekly, visit fwi.co.uk or follow @farmersweekly

    To contact 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.

    17 October 2025, 1:48 am
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