Research

For the last 18 years the FBS has been undertaken independently by Rural Business Research (RBR). However, change is afoot with the handover of the contract to Promar International. In this moment it feels important to reflect on the work that precedes the next chapter and the survey’s importance to agriculture’s past, present, and future.

A recent study published by an independent think tank says farmers are open to adopting new technologies but are reluctant to invest due to a lack of confidence in policy frameworks, funding opportunities, and the future of farming in general.

The agricultural sector has seen rapid innovation in recent years due to the need to produce more food on less land, with technologies such as smart crops, agricultural drones, and smart greenhouses on the rise, according to GlobalData’s latest report.

Ensuring plant breeding contributes to a more sustainable future for UK agriculture and exploring how the industry can collaborate to address this challenge, is to be explored at a knowledge exchange event next month.

Ninety-five per cent of dog owners are looking to take their pet on holiday, research from leading rural insurer NFU Mutual has revealed, providing farms with hospitality diversifications a potential market boost.

AHDB and BBSRC are partnering to invest £500,000 in UK agriculture to help the industry transition to more sustainable practices, and ultimately net zero carbon by 2040.

Conservation agriculture crop establishment techniques can deliver up to 18 per cent uplift in growers’ net profits, whilst also providing significant enhancement of key environmental and ecological measures, according to the latest findings of the Syngenta Sustainable Farming Initiative.

Researchers working to combat a devastating pest of oilseed rape have been supported by a fresh injection of funds. Being given £1.8m in funding to fight Flea beetle and protect crops in an environmentally friendly way.

Research led by Queen’s University Belfast has shown that invasive species, such as the grey squirrel, European rabbit and Japanese knotweed, have cost the UK economy over £5 billion over the past 40-50 years, making the cost one of the highest totals in Europe.

Stress and fatigue have been identified as a key cause of agricultural accidents by researchers from the University of Aberdeen.  

Independent research firm, IFF Research are searching for recent AgriTech graduates or anyone currently working in the AgriTech field.

Bayer have announced the European launch of its global Carbon Initiative. Five farmers from the UK and more than twenty others from across Europe will be working with Bayer to investigate how to decarbonise the food value chain.