Technical updates

English livestock farmers: FETF grant

RUMA vaccine survey: Make your views heard

Fresh Produce Sector Board recruitment: Potato grower

Support industry self-regulation: Potato residue testing survey

Farm materials recycling: Stay informed

New grant opportunities for English farmers: could the FETF help you?

Funding open for animal health, productivity, and slurry management equipment

If you're looking to invest in new on-farm equipment that supports animal health, boosts productivity, or improves slurry management, the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2025 could be worth your attention.

The scheme offers competitive grant funding for a wide range of farm equipment. While the individual grants are for relatively modest amounts, the potential benefits for your business could be significant. The application window opens on 29 May and closes on 10 July 2025, and funding is divided across three key categories:

Productivity
Slurry Management
Animal Health and Welfare (AH&W)

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2025: guidance now available

The AH&W section may be especially interesting, with many of the eligible items aligning with best practices in welfare. There are over 100 eligible items, ranging from practical essentials like vaccine fridges and digital Brix refractometers for colostrum quality, to equipment that directly supports pig welfare such as enclosed piglet creeps with heat pads and high-volume, low-speed ventilation fans.

The fund covers equipment for pigs, sheep, dairy and beef cattle, and poultry (layers and broilers). Whether you're a small-scale producer or part of a larger enterprise, there's likely something on the list that could help improve performance and animal care on your farm.

If you haven’t looked at this scheme recently, it’s worth revisiting, you may be surprised by just how broad and practical the eligible equipment list is.

Explore the full list of eligible Animal Health and Welfare items

RUMA launches vaccine supply survey: your insights needed

The Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance has launched a new survey aimed at gathering real-world insights from vets, farmers, and SQPs about the growing issue of vaccine shortages across the UK livestock sectors.

Over the past few years, many of you have experienced or heard of challenges in accessing key vaccines for your animals.

These shortages can disrupt herd and flock health planning and, in some cases, lead to increased antibiotic use to treat conditions that might otherwise have been preventable.

Now, RUMA wants to hear directly from those on the ground.

What’s the purpose?

The survey seeks to build a clearer picture of:

Where vaccine supply issues are occurring
How they are affecting your ability to protect animal health and welfare
The short and long-term implications for your business and livestock
What practical support or contingency planning might help in the future

The information gathered will help RUMA support the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) in shaping its work on vaccine preparedness and inform potential "Plan B" guidance for managing supply disruptions.

Who should respond?

RUMA are calling on farmers, vets, and SQPs across all livestock sectors. Whether you're in pigs, poultry, cattle, or sheep, your experience matters. The more input received, the stronger the case for better preparedness across the supply chain.

Key details

Open now until Friday 27 June at 5pm
Take the survey here
If you encounter any technical issues accessing the form (especially on business networks), contact chris@ruma.org.uk or mary@mlbcommunications.co.uk

Vaccines are a cornerstone of responsible farming and animal welfare. With more frequent disruptions in supply, your feedback can help develop solutions that safeguard both animal health and the sustainability of livestock farming in the UK.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey

UK cereal industry urges farmers to intensify grain storage monitoring to prevent dangerous mycotoxin spikes

Strict weekly temperature checks and monthly moisture monitoring essential to keep toxic Ochratoxin A levels within legal limits, experts warn.

Representatives from the UK cereal processor trade associations, including UK Flour Millers, the British Oat and Barley Millers Association, the Maltsters Association of Great Britain, and a leading mycotoxin expert, have issued a reminder to farmers of the importance of good grain storage.

This is crucial in mitigating the production of Ochratoxin A (OTA), a toxic mycotoxin that can cause severe health issues in humans and animals if consumed in large quantities. Strict legal limits exist to control OTA levels.

The primary cause of OTA production in grain is wet storage conditions. Concerningly, its production can spike rapidly, which means legal limits can be easily exceeded.

The reminder comes as a result of industry monitoring, which found that whilst diligent storage by most farmers is effective at controlling OTA, there are instances where it has been found at high levels, even on farms that have made investment in high quality storage infrastructure.

If legal limits are exceeded the grain should not be sold into the food market, or there can be costly product withdrawals and recalls.

The potential for rapid spikes in OTA production means it is important to monitor stored grain temperature at least weekly and moisture at least monthly, in line with the recommended frequencies within the AHDB Grain Storage Guide.

It is particularly important to monitor grain moisture and temperature. Laboratory experiments highlighted a potential for a spike OTA occurrence in a period of less than 4 days.

As the exact time needed for OTA accumulation in grain remains unclear, it is vital to measure regularly to prevent such contamination.

Dr Carol Verheecke-Vaessen, Senior Lecturer in Applied Molecular Mycology at Cranfield University

Calling potato growers: join the Red Tractor Fresh Produce Sector Board

Red Tractor is inviting growers from the potato sector to apply to join the Fresh Produce Sector Board, which is responsible for advising on the development of the Red Tractor Fresh Produce technical strategy.

The current sector board has excellent input from growers, retailers, NFU and elsewhere and a vacancy has now arisen for a potato grower, ideally also with knowledge and experience of seed production and trade, and of the Safe Haven scheme.

Maintaining and enhancing the expertise and experience already present is important to ensure the Fresh Produce board considers all aspects of produce production across the UK and helps Red Tractor deliver its vision and strategy.

The individual should:

Be supportive of Red Tractor and where possible facilitate the delivery of its vision and purpose
Have a wide understanding of the practicalities and challenges within the fresh produce sector
Be able to draw on a wide professional network of organisations in the sector
Have good communication and influencing skills and be willing to act as an ambassador for Red Tractor

The Fresh Produce Sector Board meets three times a year in March, July, and November. The position is not paid but travel expenses can be claimed.

Interested individuals should send an email to application@redtractor.org.uk 

Closing date: 31st June 2025

Safeguarding the future of UK potato storage

Potato growers: Just one test could make all the difference.

Following a crucial data submission to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) earlier this year, CRMG is once again calling on growers and storage operators to provide essential residue testing results.

Why? Because the future of the temporary Maximum Residue Level (tMRL) for CIPC (chlorpropham) hinges on the industry’s continued support and evidence.

In 2024, CRMG submitted 102 anonymised results from potato samples stored during the 2023/24 season. All came from stores that had, at some point in their history, been treated with CIPC.

The data painted a clear picture: without the tMRL, about 1 in 4 of these facilities would have exceeded the limit of detection

It is crucial that industry continues to supply monitoring data to retain the tMRL. HSE will oversee this to ensure the tMRL continues to be set at an appropriate level. Its retention relies on the industry providing the evidence that it’s still needed.

How you can help

Most Red Tractor farmers will already have multi-residue test results, so you already have what’s needed. CRMG only asks for one test per store, specifically from potato stores that were ever treated with CIPC and where crops are held for at least two months during the 2024/25 season.

They’re aiming for 125 samples in this data call, and new contributors are urgently needed.

This is a small action with major impact. Your test result could help secure the future of the UK’s potato storage infrastructure. Please act now to protect your business and the wider industry.

Submitting Your Data Is Simple:

Download the data form from the CRMG webpage.
Attach a recent lab result that includes chlorpropham (CIPC).
Email both to CRMG’s Independent Chair, Adrian Cunnington, at: adrian@potatostorageinsight.com
Deadline: 30 June 2025

CRMG will anonymise all submissions before forwarding them to HSE.

Recycling farm plastics - an essential part of sustainable farming

Farm plastics are vital, from silage wrap to feed bags to fertilizer sacks, but what happens after they’re used matters more than ever.

Burning or burying is not an option. To protect your land, meet best practice, and play your part in sustainable food production, recycling your plastic waste is essential. It’s not just good practice; it’s a key part of the future of farming.

Recycling is the most environmentally friendly solution, and it can be cheaper than landfill. But it does take planning.

Here’s how to make recycling work on your farm

Plastics recycling costs are charged by weight. Handling used plastics in the wrong way can significantly impact both your costs and the recycling process.

Four easy steps to smarter, more cost-effective farm plastics recycling:

1. Collect and segregate:

Different plastics must be recycled separately
Don’t mix wrap, netting, twine, or sacks.
Use separate bags - reuse fertiliser or feed sacks if needed.
Keeping materials organised saves you money and helps the recycler.

2. Keep clean:

Recycling costs are based on weight - don’t pay to haul muck and water. It really adds up.
Shake off soil and debris. Keep stones out.
Remove as much non plastic weight as possible, including moisture.
Keep plastics dry after use. A common mistake for many.

3. Store safely:

Protect your cleaned plastics from recontamination.
Where possible, store in a clean, dry shed.
Use bags or containers to stop materials blowing away / getting mixed up.
Avoid areas prone to water runoff to protect watercourses.
NB: Your local argi-plastic collector may be able to provide storage containers / bags if required.

4. Recycle - don’t landfill:

Working with certified agri-plastic collectors means your waste is recycled properly and helps meet farm assurance requirements.
Supporting the environment, managing your carbon footprint and delivering a more sustainable farming enterprise.
Contact a local plastics collector.
Take your plastics to a local drop – off centre. Cheaper than on farm collection.

If you need help, ask your local council or get in touch with Agriculture Plastics Environment UK (APE UK), a not-for-profit organisation supported by the industry focussed solely on farm plastics and helping farmers take practical, cost-effective action.