By Matt Donald, pig & poultry farmer
Show season is in full swing across our region, and there’s something special about wandering around the smaller local shows. They capture farming in all its glory, the livestock, the machinery, the familiar faces – even if poultry is still a rare sight among the pens. I also spent a couple of days at the Great Yorkshire Show, including one with the NFU. It was brilliant to see so many local members stopping by the stand for a coffee, a chat, and a chance to share what’s happening on their farms.
Across the showground, MP meetings were in constant motion. The event remains one of the best opportunities to champion agriculture and remind people, from policymakers to the general public, just how vital the rural economy is. I also joined Aimee for some retailer meetings, which turned into productive conversations about the importance of backing our sector. With eggs and poultry meat poised for investment and growth, their support is more crucial than ever.
Earlier in July, we headed down to the National Egg and Poultry Awards to celebrate alongside the other finalists and industry colleagues. We were absolutely over the moon to be named Breeder Farm of the Year for one of our units. It’s a huge credit to the team on the ground, and to Sam, who has managed the farm for just two years after making the leap from dairy into poultry. His commitment to efficiency, health, welfare and biosecurity is paying off, and the results speak for themselves.
Harvest is now well underway in the North, and if the weather has held by the time you read this, most of the wheat will likely be finished. Yields so far look promising – a welcome relief given current prices and the pressure on the arable side of the business. Global tensions continue to affect the markets, and price volatility is once again making both buying and selling cereals tricky.