Farmers Weekly Video

Fertiliser - the Best Time to Buy, Regenerative Farm Business Tenancies, & How Turbo-Charged Bir...

The Farmers Weekly podcast tackled three intertwined themes: timing fertilizer purchases amid volatile markets, a new Bayer fungicide for disease‑prone cereals, and the Duchy of Cornwall’s unprecedented 25‑year regenerative farm business tenancy. Host Hannah Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom interviewed Origin Soil Nutrition’s Michael Pye‑Smith, Bayer’s Rachel Banks, and Duchy rural director Matthew Morris to unpack current supply‑chain pressures and long‑term land‑use strategies. Pye‑Smith warned that nitrogen prices are the most exposed to geopolitical shocks, especially disruptions through the Straits of Hormuz, while phosphate supplies from North Africa face export bans and soaring sulfur costs. Potash remains comparatively stable, but overall fertilizer prices are flat‑lining rather than resetting, prompting a “little‑and‑often” buying approach to spread risk. He also highlighted the upcoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a carbon tax that will be passed on to farmers as an import levy. Bayer introduced Vivaldi’s, a T‑1 fungicide featuring a turbo‑charged isoblon molecule that boosts efficacy against rusts, including the YR15 strain, and can be used repeatedly across seasons. Meanwhile, Matthew Morris explained that the Duchy’s 25‑year regenerative tenancy aims to align climate‑resilience, profitability and net‑zero goals, offering tenants the security needed for substantial investment in soil health and biodiversity. For growers, the take‑away is clear: diversify fertilizer sourcing, consider phased purchases now to hedge against CBAM and supply shocks, and explore long‑term tenancy models that reward regenerative practices. Adopting advanced crop‑protection tools like Vivaldi’s can further safeguard yields in a weather‑volatile year.