Farmer Focus: Who will follow Boris Johnson?

We seem to have suffered from an overdose of politics in the past 10 years, and it is all kicking off again, with Boris Johnson’s leadership coming to an undignified end.

Who will follow is unclear, but they will have a big job to do in reuniting the Conservative Party and the country. 

Unfortunately, this mess plays into the hands of the nationalists in Scotland, who focus on how bad things are in Westminster, while glossing over their failures in almost all areas where they have control such as education, health and transport. 

About the author

Robert Drysdale

Arable Farmer Focus writer

Robert Drysdale is farm manager at Monymusk Estate, growing winter and spring barley, wheat and oilseed rape across 1600ha on 4 contract farming agreements to the south of Inverurie in Aberdeenshire. The farm also has 130 beef cows running on land that is less suitable for crop production with the majority of calves being finished on the farm.

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See also: Earliest ever barley cut for farms as harvest picks up pace

The last two referendums on Brexit and Scottish independence have proved to be very divisive and difficult to move on from, with the country split almost equally on both issues. 

With the Scottish government seemingly focused on independence at any cost and by any means, I really think that referendums on any such issue should require at least a two-thirds majority in favour of change. Only then can the country really unite around the decision, whichever way it goes.

June turned out to be a very dry and windy month, which, on our light land, has brought on winter barley very quickly and curtailed grass growth. 

We made silage in the middle of June, with average yields, but with little rain since fertiliser was applied there has been little regrowth.

With higher fertiliser costs we have put less on and have spread the cows out over more acres.  Hopefully, the recent rain will kick-start growth, avoiding having to feed cows at grass.

It has been refreshing to be able to attend a number of in-field trials and agronomy updates. These have highlighted the large choice of new wheat varieties available this year.  

Dawsum seems to be the front-runner and I will try a field to see how it does. Having selected Saki last year, its breakdown to septoria is disappointing, so we won’t be growing it again. 

Winter barley will be a choice between a hybrid and two-rows Bolton or Tardis, with a hybrid being drilled where we can get on early in good conditions.