Description
A third summer heatwave is creating difficult harvesting conditions, with shrivelled grain, variable cereal yields and combines being forced to operate early in the morning or late at night.
We examine warnings against “grain washing” - adding water to very dry harvested grain before it goes into store - and consider the risks of hot spots, mould and contamination.
Elsewhere, MPs challenge Defra over whether its new 25-year farming roadmap contains enough detail, investment and ambition to improve profitability and food security.
And finally, Norwegian football star Erling Haaland explains why he buys raw milk, beef and honey from a Cheshire farm.
This episode is brought to you by crop protection specialists Certis Belchim (https://www.certisbelchim.co.uk) .
Special Guests:
* Amy Caitlin, AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds team
* Alistair Carmichael MP, Efra committee chairman
* Emma Reynolds MP, Defra secretary
* Erling Haaland, Manchester City and Norway footballer
* Helen Southworth, Cheshire dairy farmer, Greenoaks Farm
Chapters
00:59 Heatwave harvest challenges
01:27 Warning over grain washing
02:34 Early harvest results
04:09 Should growers add moisture?
07:17 Silage and maize conditions
09:47 Partner message: Certis Belchim
11:29 Is Defra’s farming roadmap credible?
11:54 Emma Reynolds challenged by MPs
13:28 Alistair Carmichael interview
23:32 Farming sentiment in Scotland
29:07 Harvest disrupts farm plans
30:14 Markets update
32:07 Erling Haaland backs British farm produce
33:39 The Haaland effect
36:52 England versus Norway
37:38 Closing remarks
Useful links
• Farmers Weekly Podcast (https://www.fwi.co.uk/farmers-weekly-podcast)
• AHDB grain storage guide (https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/grain-storage-guide)
• AHDB grain-cooling guidance (https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/cooling-targets-for-grain-storage)
• Farming Roadmap 2050: Growing England’s Future (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-roadmap-2050)
• Defra Farming Roadmap summary (https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/24/the-farming-roadmap/)
• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/52/environment-food-and-rural-affairs-committee/)
• Food Standards Agency: raw drinking milk (https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/raw-drinking-milk)
This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker, Louise Impey and Hugh Broom. Edited and produced by Johann Tasker.
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