Comment: Farm efficiencies will lead us to success

I gained a BSc Hons degree in Agriculture and Crop Management from Harper Adams University between 2006 and 2010, and after a brief few months in New Zealand and Australia I started work for agronomy services provider Agrii in January 2011.

I completed my BASIS and FACTS exams in early 2012 and currently work as an agronomist, predominantly around the Selby area, as well as working on the family farm.

I have been a keen member of Escrick Young Farmers Club from the age of 13, completing many roles within the club, including two years as chairman. I am currently a club leader at Escrick YFC and a keen and active member of the Future Famers of Yorkshire group.

Being a member of Future Farmers has provided me with great opportunities. I was recently asked to chair the Future Farmers of Yorkshire breakfast meeting at the Great Yorkshire Show, which was a very well attended event with this year’s topic being ‘Brexit: What happens next for UK Farmers?’

The Future Farmers group was established and is run by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society and hosts a number of meetings throughout the year, from succession planning to debates about the Basic Payment Scheme and visits to see all sectors of the agricultural industry.

With harvest now in full swing and thankfully some early wheat and spring barley yield reports being more promising than the earlier winter barley and oilseed rape yields, it is now time to look forward into next season’s crops.

There have undoubtedly been many challenges through 2015/16, such as the vast amount of flooding and waterlogging over the winter months, which is one we hopefully don’t have to contend with too often.

Although my time in the industry has been relatively short compared to some, one thing I have learnt is that no two years are the same. The year ahead will certainly be different and it will bring challenges of its own. Some of those we will have encountered before such as volatility, the damn weather, the pesky flea beetle and the dreaded slugs.

The industry could also face many new challenges in the next coming years, post-Brexit.

Will we have to find a way to survive without subsidies? Will UK agriculture be a substantial player in the world market? Are we likely to see even more price volatility going forward? Will the British public be prepared to pay more for locally sourced food?

Though there is much uncertainty going forward and it would be very easy for this to fill us with doom and gloom, one thing that I’m sure of is that all of us within the industry now have a real chance to try and shape our future, to one where UK agriculture prospers.

I am sure we will face many hurdles over the next few years but with improvements to efficiency I have no doubt we will pave the way for a sustainable farming industry.

Rob Daniel is a member of the Future Farmers of Yorkshire group which was established by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society. The Society continues to support and run the organisation which brings together younger farmers, vets and industry supporters. [email protected]