Farming from Afar with Zoom and CCTV

In contrast to relatively cool conditions in Scotland, in Ukraine the temperatures have been at the higher end of our summer spectrum. 
Whilst we have had a wet June, with some heavy thunderstorms, we have also had daytime temperatures of up to 32oC, both speeding growth and disease risk. 
Our protein pea crops are growing with vigour in these conditions and nodulation is good, even on our regenerated fields. 
The blight pressure on our potatoes has been very high, particularly on the more susceptible varieties for processing. 
Despite the showers and heat stimulating growth and disease, and daytime heat restricting us to night time spraying only, we have kept up to date with blight spraying. We are using more robust sprays, such as Zorvec and Revus Top at seven day intervals. With our long-term contract storage strategy for much of our crop, we need to keep on top of our game and win the battle in normal time, we have no desire to go to extra time or penalties on this one! 
Our starch crop potatoes are bulking well in the excellent conditions and the foundations are now well laid and steelwork going up rapidly for our new starch factory. Our Swedish starch line is planned for installation start in August. 
Our new potato store is now almost completed, just as the current one is being emptied of the last high quality potatoes for our grateful processing customers. The local team have done an excellent job in our first harvest and storage year, potatoes for us a twelve month crop, whether in ground or store. Our waste potatoes aimed at our starch plant too, in our zero waste business strategy. Farming from Afar has been aided by satellite imagery, Zoom and CCTV cameras.
Our sunflowers and maize have also benefitted from the good growing conditions, as have the cereal crops throughout Ukraine. 
We held a visit of the Ukrainian Potato Association and regional and national dignitaries on site this month, and all were astonished by our fast development to Ukraine’s leading processing potato producer. With timber prices going up in Ukraine by 50%, despite its forestry resources in the West, the cost of our potato boxes for long-term storage have risen. 
Fertiliser and seed costs have risen too. Despite earlier fears after a hard winter for wheat crops it looks like a new Ukrainian record this season. 
In recent days both Russian and Ukrainian wheat harvests have been upgraded again, which is already having an impact on global wheat prices. For the first time since we started farming there 16 years ago, there may be a slight surplus of potatoes, but this may well help the establishment of our biodegradeable starch packaging initiative. 
The winter barley harvest is well underway and even in the drier areas in the south, yields are above expectation. 
On July 1, the new land sale regulations in Ukraine came into force when parcels of up to 100ha can be sold between Ukrainians. Purchase prices range between $2000 and 4000 per ha dependent on quality of the land. Rental values are gradually increasing too, but this is some of the most productive soil on the planet. 
Our land acquisition strategies are well advanced for this and subsequent years. Whilst land prices are much higher in the UK, they still represent good value. As I have said for many years, I have spent more per square metre on Christmas wrapping paper, used it once and thrown it away. 
The rise in marginal land prices in the UK for tree planting is rather a concern, as this is driven by the new Klondike of carbon subsidies funded by our taxes not the real market. In a post Covid world can we afford such misguided largesse? It is also a harbinger of doom for rural communities, already threatened by the Brexit trade deals driven more by voter optics than good value for the UK economy.
The seed potato war continues with DEFRA’s announcement to stop the import of EU seed potatoes in a “tit for tat” move. Far better if the problem hadn’t arisen in the first place due to political posturing which prevailed against a more sensible single market strategy. 
I have personally noted the poorer selection and availability of fruit and vegetables on at least two major supermarket shelves in recent weeks. Partly as a result of a 60,000 'missing' HGV drivers  in the UK. Brexit the gift that keeps on taking.
Still on the carbon capture timber front replacing hill livestock, I am always bemused and annoyed by the internal lack of logic in the organic/regenerative-vegan-carbon capture triangle of virtue signaling. Many who expound an organic approach also promote a vegan/no meat approach and also a carbon capture litany. They fail to see the contradiction in this approach.  
Organic and regenerative farming is dependent on animal manures, in most instances, to maintain fertility and avoid 'mining' the soil nutrients. I have yet to see an organic manure system which doesn’t involve an animal, an animal that would be uneconomic to maintain just as a provider of manure! 
At the same time grass fed livestock, as recent research has shown, provides a valuable carbon sink, as well as landscape natural capital. Yet the very policies that are supposed to be driving carbon capture with forestry will drive farmers and communities from our more disadvantaged areas. 
Areas where shallow soils and climate preclude the growth of soya crops and any other arable crop in favour of struggling livestock enterprises. Never mind the use of heavy metal pesticides or poorer carbon capture in organic crops, nor food miles implications. 
A third major meta analysis of hundreds of independent studies has also now shown that organic food is no healthier than conventional food.  An impossible triangle to square in my opinion and you will hurt your eyes searching for joined up thinking or logic. It is a time of great change with both major threats and some opportunities in agriculture.  
I was delighted to be invited to give a talk on the opportunities presented by new technology at the recent Cereals 2021 event in Lincolnshire. The first major field event this year. Don’t forget our own Scottish Potatoes in Practice field event at JHI’s Balruddery Farm, Dundee on August 12. A real event for the Scottish industry to catch up with each other and industry trends.
Whilst those who know me know that I am a great proponent of good new technology and that I am a rational optimist by nature. My talk was entitled 'Drains or Drones-Froth or Profit?' For many growers in these risky times it will be more important to concentrate on the fundamentals and basics, such as drains and good seedbeds, rather than rushing into the latest fad. Gae canny! 
I am concerned at the froth around many 'new' technologies such as biostimulants, novel crops, robot tractors, drone driven agronomy or the unproven claims for regenerative farming. Much of the AgTech froth is driven by what I term a 'Pump and Dump' approach where startup share prices are driven up by unrealistic claims, which create a false 'value' for some Agtech propositions. This allows a highly profitable stock market launch or trade sale for the founders, but not necessarily the later shareholders or customers. These unrealistic claims then unravel over time, leading to disappointment. 
Unless an innovation is independently proven to give a hard credible benefit in the field, then hold fire on investing your hard won profits in it. Who will independently test new technology, if we lose AHDB resources?
By contrast here are some new and exciting developments within plant breeding with publication in Nature last week of new options provided in potato breeding. 
The discovery of the gene for self compatability will allow non GMO hybrid breeding in potatoes. This Dutch discovery enables diploid breeding, rather than the current tetraploid, will allow production of hybrid potatoes from healthier true seed rather than bulky seed tubers. 
The use of this new self compatability gene will allow faster selection of varieties with better taste, improved water efficiency and disease resistance. It may have impact on the breeding of other solanaceous crops such as tomato, pepper and aubergine, as well as the Scottish seed industry in due course. 
To this milestone should be added the launch of a new GMO cowpea in Nigeria doubling yields in a troubled country and the developments around Kernza grass, a perennial wheatgrass cousin of annual wheat. Its seed can be used in beer or as a wholegrain replacement for barley. With a perennial Kernza wheat will seedbeds be a thing of the past in the future? 
As with all new offerings on farm Caveat emptor-Buyer Beware is timeless advice. All that glisters is not always Golden! Be a Rational Optimist.