It was a true delight recently to join with more than 600 other farmers, advisers, suppliers and researchers in the field at Potatoes in Practice back in the field at last.

Despite significant issues in the industry, there was a highly positive vibe around the UK's largest in field potato demonstration. An event of which the James Hutton and Scotland can be justifiably proud. Euan Caldwell and his farms team and the JHI Events team, together with the sponsors Agrii, SRUC, and JHI, did a fantastic job in creating a stimulating and safe environment for exchange of ideas and knowledge.

Great to see so many familiar faces and hear of lots of new initiatives as the industry faces challenging times, not least as AHDB Potatoes winds up. Lots of discussions behind the scenes on what can be done to continue critical research and initiatives to safeguard the industry's future.

The launch of a new potato hub at JHI and the efforts by the 'Better Growers Group' with SSCR are worthy of note. If the English growers are too slow, then Scotland should pioneer ahead as it has done in farming many a time and oft over the decades.

Sad to hear of the end of the long-established and important potato storage work at Sutton Bridge, but good to hear that efforts are being made to continue such research. It is imperative that the seed industry at least progresses these initiatives. Time for Scotland to take a lead, if others hesitate. It takes a while for the flywheel of progress to slow down, but slowdown it will and they are a beggar to get going again.

A delight to hear from Prof Colin Campbell of the JHI's future firm commitment to this important practical event and meeting. Recently, we also had National Potato Day in the UK and promotion was rather poor.

Another flywheel that needs to be kept going to encourage consumers not to forget the humble spud, especially at a time of the year when there are delicious new offerings freshly dug from both field and garden.

It was great also to talk to Prof Ian Toth, who is making a great job of running the new Scottish Plant Health Centre (PHC), alongside his JHI research responsibilities, of a new initiative in a key area. A major new project has just been announced which will tackle potato cyst nematode (PCN) in potatoes and bulbs through the protection of clean land and the management of land already infested.

PCN is becoming an increasing existential challenge, with its presence in some fields across Scotland. It will be led by PHC and will receive £2.2m of Scottish Government funding over five years.

This is a firm signal from the Scottish Government that it believes the Scottish seed industry in particular is of strategic importance. A vote of confidence at a key time. It follows the PHC chaired working group set up in 2020 to identify a strategy to deal with PCN, with more than 50 industry, government and academic partners. The group published a report outlining key recommendations, which the new project will now undertake.

Good to see also a number of new crop protection products for potatoes in the pipeline from such as BASF with new seed treatments and the blight solutions.

Another welcome research development recently announced was from Rothamsted and the John Innes Institute in regard to the development of plant resistance to flea beetle being developed. Cabbage stem flea beetle has become a more significant problem for arable farmers growing oilseed rape since the 2013 EU ban on neonicotinoids, which were previously used as seed treatments to control the pest.

These pests can cause massive losses in the crop and in some areas of England is becoming an existential threat to an important break crop. We desperately need break crops from cereals in our IPM rotations going forward.

Another break crop under threat in England is that of sugar beet, this time from that new endemic agricultural pest LizTrussia. Her risible new report 'Green Trade', written by Vote Leave's Lord Hannan attempted to 'greenwash' global trade compared to UK agriculture. Dogma over data again.

Truss's efforts in establishing a new Australian trade deal, aided and abetted by champions of Brexit and cane sugar importers, Tate and Lyle, will damage the industry. It will likely result in cheaper foreign sugar imports undercutting our domestic industry. Remember that next time you are supermarket shopping.

The appalling scenes and aftermath in Afghanistan and the lacklustre performance, to be very kind, of both Raab and Johnson show the idea of a 'Global' Britain alone to be the myth many feared.

The worst foreign policy disaster in our lifetimes will diminish not only both our hard and soft power across the globe, but also our trustworthiness as a nation and damage our valuable reputation for probity, planning and good order. A reputation already damaged by bad faith over Brexit negotiations and N Ireland.

This will no doubt impact on future 'global' Britain trade deals. The obvious breakdown this week in the UK's special relationship with the US, together with disarray in NATO and with EU leaders will not be lost on Russia and China. Like the Taliban they both play the long game, as we have seen in Ukraine.

History will show last week to be a pivotal moment in the weakening of the West's global power, and the UK in particular. A turning point which will affect much more than just the agricultural economy and trade.

Trade between the UK and Ireland is still down around 30%, whilst from the Republic to NI has increased nearly 80%, at the expense of UK businesses. It appears that the Westminster Government seemed unaware of the possibility of burgeoning ferry links direct to the continent from Irish ports which are enjoying a Brexit dividend.

Their record on understanding the importance of ports for trade is yet another Raab moment. A man trying to achieve status of Grayling proportions it seems, but with greater loss of life. Few can spend £40k on a week's holiday unless with Branson, or Bezos! I hope he paid for it himself?

The pivoting of Irish supply chains at the expense of UK businesses is in contrast to the lack of development of supply chains between the UK and EU. As of October 1, sanitary and phytosanitary checks on goods from the EU, including meats, cheeses, eggs and also plant products, are scheduled to start.

The extra controls, which are a result of Brexit, will entail more paperwork in the form of health certificates and additional customs documentation.

The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has said that there is a lack of preparedness among fruit and vegetable suppliers regarding the new checks. The situation is also reportedly being made worse by staff shortages. A familiar story in haulage, farming and hospitality.

The checks were supposed to be implemented in April, but back in March, the government delayed their implementation by six months to allow companies to focus on 'getting back on their feet' after the pandemic. The FPC say that even trials of the UK’s new import IT infrastructure are yet to take place.

There is a lack of confidence that an efficient solution will be offered. That's critical, with 85% of fruit and 45% of veg being imported, with little prospect of domestic production filling any gap. Hopefully, courtesy of Mr Clarkson's admirable efforts, the UK public now understand the vagaries and challenges of farming a little better. Though it has not prompted a rush to fill harvest vacancies!

Sadly, the Government now finally admits in a statement that HGV driver shortages and by inference other shortages, are caused by Brexit and loss of freedom of movement. The appointment of Sir Beefy Botham as trade ambassador to Australia will not fill Scottish farmers with glee, I suspect. A new attack of LizTrussia?

Frictionless trade now replaced by tradeless friction. Project Fear is now Project Here.

Harvest continues well in Ukraine, with more than 80% of the breadbasket wheat now safely gathered in ahead of a likely new record harvest here. This week and in the coming 10 days or so, we will have had good temperatures and only the odd shower, so drying costs are low.

But, the weather is also favourable for both blight and alternaria, an increasing potato disease in UK. We are spraying the Ukrainian crops only at night time due to daytime heat, but our trial digs in our potato crops continue with promise and the first few hectares of Agrico's Riviera are grossing nearly 50 t/ha. Waste in Ukraine is much lower, as all fractions and sizes are utilised to their optimum and our consumers haven't yet forgotten how to peel them.

The downgrading of the Russian wheat harvest and weather issues in Canada and Brazil – the former due to heat and the latter, a series of unseasonal frosts damaging both corn and coffee – have had their effect. Wheat prices have been pushing the €255 per tonne in the September MATIF futures market.

Whilst this boost for wheat growers is very welcome, it should blind no one to the underlying challenges in the industry of removal of farm support in 2028, Brexit trade deals and, as Jim Walker put it eloquently in these pages, recently, a policy vacuum from Government which is crippling investment and forward planning. Still, the price rise is welcome to farmers, though less so for those in food poverty.

Talking to vineyard owners around Nuit St Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin and Beaune on the Cote d'Or, this week, they too were hit hard by the weather this year. April frosts and now recent intense rains and humid conditions have led to a mildew epidemic. French vineyard yields will be the lowest for many years, but not unprecedented, like the summer heat.

In 1911, more than 40,000 died in Paris in a heatwave. Despite this summer's heat in US, 1936 was still the hottest in the last century, as far back as reliable records go and a relatively short period in climate history.

The years 1901 and 1911 were also hotter than this year in the US, so outlandish claims of 2021 being the hottest year in human history are simply inaccurate. These were all years when CO2 levels were lower and yet weather, not climate, was hotter than now.

May the sun shine on your remaining harvest and may your grain lorries be in abundance and overflowing – within the haulage regulations!