I would like to offer a warm welcome to all readers to visit out stand on avenue H number 148 at the Highland Show. Or, as regular attendees of the show will understand, we are opposite the big house next to the flowers.

We will have Declan and Robert from the Farm Profit Programme on hand to answer all of your questions so feel free to bring any technical farm queries for the pair. Along with our focus farmers, they have worked hard this year to deliver an average increase in gross margin of £115/cow across the six businesses.

Every week, we have demonstrated how you don’t need to overhaul your business completely to have success, rather to question your farming assumptions and make steady improvements. If you have a moment please feel free to give feedback on the programme and how you have found it applies to your farm.

Phelim O’Neill will also be there over the weekend and will be delighted to give his insight into the meat market across the globe. Plus, with only months before we leave the EU you can get the latest from Phelim’s ringside seat to Brexit in Brussels.

We are also lucky to have Odile Evans back for Saturday and Sunday. There wasn’t a corner of the country she didn’t cover during her six-month stint with us so I know plenty of readers will want to catch up with her.

Newest team members

Finally, you will have a chance to meet our newest members of the team. Joining Sarah and myself are Helen, Emily and William. We are always keen for feedback on the paper and want to hear what you think about the words we put on the page. As a young and growing newspaper with a great team, we have the ability to adapt and shape the pages to suit the positive, progressive and practical farmer.

After a difficult spring and a long winter, farmers are due a break so, if you decide to head to Ingliston, then come in past our stand and you are guaranteed a warm welcome from the team and me.

Don’t get caught short this harvest

Strong barley and wheat prices for uncut crops are a tempting offer for many farmers. However, with little certainly on yields and quality it would be prudent to avoid any over-selling this harvest. If the weather breaks and crops are poor, then farmers could be short on contract obligations. This will force many to pay top prices for grain to fulfil orders in a market short of supply, potentially costing thousands.

The strong prices will be needed as the price of fuel has risen nearly 50% on the year and nitrogen seems to be rising every month. A £140 to £150 feed barley price will be unpopular with livestock finishers but for arable farmers it the sort of trade needed to keep their heads above water.