With Christmas on the horizon and a fresh year ahead, we sat down with Vaughn Stansfield, Country Manager (UK and Ireland) at UPL, to reflect on the challenges farmers and growers have faced over the last twelve months.
“Well, it’s been an interesting year, hasn’t it?” says Vaughn.
We’ll say. Costs and climate had a big impact on crop protection and production this year, as is always the case, but there’s little doubt that 2023 brought its own set of unique threats and challenges to deal with.
Economic factors front and centre
When we entered 2023, macroeconomic factors were on everyone’s mind, as energy costs remained high and inflation continued to drive prices up across the board.
“Production cost challenges have always been a key concern for our growers,” says Vaughn, “this year especially so. But there were high hopes that we’d see high yields to offset that rise in input costs.”
But looking across all crops, yields were relatively average this year.
Some crops fared worse than others.
Championing support for our potato growers
Potato growers up and down the country will be glad to see the back of 2023, given the wet October and November they’ve seen. (On the back of the wettest July on record!)
“There was some good news for potato growers initially with the price of potatoes increasing in the latter half of 2022, early 2023, but there’s no doubt at all of the challenges they’re facing right now, with fields swamped and several areas still not being able to harvest the crop.”
Although tubers are going into store in variable conditions, there is a glimmer of light for potato growers - the impact of FAZOR.
“We’ve been getting great feedback and great results on the levels of performance that FAZOR has delivered in controlling sprouting this year, and it could make a real difference for costs. By delaying in-store intervention for as long as possible, it reduces input costs and saves growers money.
Although growers will still need to manage storage carefully, moving some parts of the crop early, if necessary, to avoid storage losses, the success of FAZOR shows just how important an integrated approach to crop management is. A principle extended with the option to use ARGOS in store, where needed.
That’s something UPL will continue to champion in 2024, as we have done this year.
It’s why we continue to defend mancozeb, available in MANZATE 75 WG and NAUTILE DG, as key multisite fungicide for use in effective blight control programs.
It’s why we stepped up to sponsor The Fight Against Blight Project this year, and why we hosted Dr. David Cooke, from the James Hutton Institute on our stand at British Potatoes 2023.
“Looking ahead to 2024, having the likes of MANZATE and NAUTILE in a grower’s arsenal will be more important than ever, as new resistant strains have been identified in Northern Europe”.
Although it hasn’t been detected in the UK yet, combatting the risk next year will be a key consideration.
Protecting your investment in cereal crops
Risk versus reward is an equation well known to cereal crop growers, as 2023 was a year filled with difficult choices over when to sow, when to spray and when to harvest.
A wet start to the year saw lots of rust and disease in cereal crops, but thankfully conditions dried up at T2 spraying stage. Those crops which had been treated with IODUS did well.
“IODUS proved to be a great asset once again, as when it’s applied at T0, it delivers benefits from application right through to flag leaf.”
“It’s going to be important again next year as a part of any fungicide program.”
Alongside IODUS sits THIOPRON, which is another innovative product from UPL’s Natural Plant Protection Range. It’s highly rated by Vaughn and the whole UPL team.
“As a multisite fungicide THIOPRON is sustainable, it’s cost effective, it’s been carefully developed for maximum impact. Most importantly, it’s been proven in the field time and again. We’ve seen great practical results over the last three years, and 2023 was no exception.
That was the good news. The bad news this year came with the recent - seemingly never-ending - wet weather.
Planting for winter wheat is down by around 25% according to the latest industry reports, and those crops which were sown will have very difficult establishment conditions. There’s a lot of speculation over what to expect in 2024.
“Increasing margins over input will be critical in 2024, and focusing on tried, tested and cost effective disease control options will be essential,” says Vaughn.
“Thankfully we have the robust solutions that growers can deploy and we’re always here to support that integrated approach to disease management.”
The support UPL gives growers to protect their investment in crops is clear as we look forward to 2024. With a reduced winter wheat crop, growers are looking to drill empty fields with more spring cereals. But that won’t be easy with most certified seed - especially spring barley - virtually sold out.
“As growers turn to farm-saved spring seed, we’ve already been looking ahead,’ says Vaughn. “We’ve made sure we have one of the strongest, most effective seed treatment products - RANCONA i-MIX - available and ready to supply an increase in demand for spring barley seed.”
Looking forward, driving innovation, supporting sustainability
Looking to the future is what we do best at UPL, and nowhere is that more evident than at our Shray Hill research centre, the only one of its kind in the UK.
Despite the weather this year, Shray Hill has been a big success both in terms of the trials we’ve run and the visitors we’ve had. VITALROOT showed incredible promise in our biostimulant trials last season, and in June we had our first Open Day and welcomed hundreds of farmers, growers and agronomists to see our products in action.
We’re already planning an even bigger event for 2024, and registration is now open.
“Our Shray Hill site is just one example of how UPL has invested in UK agriculture in 2023 and 2024. It shows how we’re putting sustainability at the heart of everything we do.”
Sustainability that’s focused on cost-effective, profitable farming. Sustainability that’s supporting growers while meeting the challenges of new environmental goals.
“Sustainability and profits are not mutually exclusive,” says Vaughn. “We’re making sure the two are complementary, both today and in the future.”
Predictions for 2024?
So what does the future hold for growers? What will 2024 look like for our crops?
“It will be challenging,” says Vaughn, “but we will overcome. 2024 will have its own set of challenges, just like every year, but we know that we can tackle them together, with the right set of tools and a comprehensive, integrated crop management plan.”
Exactly.
“While 2023 was a tough year, and 2024 promises more of the same, growers remain committed to their crops and their industry, and at UPL, we remain committed to growers.”
Whatever next year throws at us, we’ll all be ready to flex and adapt with the help and support that our growers deserve.
