Rachel Martin

Rachel Martin Profile Picture

Rachel Martin specialises in writing about agri-business, food production and dairying. Previously she worked as a business reporter at one of Northern Ireland’s biggest daily newspapers. In 2017, she was named one of IFAJ's 10 Young Leaders in Agricultural Journalism. She is currently secretary of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists in Northern Ireland. When she’s not writing, Rachel can usually be found in the milking parlour at home in Co. Down with her family's 130 cows.

First west Wales strategic dairy farm announced
First west Wales strategic dairy farm announced

Tyddyn yr Eglwys Farm in Pembrokeshire has been named as the first AHDB strategic dairy farm for west Wales. Managed...

Morrisons opens up beef supply chain to Arla 360 farmers
Morrisons opens up beef supply chain to Arla 360 farmers

In an industry first, supermarket chain Morrisons is to allow bull calves from dairy suppliers participating in the Arla UK...

Countryside Alliance chairman stands down amid Cabinet Office appointment
Countryside Alliance chairman stands down amid Cabinet Office appointment

Simon Hart has announced he will step down as chairman of the Countryside Alliance having been appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to...

RPA confirms overdue agri-environment claims have been fully paid
RPA confirms overdue agri-environment claims have been fully paid

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has confirmed today that eligible Countryside Stewardship (CS) and Environmental Stewardship (ES) customers have been...

Yorkshire man calls 999 fearing sheep would ‘eat his children’
Yorkshire man calls 999 fearing sheep would ‘eat his children’

Humberside Police has been forced to warn the public only to call 999 in genuine emergencies after a Yorkshireman phoned...

First Milk turnover increases by 7.8%
First Milk turnover increases by 7.8%

British dairy co-operative First Milk has increased its group turnover by 7.8%, according to its latest set of accounts. The Annual...

Metaldehyde slug pellet ban overturned following legal challenge
Metaldehyde slug pellet ban overturned following legal challenge

In an unprecedented move, the decision by the former Secretary of State for the Environment to ban metaldehyde slug pellet...

New UK border campaign tackles dangerous threat of African Swine Fever
New UK border campaign tackles dangerous threat of African Swine Fever

A new campaign has been launched today (July 31) at the UK’s border to help keep the deadly pig disease...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson to visit farm and meet Welsh farmers to talk Brexit
Prime Minister Boris Johnson to visit farm and meet Welsh farmers to talk Brexit

Farmers and food producers will continue to thrive in post-Brexit Britain – or at least that’s what the PM will...

‘Urgent action needed to protect the UK sheep industry’
‘Urgent action needed to protect the UK sheep industry’

With warnings of an ‘inevitability’ the UK will exit the EU without a deal on October 31, and talk of...

Historic Welsh mart latest casualty as farming faces yet more woes
Historic Welsh mart latest casualty as farming faces yet more woes

The shock announcement that the Cowbridge Mart is to close, leaving some farmers with a 45-mile trip to sell their...

Environmental credentials make Welsh Lamb a hit in Belgium
Environmental credentials make Welsh Lamb a hit in Belgium

New figures show that Welsh Lamb exports to Belgium have increased by 17% over the past two years, with the...

Volume of farmland marketed for sale in the UK reaches 5-year low
Volume of farmland marketed for sale in the UK reaches 5-year low

The volume of farmland which came to the open market in England during the first six months of the year...

Dessert parlour boom could give dairy a welcome boost
Dessert parlour boom could give dairy a welcome boost

A flurry of new dessert parlours across the UK could provide new and exciting opportunities for the dairy industry, according...

NSA set to host 5 regional summer workshops
NSA set to host 5 regional summer workshops

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has announced plans to host five impressive two-day workshops to include the reach of its...

Perthshire produce championed at foodie event
Perthshire produce championed at foodie event

Celebrity chefs Phil Vickery and Gary Maclean are set to showcase Perthshire’s finest produce at this year’s Perthshire on a...

FUW announces DPJ Foundation as next charitable cause
FUW announces DPJ Foundation as next charitable cause

The Farmers’ Union of Wales has committed to tackling rural mental health head-on, making the DPJ Foundation its chosen charity for...

Wild potato genes may be key to stronger spuds
Wild potato genes may be key to stronger spuds

New research suggests that limited genetic differences in potato lineages has left British and American spuds vulnerable to the disease...