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In week ended 5th January, the deadweight prime cattle average price levelled on the week at 365.0p/kg. read more

As domestic lamb continues to compete with increased volumes of cheaper imports and demand remains subdued, DW lamb prices eased in week ended 5th January. read more

World prices eased back towards the end of 2012 although remained at levels comparable to the same period in 2011. read more

Having shot to record levels during September and October, GB finished pig prices continued to rise in November and early December, albeit more slowly. read more

The GB weekly average price rose by £4.63/t to £227.93/t and the free-buy average fell by £4.45/t to £330.74/t. read more

Mid-January saw the release of much-anticipated information from the USDA in the form of world supply and demand estimates, US winter wheat plantings, final 2012 production estimates and quarterly stocks. read more

The USDA data set a bearish tone for oilseed markets with upward revisions to US and Brazilian crops. read more

UK malting barley export prices are at €245/t FOB (spring, South Coast) w/e 11th April. read more

The latest National Statistics produced by Defra on the activity of UK hatcheries and poultry slaughterhouses. read more

USDA’s latest quarterly stocks report, released on 28th September, estimated US maize stocks (at 1st September) at 25.1m t, down 12% on the same point in 2011 and the lowest since 2004. read more

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PAPERS

A Chinese farmer has smashed the world record for growing the biggest ever cucumber — with the help of horse dung. Akele Hi grew the monster veg, which is 5ft 7ins long and weighs 154lbs, on his vegetable patch in Hefei, southern China. He took the record from a Brit - Frank Dimmock, from Thame, Oxfordshire - whose cucumber reached a length of 3ft 5ins. Akele says he did nothing but water the plant and put the odd shovelful of horse dung on it. He added: "All the other cucumbers from the same packet grew to a normal size. But right in the middle of them this monster wouldn’t stop growing."

Wind farms, especially big ones, generate turbulence that can significantly alter air temperatures near the ground, say researchers. As turbines often stand on agricultural land, these changes could in turn affect crop productivity. To reduce this turbulence effect and therefore the impact on the ground temperature, journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the team suggest two possible solutions. One is changing the rotors - possibly a rather expensive strategy, but, argue the scientists, "designing new rotors that generate less turbulence in their wakes also increases the productivity of wind farms". And the second tactic would be moving the wind farm in question to a different site, with high natural turbulence.