Two leading UK institutes have joined forces with food retailer Waitrose to establish a new centre, aimed at helping the UK farming and food sector to meet increasing challenges in food production and sustainability.

Called the Centre of Excellence for UK Farming, or CEUKF, the new centre will provide a network of expertise to help ensure that the best information and advice on developments in science, innovation and practical know-how are accessible to provide real benefits across the supply chain.

The Chair of an influential agricultural parliamentary group has highlighted the enormous potential of East Anglia’s agricultural research and life sciences sectors on a visit to the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) in Cambridge.

George Freeman, Conservative MP for Mid-Norfolk and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture, visited NIAB as part of his drive to unlock the east of England’s significant strengths in agricultural research and food science.

The 2011 NIAB TAG Outlook Conference will focus on the impact of the global food security challenge on UK farm businesses and the need for continued investment in agricultural science.

THURSDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2011, 9.30-3.00PM

Closing the yield gap: free workshop on innovation and technology for arable farmers

Arable farmers are invited to a free Farming Futures workshop on 1st February to explore what the latest innovation, science and technology could mean for your farm. The workshop will look to unpick the latest developments in plant science and consider its role for helping farmers feed a growing population in a climate changed world.

NIAB chief executive Dr Tina Barsby has welcomed the central conclusion in the Global Food and Farming Futures Foresight report that Governments around the world must increase investment in agricultural research and development to meet the food demands of a growing world population.

Dr Barsby called on the UK Government to lead the way in targeting funding for research to improve yields, disease-resistance and climate resilience of key crops, and to support the sustainable intensification of agriculture using the most advances technologies and practices.

Richard Macdonald and Andrew Kuyk have been appointed as members of the NIAB Board.

Former NFU Director General Richard Macdonald currently chairs Defra’s Better Regulation Task Force. Andrew Kuyk is the Food and Drink Federation’s Director of Sustainability and Competitiveness. He was previously a senior official at Defra.

NIAB Board Chairman Tony Pexton said:

Grain maize lodging and brackling at the Shipdham grain
maize trial in 2010

The stormy conditions in late October and November, followed by recent cold weather, has provided valuable updates to variety lodging and brackling scores for the new 2011 NIAB Grain Maize Descriptive List.

Four crop science students have won an industry award for outstanding achievement in their studies.

NIAB TAG’s Agricultural Science Student Education Training (ASSET) programme is a joint initiative with four leading crop science universities; Reading, Harper Adams, Newcastle and Nottingham, aimed at encouraging more students into the plant science sector.

Scientists at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) have identified the genes that encode important visible differences in barley. The breakthrough is a major step forward in unravelling the genetic determinants controlling traits including yield, quality and disease resistance.