Orion Farming Monthly Newsletter September 2025

Orion Farming Group
Aug 24
9 min read

Updated: Aug 29

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Orion September Update

Harvest seems to be largely finished, with very variable yields being the topic of conversation. Many people are also saying it could have been worse. Oilseed rape seemed to be better than expected, and proteins in group 1 wheats held up well. A mixed bag, following the driest season many of us can remember.

Thoughts are now turning to autumn planting.

Crop Chemicals

An initial look at our fungicide purchases through Orion this season shows a big switch to cheaper generic programmes, including tebuconazole and azoxystrobin. Overall spend looks as though it was around 30-40% below where it usually is.

We have secured a number of early order extra discounts on a range of autumn products. You will need to place an order by 12th September. Please ask Shelley for details.

Crystal, the herbicide, will no longer be manufactured; however, Orion has access to a limited stock. If you're considering using it in autumn 2025, please order now to secure it.

Fertiliser

There is concern in the industry that because farmers are leaving buying fertiliser to the end of the year or early spring, there could be a repeat of last year – where there was low stock and limited transport, meaning delivery was late. It could be worth getting your fertiliser on the farm before the end of December.

Global urea production remains below target, so a price decline seems unlikely currently. Ammonia prices have also increased, which has raised ammonium nitrate prices across Europe and the UK. Phosphate prices remain firm, driven by higher ammonia costs in DAP and reduced exports from East Asia. This has made procurement more challenging for the UK, with stock levels remaining low. Potash prices are stable to firm.

Seed

I have seen more interest and purchasing of OSR seed than last year, possibly a reflection of better-than-expected yields this harvest and a perceived decrease in SFB pressure. We have all the varieties available, please ask.

There is still strong demand for group 1 wheat varieties, especially the newer ones. Some oat varieties are getting short, especially Miscani. With little new in the winter bean variety list, Vespa still seems to be the go-to variety of choice.

People

Good people in a business make it a great business. Finding the right people, keeping them, training them, helping them to enjoy their job, getting them to be an ambassador for your business, and keeping them safe is so difficult to get right. In the next three newsletters, I want to cover areas of working with people to get right for your farm and highlight some of our suppliers who can support you with this.

But first and foremost, the most important person is you. However, you will often be the last person on your list that you look after. The recent months and years have been very difficult and coping with the mental strain can take its toll. All the evidence shows that just talking to someone about it really helps but talking to people you are close to can be very hard. If you don’t already know about them, I would like to introduce a brilliant, locally based organisation that really understands:

RABI, the farmers' charity.

The RABI is an Oxfordshire-based national charity that works tirelessly to uplift and support farming people through practical, financial, and emotional assistance. Talking to someone who understands the issues you face can help make a positive difference. This is why RABI introduced a free counselling service for farming people.

Since launching at the beginning of 2022, take-up of our mental health counselling has exceeded forecasts by over 15 times. Working with BACP-registered, farming-focused trained counsellors, we ensure that our farming community can access support quickly and without barriers.

This free service provides:

No need for a clinical referral
Support delivered by trained professionals who understand how tough farming can be
Confidential support available in a place where you feel comfortable, by telephone or video conferencing
Freely available to all farming people

Whenever you are ready to talk, call our freephone 24/7 helpline – 0800 188 4444. Alternatively, you can email counselling@rabi.org.uk

New suppliers who could be useful for you;

Kee Services.

Complete wastewater treatment solutions for domestic and industrial sites. www.keeservices.com Charles Cooper. Direct Dial: 07483 332444

Stuart Group

A leading generator and pump supply and hire company. https://www.stuartgroup.co.uk/ 01953 454540 enquiries@stuartgroup.info

Stuart Goodinson, Orion General Manager

Autumn Nutrition

The unpredictability of weather these last few years has highlighted the importance of giving all crops the very best start we can. This typically begins with autumn nutrition, a helping hand placed around the seed to improve rate, and quality, of germination. Yield potential is set from the early establishment days so, helping the plants to help themselves, through provided nutrition, improves resilience to pests and diseases from the start of its life cycle. Your first line of defence.

There are a handful of ways to introduce nutrition to a growing seed, liquid applicators, seed washes and seed spraying, are amongst the most common. One farm successfully implementing autumn nutrition is Claude Lay &Partners, of Abingdon. For the past two years manganese, AF phosphorus, AF Nurture N and AF Consortium have been applied in early October. This promotes several key growth stages, including phosphorus for quick root production, manganese for photosynthesis, and Consortium for delivering plant growth promoting rhizobacteria into the soil biome. All of this is aided by the addition of Nurture N, a humic and fulvic product specifically designed for improving uptake of itself, and other nutritional inputs, directly into the plant, ensuring you get the most out of your application.

Biology plays a huge role in accessing nutrients for the plant and creating an improved soil environment. Forming these beneficial relationships between the seed and soil are vital for that early germination. Those home saving seed, incorporating biology into a seed drench is even more motivating when we consider that nutritional and microbial inputs lead to improved seed quality for the next crop through an enhanced microbiome within the seed. Long-term influencing the development of its daughter seeds… an investment if you will.

Claude Lay & Partners then continue nutrition applications in early spring with AF Silicon, AF Phosphorus, and AF Multiextra, trace elements, which is applied at key timings through the season with the help of tissue analysis.

Cefetra Market Summary

Late August 2025

This year’s harvest has seen the earliest finish on record for many farms, certainly in the Midland regions – with an exceptionally early start and only one real interruption due to rainfall. The effect of lack of moisture this Spring has been evident in most crop yields, except for OSR perhaps which may be the saving grace for many. Some crops on heavy ground have been okay, but I expect we will be down anywhere from 10-30% on grain yields on average in the Midlands. Things are not as bad further South, East or North and I believe Scotland are reporting record yields, albeit with some screenings issues in the malting barley. Lower yields have resulted in higher proteins in the wheat, so the pass rate for Group 1’s and 2’s is exceptionally high, which has of course seen milling premiums fall. The year that keeps on giving!

Farmer retention remains high at the lower market levels and wheat cash premiums vs futures have stretched out to try to bring material forward. However, with LIFFE wheat futures continuing to slide day after day, it’s unfortunately not making much difference to physical values.

Large global supply and forecasted stocks of wheat and corn continue to weigh on the markets. At this time of year, you might assume the fall in values would also be down to harvest pressure, but with yields and values where they are, there has been very little farmer selling.

We are beginning to see slower Russia exports, which is due to a combination of low values, high farmer retention, and increased inspections at ports. The latter is potentially becoming more of an issue, with export pace notably slower in some regions and a backlog of vessels building up at inspection points amidst the ongoing conflict. At time of writing, wheat futures have bounced slightly from recent contract lows. This could be partly down to the above but is also likely to be the market taking a breather, with some profits being taken after yet another steep decline over the past couple of weeks.

Funds remain close to record short in wheat futures based on the current outlook/fundamentals. With such a big percentage of the open interest being held by speculators, the potential for volatility remains high if the narrative changes.

So, what could help grain values out?

Increase in Chinese imports, especially if they have had a poor corn harvest due to lack of moisture (unconfirmed)
US/China Trade deal
Continued slow Russia exports due to new inspection rules at ports
Fund short covering
Poor EU Corn yields

In summary, current fundamentals are not supportive for grain values globally – trade deals/tariffs could change that for the likes of the US, but EU S+D’s are likely to remain heavy regardless of Geopolitical issues. BUT as I have said, the potential for upward volatility is still there with speculative funds as short as they are. We could end up seeing technical, short lived spikes when funds buy back some positions, before the bearish fundamentals prevail. A very tricky market.

Josef Grinczer, Senior Farm Grain Buyer & Committed Grains Assistant Manager

M: 07712 325197, E: grinczer@cefetra.co.uk

Certified for Organic Systems

As proud members of the Orion Farming Group network, we're excited to share some big news from the team at SmartFert Ltd. Two of our sustainable fertiliser products (which are part of the bulk range) have recently received organic approved by Organic Farmers & Growers CIC (OF & G).

This marks a key milestone in our mission to support regenerative and low-input agriculture by turning nutrient-rich low value residues into high-performance, circular fertilisers. Through advanced processing techniques, we recover and stabilise essential macro- and micronutrients, creating products that enhance nutrient use efficiency and soil biological activity.

We're also proud to be leading an Innovate UK-supported research project focused on developing the next generation of green fertilisers, particularly Recovered Phosphate Fertilisers (RPFs) and Alternative Phosphorus Fertilisers (APFs). The goal is to create practical, high-performing alternatives that support soil health, low-carbon farming, and the transition away from conventional chemical fertilisers.

Through this work, we're aiming to make regenerative, circular inputs more accessible — helping more farmers adopt sustainable practices without compromising on performance.

Coming Soon...

We're also currently developing a high-nitrogen fertiliser which will further expand our green offering later next year. If you're interested in tailored fertiliser solutions, OF&G approved inputs, or discussing potential collaborations, we'd love to hear from you.

We offer a selection of nutrient rich bulk, granular (2-5mm) and micronised (0.5-2mm) products suitable for a wide range of arable crops. These can also be custom blended to meet the specific nutrient needs of different crops or systems. If you're interested in tailored fertiliser solutions, OF&G approved inputs, or discussing potential collaborations, we'd love to hear from you.

For more product specific information visit our website today!

Supplier Promotions during August

Orion Members can use the Orion App to see all the latest Supplier Promotions.

TVE have posted details of their new Bobcat Online Parts Shop and summarised in this 1 min video.

Compound feed

Just a quick reminder that the new compound feed tender year started on the 1st September. GLW is the supplier for both Areas A and B. As stated in last month’s newsletter, the supply of compound feed by GLW will now be an ongoing arrangement rather than the Group inviting suppliers to submit a tender each year and by doing this, it’s hoped that GLW will have better opportunities to purchase their raw materials when the markets are more favourable. If you haven’t purchased compound feed from GLW in the past, you will need to complete their delivery form, a copy of which can be requested from the office.

Orders can be placed with their customer service department, 01509 501801 and then option 1, or through the Orion office. For all technical support, please contact Geoff Homewood on 07974 684753. GLW can also supply compound feed in 1T tote bags, which attracts a further £15/T off the bagged price.

Molasses

The current tender period for molasses ends on the 30th September and although prices haven’t yet been sought for the winter period, there is a possibility that prices may rise. With this in mind and if you’re in a position to do so, it might well be a good idea to fill your tank before the end of the month. Please don’t leave it until the 11th hour, because deliveries can take up to 5 working days.

Minerals

When ordering minerals, either bespoke or the standard Group spec and whilst the supplier stated that deliveries would be 7-8 working days, it has now become apparent that of late they can take up to two weeks to be delivered, so please bear this in mind and place your order in plenty of time.

Feed supplements

Certain feed supplements and fats are available in tote bags and attract an extra £10 discount over bagged prices. If tote bags would fit into your feeding regime and you’d like to take advantage of the additional saving, please state this when placing your order.

And finally, totally irrelevant but quite interesting facts of the month………

People with a rare genetic disorder known as ‘immigration delay disease’ have no fingerprints and Manchester United Induced Addisonian Crisis is a rare medical condition involving heart palpitations during Man Utd games.