We explore some of the highlights and key themes of this year’s Cereals, including grain marketing advice, agricultural policy and the latest market outlook.

Cereals 2026 will bring the UK arable farming sector together for two days focused on the future of UK agriculture. We preview some of the highlights.

While “wait and see” may feel like a low-risk approach, it can leave you open to sudden market moves with very little flexibility. We look at the benefits of a more proactive marketing strategy.

Profit alone doesn’t tell the whole story. We look at different ways to review and improve your grain marketing strategy season after season.

With abundant supply depressing grain prices, does it make sense to carry old crop over to the new marketing year? And, if so, should you lock in a price on your stored grain by forward-selling now?

Realistic tonnages, reliable costs and clear targets provide the foundation for confident selling. We run through a quick checklist to make sure your new crop plan is in good shape.

Many farmers are starting to price a portion of their 2026 crop, hoping to capture short-term price spikes in an otherwise oversupplied market. So is it time to sell your new crop?

Before you build a detailed selling schedule, it’s worth stepping back to think about your higher-level strategy – and whether it genuinely suits both your business and your personality.

January is the perfect time to make clear decisions about both your unsold grain and your new crop. Each crop faces different market conditions and should serve different strategic goals within your business.

Selling your crop forward can be a good option when prices are low, but how can you work out whether the carry is enough to cover your extra costs for holding on to your crop?

Prices move all year round, and a broader, 12-month or even 24-month approach to selling can help spread risk and improve your long-term returns.

A good grain marketing plan helps you sell at the right time, for the right price, to meet your business needs. It brings structure to your sales decisions, helping you manage risk and secure long-term profitability.

Arable farmers and City traders might seem worlds apart. Yet both professions tackle the same challenge: managing risk in a volatile world. So what can farmers learn from those who make a living from mastering the markets?

If you’ve ever found yourself taking whatever price your regular merchant offers – just to get the job done – you’re not alone. For most UK arable farmers, getting a fair grain price can feel like more hassle than it’s worth.

Prices might feel a long way off when you’re planning next year’s crop, but it’s never too early to lock in value and control your risk. Forward-selling isn’t just for harvest-ready grain – it’s a year-round tool for strategic grain marketing.

Even in a tough market, the fundamentals of good grain marketing remain the same. As attention turns to next year’s harvest cycle, how can you promote stability rather than speculation?

With rising input costs and pressure on grain prices, knowing your cost of production is key if you want to stay in control of your margins. We look at how to calculate the breakeven price for each crop you grow.

How do you know if you’re being offered a fair price for your grain? If you can’t be sure, you could be missing out on pounds per tonne, which quickly mounts up to thousands of lost income across your crop.

A clear marketing plan doesn’t guarantee you’ll always get the top price, but it does help you protect your bottom line, while taking the emotion out of your grain-selling decisions.

We’re committed to helping farmers get the best possible price for their grain. But exactly how much more could you really be earning? We look at three ways to measure the benefit of selling grain through Hectare Trading.