Cereals 2026 – a guide to this year's event

Taking place on 10-11 June, Cereals will showcase the latest developments in arable agronomy, machinery, technology, and business advice from more than 650 exhibitors, with the show offering live demonstrations, two days of seminar programmes, and several hundred individual crop plots on display.

Cereals firsts

This year sees Cereals move away from its usual venues in eastern England to the Cotswolds holding of broadcaster-turned-farmer Jeremy Clarkson.

This will be most westerly site for Cereals ‘in almost 50 years since the first Barley ’79 in Cirencester’, Gloucestershire, according to organisers.

Another first for Cereals 2026 is a new Livestock Zone, sponsored by Nofence, that is being introduced alongside an Organic Agronomy Area. Showgoers can discover how to integrate livestock into arable rotations, building soil health and yields while boosting business resilience.

With more than 650 exhibitors, Cereals promises everything a farmer needs to be more productive, efficient and profitable – from seeds to drills and sprayers, crop varieties, fertiliser or finance.

The event facilitates knowledge exchange through  live demonstrations and dedicated exhibitor zones covering agronomy, technology and precision farming, machinery, business, regenerative farming, harvest and post-harvest land management.

And there are opportunities to top up CPD points from BASIS and NroSo, besides gaining practical knowledge.

The agronomy zone

From regenerative agriculture to drought-tolerant varieties and low carbon rotations, Cereals will highlight practical, science-backed approaches to help farmers adapt cropping systems to a changing climate, while mitigating environmental impacts.

The Agronomy Zone features almost 50 exhibitors and countless crop plots, and will cater for those who are exploring new approaches, or tackling disease and nutrient imbalances. 

It showcases everything from the latest mainstream crops to alternative varieties and strategies, with competitions and some fascinating insights into how technology will transform farming in the 
years to come.

Charlie Ireland, a Ceres Rural partner, has been working with farm contractor Kaleb Cooper and the Cereals team to establish the crops on this cool, hilltop site that is 650ft above sea level. Mr Ireland says the more westerly location for Cereals this year ‘might open it up to a slightly different audience’, and he believes the crops will be in good condition for the show. “The team think this land has a bit ore body in it than most of the soils that they have in the East. The crops today are proof of this and they’re looking good.”

NFU members: Get your free ticket and see the full agenda for the NFU stand at: Get your member-exclusive free ticket to Cereals.

Highlights in the Agronomy Zone this year include:

Defra/SFI action plots

hanks to sponsorship from United Oilseeds and Grainseed, Defra has a series of plots demonstrating SFI (Sustainable Farming Incentive) actions, from birdseed to cover crops, pollen and nectar, floristic margins and herbal leys. An Agrisound acoustic monitor will pick up the sound of visiting insects and aid species identification, helping to measure how attractive the plots are to pollinators.

To locate the SFI action plots, listen for buzzing and look for colourful plantings of borage, linseed and sunflowers. Mark Taylor, a senior Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer for Yorkshire, says: “Cereals will be a great opportunity for farmers to talk to us around the agronomy and how to get the best out of these plots.”

Ceres Rural

Ceres Rural is bringing a dynamic mix of technical expertise and demonstration plots, while managing the Student Crop Plot Challenge once again. Challenge teams from six agricultural universities, must manage a plot of Skyfall wheat, making a series of agronomic recommendations.

Winners will not only be judged on the appearance of the crop at Cereals, but also on their decision making, communication and team collaboration.

Besides taking all the agronomic decisions with their crop of Skyfall wheat, the youngest, Jack-Stanley Winder, a first-year, will get to trade wheat futures this coming autumn as part of the challenge.

Rothamsted Research

Visitors to the Rothamsted plot can view a new gene-edited barley, the first crop to receive a Precision Bred Organism (PBO) marketing notice confirmation through the UK’s new regulatory pathway for precision breeding. The barley is a high-energy forage crop  for ruminant livestock that could improve feed efficiency while reducing methane emissions.

Niab

Niab has more than 25 crop species across 130 plots on its stand and its neighbouring Soil Hole exhibit. Hear how its science is helping farmers improve crop performance, resilience and sustainability, in rapidly changing conditions. The Soil Hole provides a view of some of Niab’s varieties from above and below ground. 

Outside the Agronomy Zone, showgoers can access Cereals’ informational and technical features such as the Seed to Shelf Stage, sponsored by KWS; the BASE-UK Regenerative Ag Stage, sponsored by Tees Law; a Young Farmers’ Programme, sponsored by Michelmores; the Syngenta Sprays and Sprayers Arena and other working demonstrations.