Teenage arsonist handed £61 court bill for £1m barn fire
Farmers Weekly A teenage boy who started a barn fire that destroyed £1m of hay and machinery was ordered to pay £61. The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to arson and was sentenced at Oxford Youth Court on 1 February. Magistrates heard that the boy had been playing with two […]
Opinion: Control the controllable in uncertain times
Farmers Weekly “Milk price Armageddon is on the way,” screamed the headline on a recent dairy market bulletin. My stomach sank. I had already been hearing plenty of market signals that the milk price was likely to fall this spring. Although I understand that volatility is a fact of farming, it doesn’t mean I don’t […]
Derbyshire farmer pulls out of huge solar farm project
Farmers Weekly A farmer in Derbyshire has withdrawn his support for a huge solar farm after family members voiced opposition to the plans. The venture would have generated 163mW of electricity a year, enough to power 40,000 homes in the Midlands area. Plans also included a 37.5mW battery storage facility on a separate land area. […]
Essex police use loan tractor to spread rural crime message
Farmers Weekly A New Holland tractor has joined the ranks of Essex Police to encourage farmers to report more incidents of crime in the countryside. Farm machinery dealership Ernest Doe has loaned the police force one of its T6 tractors, manufactured by Basildon-based New Holland Agriculture, until the end of June. Essex Police’s Rural Engagement […]
Farmers Weekly Podcast Ep 142: Farming minister defends ag policies
Farmers Weekly This week, Defra farm minister Mark Spencer defends this government’s policies for agriculture. Mr Spencer insists the future is bright for farming – and says the industry must do more to export food and attract new entrants into the sector. We spoke to Mr Spencer at Harper Adams University, where farmers and students […]
Hants farmers encouraged to use app to report rural crime
Farmers Weekly Farmers and land managers in Hampshire are being urged to sign up to a new mobile phone-based app which shares intelligence on rural crime. The Hampshire Rural Crime Partnership Disc system is a free service that allows users to report crimes, such as hare coursing, livestock worrying and fly-tipping. Used by Hampshire and […]
Opinion: Why I’m bucking the trend and expanding my suckler herd
Farmers Weekly Hello and welcome to This Week in Farming, your catch-up on all the biggest news, views and features from Farmers Weekly. Here’s five of farming’s hottest topics from this week and a look ahead to what’s coming up in the next episode of the FW podcast. Dairy price cuts First the trickle, then […]
This Week in Farming: Dairy cuts, Italian sprayers and love
Farmers Weekly Hello and welcome to This Week in Farming, your catch-up on all the biggest news, views and features from Farmers Weekly. Here’s five of farming’s hottest topics from this week and a look ahead to what’s coming up in the next episode of the FW podcast. Dairy price cuts First the trickle, then […]