Farming in Protected Landscapes gets £10m boost
Farmers Weekly The Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme has been extended by Defra until March 2025 with an additional £10m in funding due to be provided each year. The move is intended to accelerate and enhance support for farms in national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), and to boost access for […]
Defra rapped for lack of action on seed potato exports to EU
Farmers Weekly Defra has been accused of being “asleep at the wheel” on the issue of seed potato exports to the EU. English, Scottish and Welsh seed potato growers have been unable to export to the EU since 2021, after the bloc denied access to the market over concerns about the product remaining aligned with […]
New border control regime poses biosecurity risk
Farmers Weekly Industry figures have warned the government’s new food border control regime poses a biosecurity risk. While the UK was a member of the EU, it relied upon a team of European assessors who were regularly dispatched – at considerable cost – to trading partners such as Brazil and New Zealand to carry out […]
Public urges government to back NFU call for self-sufficiency
Farmers Weekly Defra has announced plans to make advance payments to farmers in England who enter its Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) this year after the launch of the new scheme was pushed back into September. The 2023 SFI scheme will open for applications online on Monday 18 September in a “controlled rollout” involving only a […]
Defra to fast-track SFI 2023 payments before year end
Farmers Weekly Defra has announced plans to make advance payments to farmers in England who enter its Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) this year after the launch of the new scheme was pushed back into September. The 2023 SFI scheme will open for applications online on Monday 18 September in a “controlled rollout” involving only a […]
Think tank challenges ‘pro-organic bias’ at the BBC
Farmers Weekly Scientists at a sustainable farming think tank have submitted a complaint to the BBC about alleged pro-organic farming bias. Science for Sustainable Agriculture (SSA) has written to BBC director general Tim Davies to challenge “misleading and factually inaccurate assertions” in relation to farming in the BBC’s online Bitesize revision guides aimed at GCSE […]
Stark warning as hare coursing season gets under way
Farmers Weekly Scientists at a sustainable farming think tank have submitted a complaint to the BBC about alleged pro-organic farming bias. Science for Sustainable Agriculture (SSA) has written to BBC director general Tim Davies to challenge “misleading and factually inaccurate assertions” in relation to farming in the BBC’s online Bitesize revision guides aimed at GCSE […]
Opinion: Nutrient U-turn shows flaw in ecological approach
Farmers Weekly The government announced a staggering U-turn last week on its requirement of nutrient neutrality for new housing developments. Bemoaned by the Home Builders Federation as a “disproportionate moratorium on housebuilding”, nutrient neutrality prevented housing development across 74 authorities. See also: Opinion – collaboration is key to raising productivity and innovation Handpicked by Natural […]