‘Progress’ on India trade deal threatens high UK food standards
Farmers Weekly A free-trade deal with India threatens to undermine the high food and farming standards of UK agriculture and expose British farmers and consumers to cheap food imports, warn farm leaders. Several UK food and farming organisations, including the NFU, Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food and Farming, and the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) […]
Rural policing team recover £1m of stolen machinery
Farmers Weekly A renewed focus on tracking devices, sharing of intelligence and partnership with farmers on the ground are helping a rural crime team crack farm machinery theft. Since January 2022, Leicestershire Police’s rural policing team has been working more closely with farmers to crack down on the theft of tractors, quad bikes, trailers, 4x4s […]
Farmers Weekly Podcast Ep 172:
Farmers Weekly This week, Rishi Sunak made a host of promises to farm leaders at a Downing Street summit held in back in May. But industry representatives have voiced frustration at what they say is a lack of progress when it comes to delivering the Prime Minister’s pledges. We ask: what is going on? See […]
Opinion: Workable public access depends on ‘respect’
Farmers Weekly Like it or not, land is a commodity. Everyone wants a piece. Yet we live in a society where, as the conservationist Aldo Leopold wrote, most people have no direct connection to land. This came to mind on a recent trip to the English Midlands, where I spotted gateway signs with text like […]
This Week in Farming: Political moves, flower crops and badger battle
Farmers Weekly Hello and welcome to This Week in Farming. It’s been an absolute scorcher of a week – the hottest the UK has ever seen in September. Here’s hoping this last-minute blast of sunshine has helped you kick on and harvest any uncut crops. As always, here are the best stories from Farmers Weekly in the […]
Irish farmers angered by change to slurry spreading rules
Farmers Weekly Farmers affiliated to the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) have picketed a meeting organised by agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue, in response to tougher rules on slurry spreading and delays to subsidy cheques. The dispute centres on a reduction in the amount of organic fertiliser Irish farmers are allowed to spread on their land under […]
NFU and British Sugar beet price talks hit a deadlock
Farmers Weekly The NFU and British Sugar are at loggerheads over the processor’s beet pricing offer for the 2024-25 crop, amid reports it is lower than this year’s price of £40/t. NFU Sugar Board chairman Michael Sly wrote to beet growers this week telling them, in his view, British Sugar’s beet price offer for the […]
‘Six of the best’ sustainable farmers receive Rase awards
Farmers Weekly Northamptonshire landowner Johnny Wake, whose 1,000ha estate has been in his family for more than 350 years, has been awarded the prestigious Bledisloe Gold Medal from the Royal Agricultural Society of England (Rase) in recognition of “outstanding stewardship” of his land. Dr Wake took over the running of Courteenhall Farms 10 years ago, […]