Welsh Agriculture Act officially law after royal assent
Farmers Weekly Bovine TB is a devastating disease affecting cattle, causing significant trauma for livestock farmers and rural communities. It is the most challenging animal health disease the UK faces, costing taxpayers tens of millions of pounds each year. In 2011, Defra spent £95m battling it – almost 40% of its entire animal health and […]
Is England on track for a healthy cattle herd and TB-free future?
Farmers Weekly Bovine TB is a devastating disease affecting cattle, causing significant trauma for livestock farmers and rural communities. It is the most challenging animal health disease the UK faces, costing taxpayers tens of millions of pounds each year. In 2011, Defra spent £95m battling it – almost 40% of its entire animal health and […]
Editor’s View: Still reasons to be cheerful amid dairy gloom
Farmers Weekly Bovine TB is a devastating disease affecting cattle, causing significant trauma for livestock farmers and rural communities. It is the most challenging animal health disease the UK faces, costing taxpayers tens of millions of pounds each year. In 2011, Defra spent £95m battling it – almost 40% of its entire animal health and […]
Tree planting targets unlikely to be achieved, says watchdog
Farmers Weekly A government watchdog says a fund that pays for woodland creation schemes on farmland in England is unlikely to achieve its targets and has lowered its prospects for success from an amber rating to red. It comes as provisional figures show the government has again missed its annual tree-planting goal. See more: UK […]
Third of British dairy farmers considering quitting sector
Farmers Weekly Almost one-third of British dairy farmers (32%) are considering their future within the sector, with concern growing over insufficient returns, volatile markets and the scale of on-farm investment, a new NFU report has revealed. Of the 600 dairy farmers surveyed by the union last month, 9% believe they are likely to stop producing […]
Benefits of grass leys for outdoor pig units
Farmers Weekly Grass mixes can establish well and withstand grazing by outdoor pigs, helping protect soils and watercourses, a three-year trial has shown. The trial took place in north Norfolk on 16ha (40 acres) across two sites run by LSB Pigs. As well as finding which mix of species was most resilient, the trial looked […]
Bata members vote to retain co-op status
Farmers Weekly North Yorkshire based farm and country supply business Bata is to remain a co-operative after members rejected a proposal to convert it to a private company limited by shares. The board’s plan to demutualise failed to gain approval from the required 75% of voting members. Members voted in person at a meeting on […]
Plastic tax making twine producers uncompetitive
Farmers Weekly Uncertainty surrounding a plastic packaging tax introduced in 2022 has created an uneven playing field for netwrap and baler twine prices. The £210.82/t tax, which is levied on all plastic goods that don’t contain at least 30% recycled polymer, adds about £4.20 to the cost of a 20kg pack of heavy twine and […]