Ex-Harper Adams student wins Somerton and Frome by-election
Farmers Weekly Ex-Harper Adams University graduate and Liberal Democrat Sarah Dyke overturned a 19,000 Conservative majority to win the Somerton and Frome by-election. Ms Dyke was elected as MP for the seat with 21,187 votes (54.6%) – a majority of 11,008, in a 28.4% swing from the Conservatives to the Lib Dems. Tory candidate Faye […]
UK biofuels exports threatened by loss of EU assurance
Farmers Weekly With her job on the line this week, Therese Coffey delivered her strongest speech since taking the lead at Defra. She backed glyphosate use, branding it a safe and sensible tool to protect crop yields, and said George Monbiot’s vision for the future of agriculture – where animal protein is predominantly replaced by […]
Editor’s view: Coffey’s last stand should cheer farmers
Farmers Weekly With her job on the line this week, Therese Coffey delivered her strongest speech since taking the lead at Defra. She backed glyphosate use, branding it a safe and sensible tool to protect crop yields, and said George Monbiot’s vision for the future of agriculture – where animal protein is predominantly replaced by […]
Natural England announces £7.4m of nature recovery projects
Farmers Weekly An area larger than the size of Hertfordshire is set to be dedicated to fast-tracking nature recovery after Natural England announced six new landscape-scale projects. Backed by the government with £7.4m in Defra funding, the nature recovery projects will cover 176,000ha of land across England, ranging from the Tees Estuary to the South […]
Natural England under fire for “anti-farming” stance
Farmers Weekly Natural England has been accused of promoting an “anti-farming agenda”, with leading politicians calling for a review of its remit. Sir Robert Goodwill, chairman of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) select committee, told Farmers Weekly he was considering looking at the legal environmental landscape as part one of the committee’s future […]
Tips on establishing perennial wildflower strips for bees
Farmers Weekly Establishing perennial wildflower strips is one way to attract bees into fields, but sometimes it can prove frustrating, with some species failing to establish, limiting the value to pollinators. Bees need both pollen and nectar: pollen is for their larvae and nectar provides energy. Bees also need diversity, and farmers should aim to […]
First women-only regenerative farming event announced
Farmers Weekly A regenerative farming showcase exclusively for women is set to take place on 31 August in a bid to address the gender imbalance of farmers attending farm walks and events. Organised by Innovation for Agriculture (IfA) as part of the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) Farm of the Future programme, the women’s […]
Canadian farm lobbies begin offensive on UK food standards
Farmers Weekly Canadian farming lobbies have hit out after the UK formally agreed to join a Trans-Pacific trade bloc, insisting that Britain must align to their standards. Business and trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch formally signed the treaty confirming the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in New Zealand on […]