Author Posts: Aleksandra Cupriak

Ahead of the spring application season, farmers, growers and distributors of plant protection products have been urged to be vigilant against well-organised criminals seeking to raid secure storage facilities.

British meat industry leaders said that the recent seizure of about 600kg of illegal meat in Northern Ireland, following a ban on German animal origin produce due to the foot-and-mouth disease, should be a “wake-up call” for the government.

Farming campaigners have called on the government to urgently reset its relationship with the countryside, 20 years after the Hunting Act came into force under the then Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair.

There are many forms of finance available to businesses today, but one of the most effective for companies wanting to invest in their growth without impacting cash flow is asset finance, said financial expert Close Brothers.

Developing and empowering the wider farm team could be the foundation of improving mobility and foot health on many farms, according to Matt Dobbs, chair of the Stride Mobility Technical Board.

NFU has said that the UK government will “reap what it sows” following today’s meeting with the Treasury and after offering an alternative solution to the family farm tax fight.

The farming industry leaders have met with the Treasury today to propose a ‘clawback’ mechanism as an alternative to the government’s current inheritance tax plans, however, they were faced with ‘no interest’ from the government.

From April 2025, HMRC will no longer use the VAT definitions of ‘car’ and ‘van’ to classify double cab pick-up (DCPU) for benefit in kind and capital allowance purposes, or when restricting car hire costs for calculating business profits.

UK sheep meat production is forecast to grow by 2% in 2025, however, the lamb crop for 2025/26 is predicted to fall by 2% compared to the previous year. 

J&S Hay farmers and contractors who farm 230 acres of their own farm and 320 rented acres in Birsay, Orkney, have purchased a second Mecmar mobile drier to increase the drying capacity of their heritage Bere barley, and certified seed barley, freeing up time previously spent monitoring grain drying.

Wiltshire Rural Crime Team has issued a plea for dog owners after a sheep was bitten by a dog and another ewe aborted her lambs. 

The toughening of the shotgun ownership restrictions is predicted to have a huge impact on the farming sector, making the possession of a shotgun more restrictive, expensive and bureaucratic.