Business News

At Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) 2023, policy campaigners from The Landworkers’ Alliance (LWA) and the Irish equivalent body Talamh Beo provided an update on what small farmers can expect from future subsidy payments across the four UK nations.

An uproar among both farmers and farming organisations followed Aldi’s decision to abandon its longstanding pledge to only stock meat reared on British farms, with the consensus being the move couldn’t have come at a worse time for lamb producers.

The NFU has launched its sector-specific plans for boosting farm business resilience and climate-friendly farming yesterday (22nd February), which outline how farmers can unlock the benefits of increased efficiency and lower costs while improving the sustainability of food production.

Shortages are being put down to extreme weather in Spain and north Africa – while the NFU warns British produce could also be in short supply this year due to high energy costs putting pressure on growers.

The grants will be made available through the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) and Farming Investment Fund (FIF) – which will sit alongside the ELM scheme.

Dyfed-Powys Police has confirmed it is investigating after a man died at a farm in the Aberhosan area of Machynlleth on Friday evening (17th February), while another man is in hospital with serious injuries.

The “well-organised” break-in at a secure distributer store saw a large quantity of herbicides stolen.

Interest in meat-free and non-dairy products has declined, data suggests, with consumers citing the cost of vegan alternatives and difficulty finding food and drink they enjoy as key reasons for dropping out of Veganuary.

Sencrop is expecting that new research and collaboration opportunities will benefit British farmers as it opens its first UK office at NIAB’s Barn4 AgriTech Incubator in Cambridge.

AHDB is looking to save around £500,000 from its annual budget moving to new headquarters near Coventry better suited to its current sector teams and support staff.

Following Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement of her resignation on 15th February, farming organisations expressed the need for stability and continuity in government leadership and for farming to be regarded as an area of high priority.

With the first named storm of the season expected to bring 75mph wind and heavy rain to the North of England and Scotland today (17th February), the NFU Mutual is urging farmers to plan ahead and take necessary safety precautions to protect their families and livestock.