Politics News

Farmers will no longer be required to comply with complex rules around crop diversification, Ecological Focus Areas and greening permanent grassland, after government announced the removal of greening rules from the direct payments regime for 2021.

A Cambridgeshire arable farmer has raised concerns about food security amid government proposals to take thousands of hectares out of food production to plant trees.

Homes and businesses across the country will be better protected and more resilient in future after the government revealed its long-term plan to tackle the risks of flooding and coastal erosion.

Retailers, farming unions, consumer, hospitality and environmental bodies have all been included in the membership of the new Trade and Agriculture Commission, the government says.

Farmers drove their tractors into the heart of London this week as part of a socially-distanced protest against the possibility of cheap food imports arriving in the UK.

As lockdown restrictions continue to ease across the UK, more and more people are venturing into the great outdoors to enjoy some fresh air and get their daily dose of exercise. But for farmers, this can mean an influx of strangers walking across their land. 

Trade secretary Liz Truss has announced that, after months of campaigning from farming groups, the government will set up a Trade and Agriculture Commission to help inform trade policy.

Rural tourism businesses will be able to reopen from 4th July, the government has announced, prompting a sigh of relief from rural organisations.

The UK Government has launched a consultation to find out whether new regulations could help to ensure dairy farmers are treated fairly, which the NFU is describing as a “once in a lifetime opportunity to build a better future for the UK dairy sector”.

The National Sheep Association is once again reminding Government to consider the broader potential ramifications of new trade deals, as talks with New Zealand and Australia begin.

Suffolk farmer and TV presenter Jimmy Doherty has warned of dire consequences for British agriculture and the health of the nation, if the government does not stand by its promise to prevent food imports that would be illegal to produce here.

UK meat sector will start losing EU orders within 12 weeks unless government provides clarity on trade arrangements.