Rural News

Rain showers and warming temperatures have heightened the threat of potato blight with Hutton Criteria disease warnings declared across many of the UK’s key growing regions.

National conservation charity, the Countryside Restoration Trust (CRT), launches its first virtual CRT Village Show on 15th June 2020, with a series of free online competitions and activities the whole family can enjoy throughout the summer via its new website.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is welcoming several recommendations made in the newly released report ‘The Future for Small Abattoirs in the UK: Report on an inquiry into small red meat abattoir provision’.

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson MP, calling for the Countryside Code to be taught in schools.

Cereals LIVE – the online version of the arable event – has been a resounding success, attracting over 10,000 visitors from all over the world.

LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), one of the leading organisations promoting more sustainable farming, has today launched a new technical guide to support farmers in more ecosystems-based approaches to crop health and protection. 

Farmers are being urged to submit claims for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2020 as the deadline is looming.

Matt Fuller has been named this year’s winner of the Farm Sprayer Operator of the Year (FSOOTY) award at the Cereals LIVE virtual event.

Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is using satellite imagery to offer virtual tours of its upland research farms in Perthshire.

The Royal Agricultural University (RAU) is preparing to welcome new and returning students to its Cirencester campus for the start of the autumn term.

Coronavirus has significantly impacted global trade, but there remains a myriad of opportunities for UK red meat exports – particularly in the Asian marketplace.

As we face a global pandemic that is unprecedented in most of our lifetimes, there has been much in the press about utilising the ‘blitz spirit’ to get us through these challenging times. And it appears that one thing is certainly comparable to war time – farm shops are reporting a dramatic increase in business as many consumers switch to buying local.