Rural News

A joint message has been issued from union presidents following summit in Belfast. The four leading agricultural organisations across the UK have repeated calls for UK Government to recognise food security concerns and extend the Energy and Trade Intensive Industry scheme (ETII) to include those sectors of agriculture heavily reliant on energy.

Having grown up with a farming background, 17-year-old Libby Kate Lawrence is now working 12-hour lambing shifts on various farms in Suffolk and Essex. In an interview with Farmers Guide, she spoke about her farming experiences and plans to travel the world working with livestock.

Following calls from the farming sector for more opportunities to access the carbon market, the government has today (30th March) launched two new schemes as part of its commitment to develop a new harmonised approach for measuring on farm emissions.

As part of A-Plan Insurance’s Rural Community blog they spoke to best-selling author Hannah Russell about her journey to owning a smallholding.

The South of England Agricultural Society‘s Education Committee is proud to announce that their Loan a Lamb scheme will reach nearly 4,000 school children across Sussex and Surrey this year, significantly impacting students’ understanding of agriculture and its contribution to our lives.

Harper Adams University has been named as the best in the world for agriculture and forestry employer reputation for a second successive year. It has also risen to become a top 200 global university in its field.

Rural land and property specialists GSC Grays believe some farms could be better off under the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme and urged farmers to consider transitioning to a regenerative farming system.

An annual survey by the National Sheep Association (NSA) has sparked concerns that farmers may be permanently forced to live with the devastating consequences of dog attacks, as sheep worrying “continues to be swept under the carpet”.

Exciting plans are underway for a National Sheep Association (NSA) event this autumn that will bring together the nation’s sheep farmers for a fresh style of enjoyable and informative farming conference.

Three cutting-edge projects relating to robotics and automation will receive a share of £9.13 million through the government’s Farming Innovation Programme, aimed at boosting agricultural productivity, sustainability and climate resilience.

Nearly three-quarters of off-gas grid rural homeowners are expected to fall into fuel poverty as a result of the government’s proposed 2026 fossil fuel boiler ban, with 69% of households unable to afford a replacement electric heating system, new rural polling data has shown.

Popular healthy drinks brand innocent will no longer be offering its vegan coconut, almond and hazelnut-flavoured smoothies due to a continued lack of interest from customers, labelling the news “nutterly disappointing”.