Rural News

In response to rising cost pressures in the sector, Noble Foods has announced a price increase of six pence per dozen eggs for all its free-range and organic producers to demonstrate its commitment to “putting producers first”.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) is calling for the input of rural communities and businesses via a formal inquiry to help ascertain whether the countryside is being disproportionately affected by the cost-of-living crisis.

Researchers have recommended improving connections between farming and non-farming communities, after a new study revealed feelings of loneliness among farmers are exacerbated by the public’s lack of appreciation and understanding of the work they do.

The well-deserving recipients of the NFU’s 2022 Farming Champions of the Year award were the farmers of Ukraine, who have continued food production in the face of the horrifying challenges of the Russian invasion.

Esteemed psychologist Dr Hannah Vickery shared her top tips for improving communication on farm to keep staff motivated and increase productivity at this year’s Women in Dairy Conference in Worcestershire.

This year’s Women in Dairy Conference revealed details of the financial support dairy farmers in England could receive via the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, with the first set of payments to commence this autumn.

Sector councils will unveil their new strategies for tackling industry challenges during next month’s online event, where farmers can learn about the future direction of the AHDB.

British farming’s unexpected advocate Jeremy Clarkson is back with a new book this autumn, picking up from where he left off in A Year on the Farm, which described his first year as a farmer. It was a year that included ‘biblical weather, a forest of red tape, a lockdown, a herd of escapey sheep [and] 10 million vindictive bees […]’.

Dan Simpson and Ruby Cappleman experienced the ‘worst day of their lives’, losing 58 ewe lambs in a flash flood near Keswick and appealed to the local authorities for help managing the River Derwent.

The final phase of Defra’s Future Farming Resilience Fund (FFRF) is now live, offering up to 32,000 farmers in England who currently receive direct payments free business advice to help prepare for the upcoming transition.

In uncertain times, Rural Asset Finance is seeing more and more farmers looking to diversify into green energy. While traditional banks which may balk at the idea of loaning money for new enterprises that have not been tried and tested, Rural Asset Finance explains an alternative funding option that is available to diversifying farmers.

Farmers intending to cover their maize fields with grass this winter can now claim £200 per hectare from South East Water.