EXPERT VIEW Abstraction restrictions mean it’s time to take action on irrigation, says Melvyn Kay. Eastern region farmers who irrigate crops are facing 40-60% cuts to their abstraction licences, according to Water Resources East. The reductions are a stark illustration that demand for water for food production is under... Read more
Farming cooperative Fram Farmers has announced two new appointments to its board – arable grower Rob Raven (left) and dairy producer Tom Halton (right). Based on the Norfolk-Suffolk border, Mr Raven started introducing more sustainable, regenerative methods to his farm in the early 2000s. He now incorporates livestock, cover... Read more
More farmers will be able to apply for funding to improve their productivity this year, says the government. Changes to Round Two of the Improving Farm Productivity grants scheme aim to benefit a broader range of agricultural and horticultural applications, says Defra. The second round of the scheme is... Read more
A top accolade for services to agriculture has been awarded to Sarah Cowlrick, chief executive of the Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC). Ms Cowlrick received the 2023 British Crop Protection Council (BCPC) award for outstanding services to the UK crop production industry. She accepted the honour at last... Read more
The next few years will be crucial for British agriculture – and there will be winners and losers. To put it bluntly, those who win will be the ones that adapt quickly and read the changing market. With the Basic Payment Scheme now worth 50% of what it was... Read more
Farm support payments should be refocused so smaller producers can turn a profit while enhancing the environment, says a think tank. The Green Alliance argues that the current structure of the government’s Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMs) is unfair and inefficient because it rewards large arable farms that are... Read more
Recent increases in farmland values are start to ease as the industry feels the impact of higher interest rates and production costs, say land agents. Prime arable land in the eastern region is now trading at an average of £10,404/acre – up 3% compared to the end of September... Read more
Non-farm income is an increasingly important source of revenue for farmers as they seek to offset reductions in government support. UK farm income from diversification enterprises has risen to 13% of turnover in 2023, suggests research from rural insurer NFU Mutual. Some 34% of farmers now run a diversified... Read more
With a new cropping season underway, farmers and rural businesses are being urged to apply for free advice to help with budgeting and cashflow forecasting. Support is available through the Future Farming Resilience Fund – and on offer to any farmer registered with the Rural Payments Agency. Tim Frost,... Read more
The first early payments have been made to farmers who signed up to Defra’s revised Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) agri-environment scheme. Early payments, worth 25% of the annual value of SFI agreements, were made in mid-October – just one month after the start of applications. Defra said the money... Read more
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