Farmers and landowners could find it easier to convert old buildings into new homes following changes to permitted development rights. The UK is facing a national shortage of good quality and affordable homes, so a raft of new measures have been suggested to stop unnecessary planning red tape slowing... Read more

  More than 10,000 farmers have now applied to join the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) – and receive payments actions that support food production and the environment. One-in-eight eligible farmers having submitted applications for the Defra scheme in the four months since it re-opened last September. This is on... Read more

Non-farmers purchased more than half of all farms sold on the open market last year, suggest the latest figures from land agents Strutt & Parker. Farmers accounted for the lowest level of transactions on record during 2023 – equivalent to only 44% of open market transactions during the year... Read more

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