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LAND MARKETS

Tree planters still outbidding farmers in Scottish uplands

Forestry interests continue to outcompete livestock producers for land, despite a slowdown in that market in recent months. Agents put average plantable land values in Scotland at about the £4,000/acre…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Farmers warned to check salaries exceed the minimum wage

Farmer employers who pay their staff a salary rather than an hourly wage are at risk of being fined if they are found to be paying less than the national…

LAND MARKETS

Launches from Hampshire to Fife widen choice of farms

A fully irrigated Shropshire arable holding, with additional residential income, is due for launch. Tern farm at Longdon-Upon-Tern, near Telford, is mentioned in Domesday survey notes. It comes to the…

BNG

Conservation grazing grows as alternative land uses develop

Biodiversity net gain (BNG) became mandatory in the planning system in England from February 2024, allowing landowners to earn an income from selling biodiversity units to developers. This is just…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK wheat futures at £173/t with EU harvest prospects mixed

Wheat values in the UK have pushed up slightly in the past week, but remain under pressure due to large volumes of cheap exports from the Black Sea region on…

INPUT MARKETS AND PRICES

UK red diesel prices stable despite conflict in oil regions

Suppliers are encouraging farm businesses to stock up with red diesel now while UK fuel markets remain fairly muted, to avoid future price rises if the conflict in the Middle…

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BREXIT

New border controls to prioritise 'highest risk goods'

Post-Brexit border checks on animal, plant and food products will not be fully implemented when they are introduced later this month amid concerns this could cause “significant disruption”. Less than…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Hectare launches instant grain payments system for farmers

Crop-trading platform Hectare has launched a new agricultural finance product that enables arable farmers to be paid within three days for up to 80% of a contract’s value. The agri-tech…

BUSINESS

Great British Beef Week campaign due to relaunch nationwide

A distinguished campaign promoting British beef gets under way next week, starting on 23 April to coincide with St George’s Day. Great British Beef Week (GBBW) is designed to highlight…

BUSINESS

Tesco 'best of British' section online goes live

Tesco has become the latest UK retailer to launch a dedicated “Best of British” page on its groceries website to help customers support British farmers. More than 500 British products…

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BUSINESS

Advice on some of the pitfalls of land transactions

Good preparation is the watchword when selling land, and "buyer beware" is the catchphrase for purchasers. The checklist for sellers is a long one, starting with advice from land agents,…

GRANTS

Farming grant funding in England: A comprehensive guide

A plethora of government grants and support payments is available for farm businesses in 2024. Charlie Reeve discovers what’s up for grabs from Defra and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA)…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Who owns land in two-generation partnership?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Russell Reeves, partner and head of agricultural litigation at law firm Thrings,…

BPS

Advice on the delinked payment transfer market

Farmers in England who want to transfer or sell any of their delinked payment reference data have only a short window in which to do so. The window for transfers…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Should we surrender tenancy and create LLP?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Carly Drummond, senior tax manager at MHA, advises on the tax implications of…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Is battery storage an option on poultry unit?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s experts can help. Jamie Baxter, Senior Rural Surveyor at Carter Jonas, advises on energy use and storage for…

TENANCIES AND RENTS

Advice for tenant farmers considering diversification

Changes in support payments and tough trading conditions mean many farmers are considering diversifying, but tenant farmers have an extra hurdle to clear before embarking on any project. Agricultural tenancies…

BUSINESS

Rural housing: Options to decarbonise and improve efficiency

From period farmhouses to farmworkers’ cottages, rural housing comes in many shapes and sizes, but they all share similar challenges when it comes to energy. Rural properties off the mains…

LIVESTOCK

Valuable business skills courses for dairy farmers

Many dairy farmers tend not to be driven by profit: satisfaction comes from a herd of fine cows, full clamps or milk in the tank. But being good at milking…

HEALTH AND SAFETY

How to manage less common farm health and safety risks

The fatal incident rate in agriculture over the past five years has on average been 21 times higher than that across all other industries. Incidents involving animals or machinery and…

BPS

BPS application tips and reminders for 2024

There are different approaches to the Basic Payment Scheme claims system in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with changes this year in some nations that farmers need to be aware…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Recruitment management decision shapes estate's farm staff

The recent appointment of an assistant manager at the Woburn Estate’s in-hand farming operation is an important part of William Haupt’s approach to risk management and succession. Seven years into…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

What are the key traits of top-performing arable farms?

High input costs, volatile markets, challenging weather and reduced direct support payments are all affecting the bottom line for farmers, making it imperative that businesses focus on improving performance and…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Employment law changes 2024 - what farmers need to be aware of

Anyone employing staff needs to grapple with a number of recent and planned changes to the law. From the practice of rolled-up holiday pay being extended to irregular and part-year…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

What farmers should know about nuisance complaints

Complaints from neighbours about smells, light and noise from farms are sadly not uncommon. The immediate reaction might be that anyone living close to a farm needs to expect countryside…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: How do we check decades-old land ownership?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, solicitor Jessica Moore of of Thrings’ agriculture team, explains how the ownership…

Business Clinic

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Who owns land in two-generation partnership?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Russell Reeves, partner and head of agricultural litigation at law firm Thrings,…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Should we surrender tenancy and create LLP?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Carly Drummond, senior tax manager at MHA, advises on the tax implications of…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Is battery storage an option on poultry unit?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s experts can help. Jamie Baxter, Senior Rural Surveyor at Carter Jonas, advises on energy use and storage for…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: How do we check decades-old land ownership?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, solicitor Jessica Moore of of Thrings’ agriculture team, explains how the ownership…

 
View all Business Clinic articles

Markets and trends

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BREXIT

New border controls to prioritise 'highest risk goods'

Post-Brexit border checks on animal, plant and food products will not be fully implemented when they are introduced later this month amid concerns this could cause “significant disruption”. Less than…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Hectare launches instant grain payments system for farmers

Crop-trading platform Hectare has launched a new agricultural finance product that enables arable farmers to be paid within three days for up to 80% of a contract’s value. The agri-tech…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

'Vet attestation' rules for meat exports to be tightened

UK farmers will be barred from exporting non-assured livestock or products derived from them to the EU from next week, unless they have a vet-supplied declaration that their animals have…

DAIRY MARKETS AND PRICES

Arla invests £179m to become major supplier of mozzarella

Major dairy co-operative Arla has unveiled plans to invest £179m in its UK business as it aims to grow exports of mozzarella. The milk processor, which is supplied by more…

LAND MARKETS

Outrage as Scots government plans to break up larger holdings

Scottish landowners have slated a new Land Reform Bill tabled in Holyrood on Thursday (14 March) which sets out plans to break up larger farms and estates should they come…

LAND MARKETS

Scottish land owners must register or risk £5,000 fine

Scottish owners and long-term tenants of land or property may need to submit an entry to a new register or risk a £5,000 fine, the Scottish government has warned. The…

POTATOES

UK potatoes in tight supply and selling for more than £500/t

Several years of declining production and a prolonged wet winter have started to bite in the potato sector, with a tight supply situation for potatoes forcing up free-buy prices. The…

MARKETS AND TRENDS

EU plans more tariff concessions for Ukraine despite protests

MEPs on the European Parliament's international trade committee have voted to extend the EU's trade liberalisation measures with Ukraine for another year, potentially allowing cheaper access for agricultural goods. Temporary…

Commodities

Futures markets and commodity risk management online course

Learn all you need to know about the futures markets and how you can benefit from them:

  • Risk management strategies for a more predictable financial performance
  • Educated conversations when collaborating with your advisors
  • Negotiate better prices with your grain merchants

Find out more

 
 

Land in your area

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LAND MARKETS

Farmland in your area 2023: East of England

The land market in the east of England is bucking the national trend, with farmers accounting for the bulk of buyers in this region. Although 2023 saw growth in the…

LAND MARKETS

Farmland in your area 2023: West Midlands

The acreage of land offered for sale in the West Midlands in 2023 is up by about one-third on the previous 12 months, pushing supply higher than the 10-year average.…

LAND MARKETS

Farmland in your area 2023: Wales

Intense competition among farmers in some Welsh regions led to farmland changing hands at more than £20,000/acre in 2023. Known hotspots, including Anglesey and the Vale of Clwyd which have…

LAND MARKETS

Farmland in your area 2023: East Midlands

Public and private market activity for land and farms in the East Midlands has increased in 2023, with what agents suggest is a reasonable supply and a good level of…

 
 
 

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