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MARKETS AND TRENDS

Private nature funding opportunities for farmers

Private investment funds have repeatedly claimed that billions of pounds are available to be invested in nature. However, so far, little has actually found its way into farmers’ pockets. One…

LAND MARKETS

Midlands farms offer privacy and versatility

Two family farms, one an arable holding and the other down to grass, are looking for new owners as they launch this week, both offering privacy. Hill Farm, a 338-acre…

BUSINESS

How CLA figures dismiss government position on family farm IHT

Lobbying against the proposed cut to agricultural property relief (APR) and business property relief (BPR) is intensifying. Analysis by the Country Land Association (CLA) demonstrates the severe challenge that the…

COMPLIANCE

Will vet assurance shake up third-party audits?

For decades, third-party assurance schemes like Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured have been central to delivering consumer trust in food quality and safety. Established in the wake of significant animal…

BUSINESS

Steep farm income fall questions ability to pay IHT

Latest Farm Business Income (FBI) figures from Defra for the harvest year 2023-24 confirm the sharp decline in profitability that many farmers have suffered, calling into question the sector’s ability…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Lamb trade lifts further above £6/kg carried by tight supply

Festive demand has taken off for the lamb sector, with processors appearing keen to stock up ahead of Christmas. Some abattoirs have been quoted at up to 650p/kg in the…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

OSR plantings at 40-year low as sector looks for solutions

The viable UK rapeseed area for 2024-25 is forecast to be the smallest in the past four decades, with industry estimates pegging it at 215,000ha ahead of next year’s harvest.…

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BUSINESS

Farming apprentice wins case against JCB dealer

A father’s determination to protect his son’s employment rights has led to a court victory that could lead to tighter controls over apprenticeship contracts, particularly in the agricultural sector. Mario…

TAX

Scotland's first minister calls farm tax grab 'unacceptable'

Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, has attacked the recent decision by chancellor Rachel Reeves to restrict agricultural property relief (APR) on inheritance tax as  “unacceptable”, while future funding for Scottish…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK barley export volumes confined by quality concerns

Lower nitrogen levels for the 2024 barley crop and a stronger sterling could lead to less demand from export markets. Results from the AHDB's 2024 Cereals Quality Survey found that…

BPS

BPS cuts 'probably' needed to save farming budget - Bradshaw

Steep cuts in direct payments to farmers in England are probably the price that had to be paid for Defra to be able to maintain the agricultural budget, NFU president…

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Latest from farm management Know How

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BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Sporting rights on farmland: How to avoid legal issues

Sporting rights can give rise to legal issues, highlighting the need to be clear about who is entitled to do what, how and where.  The ownership of sporting rights is…

TAX

What to consider in light of planned Budget IHT relief cut

The plan to limit inheritance tax (IHT) relief for farming and other businesses to the first £1m of value has been met with shock. The £1m threshold, after which IHT…

BUSINESS

Farm and land sales: Common issues that delay and complicate

The aim when selling a farm or land is not only to secure a reliable buyer but also to minimise the time between accepting an offer and exchange of contracts.…

SUCCESSION PLANNING

Farm succession: Expert advice to ensure a smooth path

With farming being more than a business for most families, it can be difficult to put emotion to one side when planning for succession. However, thinking strategically can achieve an…

BUSINESS

How farm businesses can borrow wisely

Farmers Weekly is occasionally contacted by farmers in financial difficulty after taking on additional borrowings. These stories are difficult to report because often it is possible to have only one…

TENANCIES AND RENTS

Advice on farm rent issues in cashflow squeeze

Tenants are advised to reassess cashflow requirements and identify potential pinch points over the coming months to avoid issues when rent is due. While the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) is…

TAX

Budget delivers heavy cut to farming's IHT reliefs

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has slashed farming’s favourable inheritance tax reliefs in this week’s Budget, limiting 100% agricultural property relief and business property relief to the first £1m of value. Above…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: What are my options for historic building?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Mark Charter, partner and head of estate management at Carter Jonas, advises…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: How do I plan loan to one of our children?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Conor Melvin, associate in Thrings' corporate team, advises on how to approach a loan to…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Tax advice on farm sale and kit disposal

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Joe Spencer, a partner with MHA, advises on the tax implications of moving to using…

BUSINESS

How farm-scale AD can offer sustainability and savings

Of the 427 on-farm anaerobic digester (AD) plants operating at present in the UK, there are 79 running solely on livestock waste. They vary in size from 4kWe to more…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

How to check right to work status to avoid hefty penalties

Farmers must do a right to work check before hiring anyone to make sure that that person is legally allowed to do the work in question. The obligation to conduct…

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

Nutrient mitigation market merits careful consideration

Headlines about housebuilding being held up by environmental measures have abated to some extent, but the need to ensure that new development does not increase the nitrogen and phosphate loading…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Vending machine provides growth for Transition farmers

Average direct sales of 140 litres a day is a drop in the 16,000-litre ocean of milk produced daily at Tom and Karen Halton’s dairy farm, Halton Farm in Congleton,…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Diversification fills financial gap for Transition farmers

Transitioning to environmental schemes from the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) has left the Speakman family with a 60% financial gap, so income from their diversification businesses is more important than…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

How Transition farmer is using data to satisfy SFI options

JM Stratton & Co at East Farm in Codford, Wiltshire is going “all in” with the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), but while the family-run business is capitalising on some of…

Business Clinic

SUCCESSION PLANNING

Farm succession: Expert advice to ensure a smooth path

With farming being more than a business for most families, it can be difficult to put emotion to one side when planning for succession. However, thinking strategically can achieve an…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: What are my options for historic building?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Mark Charter, partner and head of estate management at Carter Jonas, advises…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: How do I plan loan to one of our children?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Conor Melvin, associate in Thrings' corporate team, advises on how to approach a loan to…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Tax advice on farm sale and kit disposal

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Joe Spencer, a partner with MHA, advises on the tax implications of moving to using…

 
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Markets and trends

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CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK barley export volumes confined by quality concerns

Lower nitrogen levels for the 2024 barley crop and a stronger sterling could lead to less demand from export markets. Results from the AHDB's 2024 Cereals Quality Survey found that…

DAIRY MARKETS AND PRICES

Muller approved by CMA to acquire Yew Tree Dairy

Major milk processor Muller has been given approval by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to acquire Yew Tree Dairy. The proposed acquisition, first confirmed by Farmers Weekly on 5…

DAIRY MARKETS AND PRICES

Dairy farms set to return to profit due to higher milk prices

Dairy producers are forecast to return to a more profitable position for the 2024-25 milk year, after many incurred losses during 2023-24. Improved dairy profitability has been primarily driven by…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Defra mandates abattoir price reporting for sheep sector

Large abattoirs will be required to report lamb prices, use standardised dressing specifications, and weigh carcasses to the nearest 0.1kg, under new government measures. The announcement by Defra has been…

INPUT MARKETS AND PRICES

Farmers urged to stock up with fuel ahead of budget

Fuel merchants have advised farming businesses to fill up fuel tanks ahead of the Autumn Budget on 30 October, in case of any increases in duty. Duty on fuel has…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Pig prices slip back below 210p/kg after months of stability

Finished pig prices have fallen to 208p/kg in October after holding at above 210p/kg for most of the past two years. The downwards price move has been driven by a…

DAIRY MARKETS AND PRICES

Arla offers free milk at food banks across the UK

The UK’s largest dairy co-operative Arla has launched a free dairy vending machine in North London as part of a wider initiative to provide dairy products to more than 100…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK wheat demand hit by limited access to EU biofuels market

Arable farmers supplying cereals to the biofuels sector could see curtailed demand as a result of trade limitations imposed by the EU. In order to have continued access to the…

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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