All the latest farming news PLOUGHSAmazone reduces metal wear on new Teres 200 ploughFast ploughing without increased costs due to metal wear is promised for a patented mouldboard shin fitted as standard on Amazone’s latest mounted plough, the 200hp-rated Teres 200. The shin… NEWSThis Week in Farming: Grass, gadgets and beaversWelcome to another edition of This Week in Farming, your briefing on the best Farmers Weekly content from the past seven days. First, here’s your market snapshot (opens as PDF),… BUSINESSChip producer aims to raise consumer awareness of regen agA prominent producer of chips and fries is pushing its green farming message in a bid to increase consumer understanding, after research revealed that not many Brits know what the… CEREAL DRILLSAerWorx develops first 2.5m disc coulter direct drillFarmers on the look-out for a simple direct drill have a new option in the Viper DT21, a 2.5m tractor-mounted disc seeder from Hampshire-based AerWorx, whose core product is a… TAXGovernment launches consultation on IHT reliefs for trustsThe UK government has launched a technical consultation on the proposed changes to agricultural and business property reliefs for trusts. The consultation, which is open until 23 April 2025, invites… MILK PRICESOrganic lifts above 57p/litre while conventional milk holdsDairy co-operative Organic Herd has confirmed it will increase its farmgate milk price to 57.68p/litre from April on a standard litre basis. This represents a 1.68p/litre increase and reflects a… LAND MARKETSTrickle of early launches to start 2025 farmland market A steady trickle of equipped farms and bare land parcels are being launched after a slow winter in the farmland market. The south-west of England has opportunities in both Devon… NEWSNI Farm Welfare Bill poised for final push at StormontAfter more than a decade of hard work and perseverance, Northern Ireland’s farmers are hopeful that the Farm Welfare Bill will finally move forward in the Stormont Assembly. The bill,… NEWSWidespread beaver release plans spark farming concernEurasian beavers are set to make a return to the English countryside as Defra announces plans to allow the reintroduction of the thick-toothed rodents through a new licensing system. Defra… NEWSSolar farm ruling spells uncertainty for Yorks familyA ruling by the UK government in favour of a solar farm development spells uncertainty for the future of a Yorkshire tenant family farm and has been met with anger… NEWSScottish budget leaves rural communities 'out in the cold'The Scottish Budget, which passed through Holyrood on Tuesday (25 February), has been described as bad news for rural communities that leaves them out in the cold. The Budget for… BOVINE TBTB vaccine and test move to next phase in England and WalesCommercial cattle farms in low-incidence bovine tuberculosis (TB) areas of England and Wales are being invited to participate in the next round of field trials for a cattle vaccine and… CROPS MARKETS AND PRICESLarger UK wheat production area forecast for 2025UK wheat production is forecast to be about 12.5m tonnes this year, based on an estimated planted area of 1.6m hectares and an average yield of 7.8t/ha. This represents a… BUSINESSRecruitment begins for new tenant commissioner roleDefra has launched its recruitment campaign for the first commissioner for the tenant farming sector, aimed at improving tenant farming practices in England. The new role will focus on promoting… TAXBradshaw warns IHT threatens Defra's farming growth goalsNFU president Tom Bradshaw has warned that the government's plans for farm inheritance tax (IHT) threaten the future of UK family farms, claiming it would “suck the oxygen” out of… NEWSEnglish countryside is drowning in rubbish, Defra stats revealThe English countryside is “drowning in rubbish”, with 1.5m incidents of fly-tipping reported in the past year (2023-24) – up 6% on previous figures – with large incidents costing local… DAIRY MARKETS AND PRICESStrong EU export markets add premium to farmgate pricesThe livestock and dairy sectors have both benefited from strong demand for exports, which has helped to strengthen farmgate values in the past year. The UK exports more than 500,000t… ENVIRONMENTFarmers reject CCC's call for livestock reduction targetsFarmers have strongly opposed the latest proposal by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) to cut livestock numbers by 27% and reduce meat and dairy consumption, warning the plan overlooks agriculture’s… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESSuckler cows in short supply as finished beef markets thriveFinished beef markets have continued to go from strength to strength in recent months and are up by almost 30% on the year, with top deadweight prices on the cusp… NEWSGovernment commits to higher food standards in trade dealsDefra secretary Steve Reed promised farmers at the NFU Conference that the government would not allow imports of food produced to lower standards than in the UK as part of… ARABLEPrecision plant breeding legislation passes final hurdleLegislation which allows precision plant breeding passed its final hurdle in Parliament on Tuesday 25 February, paving the way for a wider uptake of gene editing techniques. The Genetic Technology… BOVINE TBBadger cull to continue pending bovine TB strategy reviewDefra secretary Steve Reed has confirmed that badger culling will continue as part of the government’s efforts to combat bovine tuberculosis (TB) until a full review of the policy is… ASSESSING PERFORMANCETerminal sires sought for 10th year of ram genetics projectRamCompare is seeking rams or semen from performance-recorded, terminal sire breeds for the 2025 breeding season. Since its launch in 2015, the national progeny test has assessed more than 500… HEALTH AND WELLBEINGPie and pint night brings farming community togetherFarmers gathered for a free pie and a pint in Whitehall on the eve of the NFU conference this week, as part of a Farming Community Network wellbeing event, bringing… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONDefra unveils £30m HLS uplift and capital grants reopeningDefra secretary Steve Reed has announced a £30m increase in payment rates for existing Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreements and the reopening of the capital grants scheme this summer. The… LIVESTOCKRoutine wormer no longer reliable for treating lungwormFarmers are being warned that routine wormer treatments are no longer considered reliable for treating lungworm in cattle, with vaccination now deemed the more effective solution. The warning comes as… BUSINESSArla proposes £90m investment to expand Scottish dairyArla Foods has announced plans to invest nearly £90m in its Lockerbie site in Scotland, as it aims to strengthen UK dairy production. The investment will focus on creating a… COMMUNITYFarming family delivers symbolic toys to chancellorA farming family from Bedfordshire has handed over a basket of pre-loved toys to the Treasury in London, highlighting the threat posed by proposed inheritance tax changes to future farming… CRIMELandowner to beef up security after illegal raveThe owner of Deenethorpe Airfield, a former RAF base near Corby, is bolstering security after an unlicensed music event caused disruption to local communities and farmland. The rave, which attracted… More articles
