All from last 24 hours

NVZS

Farmer wins landmark challenge to NVZ designations

Devon-based farmer John Clapp has successfully challenged a nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ) designation on his land, after winning an appeal against Defra. Mr Clapp, who runs a mixed arable and…

SHEEP

How performance recording led to a 30p/kg lamb price premium

Performance recording has helped a Powys hill farm capture a £6 a lamb price premium, while higher-index ewes are weaning an average 4.2kg more lamb than the lower-index ones. Estimated…

FARM POLICY

Middle East turmoil sparks renewed food security fears

Experts have warned that the risk of a UK food security crisis is growing, as the conflict in Iran continues to rock global fertiliser and fuel supply chains. Concerns have…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Grain markets volatile as Iran conflict pushes up costs

Global grain markets have fluctuated widely in the past week as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. May 2026 UK feed wheat futures rallied to £175.40/t…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

What’s a farm manager worth? Survey reveals all

One in five UK farm managers receives a total pay and benefits package worth more than £100,000, once non-cash elements are included. The latest survey from the Society of Agriculture…

ARABLE

How an 8ha field generates over 50% of farm income

A 8ha field is generating more than 50% of farm business income at Ashley Jones’s 360ha farm in Cornwall, thanks to an array of farm diversifications. What started out as…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: The world just got a whole lot more unstable

The government doesn’t appear to care for primary industry in this country. Their preference seems to be outsourcing the problem overseas. The trouble is, when there’s peril on the seas,…

4X4S

Dacia Duster and Bigster get gutsier hybrid 4x4 drivetrain

Keen to improve the performance of its four-wheel-drive Duster and Bigster SUVs, Dacia has treated them to a peppier petrol-electric drivetrain. This “hybrid 150 4x4” setup delivers 20hp more than…

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

How a Welsh livestock mart kept its social heart

When Tregaron Livestock Mart’s café was threatened with closure, many feared it was the end of an era. To some, it was simply another rural service under pressure. But for…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

UK work visas for NZ and Aussie sheep shearers granted

Overseas sheep shearers are to be granted work visas to come to the UK for the next shearing season one last time, following a last-minute change of heart by the…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Global demand for meat set to grow as production rises

Global meat consumption is expected to increase over the next five years, with demand for red meat and poultry projected to climb. Dr Phil Hadley, secretary general of the International…

ENVIRONMENT

Farm fined after slurry spills pollute Bristol Avon river

A farming partnership in Chippenham has been ordered to pay £18,744 after two slurry pollution incidents in 2023 and 2024 contaminated tributaries of the Bristol Avon river. JD Spencer Farm…

PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

Scots cabinet secretary commits to early farmer payments

Farmers in Scotland are set to receive Basic Payment Scheme and greening funding from early September onwards this year, in a bid to help farm businesses plan for the year…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Scottish cattle numbers still falling but decline slows

Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has projected that UK beef production could be on course for an 8% decline by 2030, if the domestic beef herd continues to fall. The Scottish…

BREXIT

Chlorinated chicken entering UK 'won't happen', says Farage

Nigel Farage has played down fears that chlorinated chicken could enter the UK market, telling farmers they “shouldn’t worry” about the prospect under a US trade deal. Speaking exclusively to…