All from last 24 hours OPINIONEditor's View: The Merry Ballad of the Batters ReportThis week I wrapped tinsel around my keyboard, ate four mince pies and summoned my most festive spirit to deliver an editorial of seasonal verse. In tribute to this month's… ARABLEYoung farmers bold move to take on council tenancy pays offJoshua Dennis, a 26-year-old arable farmer from Cambridgeshire, made the bold move to take on a county council tenancy at just 22 years old. Three successful yet challenging harvests later,… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Easy-calving heifers biggest success of yearIt is hard to believe that we are fast approaching the end of yet another year. Last year was quite a challenging one for us as a family. However, 2025,… WILL'S WORLDWill's World: Christmas ghosts perform a minor miracleI’m not certain why it happens, but it’s hard not to be curmudgeonly as a man when you hit your mid-40s. One minute you’re a ray of youthful sunshine, hopelessly… NEWS12 key takeaways from Batters’ Farm Profitability ReviewThe Farm Profitability Review, led by former NFU president Baroness Minette Batters and commissioned by the UK government, paints a stark picture of a sector under sustained pressure. Rising costs,… CRIMEDog attacks on livestock now carry unlimited finesFarmers will benefit from stronger legal protections against dog attacks on livestock from today (December 18). The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Act 2025, raises the maximum penalty for livestock… WILDLIFESea eagle funding uncertainty threatens lambing, NFUS warnsNFU Scotland has warned hill farmers and crofters cannot plan for the coming lambing season unless the Scottish government urgently commits to future funding for the Sea Eagle Management Scheme.… NEWSBatters’ Farm Profitability Review finally publishedDefra has published Baroness Minette Batters’ long-awaited Farm Profitability Review, ending months of uncertainty over when the document would see the light of day and reigniting debate over the future…
