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PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

Farmers face grant delays as advice service hits capacity

Farmers may struggle to access Defra’s £225m Capital Grants scheme after key advisers warned they are already unable to take on new requests as part of the new guidance announced.…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Ensus bioethanol plant to reopen with £100m funding deal

Farmers are set to regain a significant market for maize and feed wheat, as well as a key source of animal feed in the North East, with the Ensus UK…

FARM POLICY

New pan-industry partnership aims to raise farm profitability

Food and farming industry leaders have held their first meeting of the Farming & Food Partnership Board, set up in response to Baroness Minette Batters’ Farm Profitability Review, published last…

ENVIRONMENT

Are farmers really to blame for water pollution?

Farming has become the default villain in Britain’s water pollution story. The narrative is familiar – nutrients in rivers rise, ecology declines and agriculture takes the blame. But speak to…

DAIRY

Are transition cows getting enough metabolisable protein?

Dairy producers could be limiting early lactation performance by underfeeding metabolisable protein, as well as the amino acids methionine and lysine, to transition cows. Prof Jim Drackley of the University…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Sugar markets recover from lows as campaign ends

Global sugar markets have rallied in the past month, with prices hitting a five-month high on 24 March. This marks a strong recovery and a significant shift in the market,…

ENVIRONMENT

Hampshire farmers launch major new environmental plan

More than 100 farmers in the Hampshire Avon catchment have launched a groundbreaking Environmental Transition Plan, working together to reverse biodiversity decline, improve water quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.…

DIVERSIFICATION

How padel can make a profitable farm diversification

From the outside, it looks like any other on-farm grain store, but as the door opens, the scene is far from typical. There’s brightly coloured carpet surrounded by glass and…

WILDLIFE

Wales' curlew project benefits from £1m government grant

A new conservation project aimed at reversing the decline of curlew populations in Wales is set to work closely with farmers in Powys after securing nearly £1m in government funding.…

FARMER FOCUS

Farmer Focus: We must take resilience more seriously

Donald Trump’s war with Iran has rocked fuel prices. The initial rises are a worry, but securing supply during peak periods is a far bigger concern. Input security costs money,…

TOOLS

Stihl bolsters battery brush cutter range with gutsy FSA 250

Stihl has added a new high-powered brush cutter to its professional-grade cordless line-up that’s built to handle both mowing and clearing work. Peak output from the FSA 250’s EC motor…

COMMUNITY

Farm visits open children’s eyes to rural opportunities

Children from across the south of England are discovering farming and food production careers through hands-on visits at Goodwood Farm, as its Education Trust celebrates 50 years of outdoor learning.…