All from last 24 hours STAFF MANAGEMENTUK work visas for NZ and Aussie sheep shearers grantedOverseas 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 PRICESGlobal demand for meat set to grow as production risesGlobal 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… ENVIRONMENTFarm fined after slurry spills pollute Bristol Avon riverA 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 GRANTSScots cabinet secretary commits to early farmer paymentsFarmers 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 PRICESScottish cattle numbers still falling but decline slowsQuality 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… BREXITChlorinated chicken entering UK 'won't happen', says FarageNigel 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… LIVESTOCKHybu Cig Cymru sets out vision for the Welsh red meat industryWelsh red meat levy body, Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC), has outlined its priorities for the next four years with the publication of its strategic action plan, Red Meat Industry Vision:… TRACTORSWhy a Cumbrian contractor runs 5 ageing Claas Ares tractorsIf you spot a tidy-looking Claas Ares trimming a Cumbrian roadside, chances are it will belong to the C Davidson clan. That’s because the Carlisle-based contractor runs a total of… CROP WATCHCrop Watch: T0s approach in barley and an OSR weed issueThe T0 timing is fast approaching in earlier drilled winter barleys in the South, which are showing some disease after a wet winter. In Scotland, OSR weed control has not… DISEASE MANAGEMENTTrial shows value of T0 sprays across several different seasonsA well-planned T0 spray may prove to be a cost-effective insurance policy this spring, especially given that early drilling, high crop biomass and a mild winter have created what experts… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Could easier local tip access cut fly-tipping?We have finished scanning our ewes and we are pretty happy with the results. We never expect terribly high scanning percentages as we are pretty low input and run majority… AGRICULTURAL TRANSITIONTest before you invest: how ADOPT funding works for farmsADOPT (Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies) is a Defra/UKRI fund supporting England’s farmers to run practical on-farm trials. It’s designed for farmer-led projects that take an idea from “this…