All from last 24 hours FARM POLICYDefra overhauls SFI with £100,000 cap and 71 actionsDefra secretary Emma Reynolds has unveiled a major reset of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) for England, capping annual payments at £100,000 and reducing the number of actions from 102… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESMeat suppliers condemn rise in FSA inspection feesMeat trade body the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers has condemned an imminent hike in official controls charges by the Food Standards Agency, calling for its immediate suspension and a… MARKETS AND TRENDSUK food supply chains at risk of major shocksThe UK food sector could be sleepwalking into major food shocks with vulnerabilities within the current "just in time" logistic system, according to Prof Tim Lang of the University of… FARM POLICYBradshaw defends ‘stay in the room’ farm IHT tacticNFU president Tom Bradshaw has delivered a robust defence of the union’s decision to “stay in the room” over farm inheritance tax, telling members that sustained lobbying secured vital concessions.… NEWSShotgun licensing to be overhauled by governmentThe Home Office has indicated that it intends to make changes to the licensing system for gun ownership, with results of a consultation due to be published “in due course”.… NEWSFarming resilience critical to UK food security – NFU chiefA resilient UK food system is “critical to the nation’s future” and central to tackling inflation, boosting national security and driving economic growth, NFU president Tom Bradshaw will tell delegates… FARM POLICYFUW cautions against tighter air pollution targetsSetting air pollution targets in Wales must not lead to tougher regulations for farming, the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has warned. Responding to a Welsh government consultation on new… MACHINERYKubota M5 and M6 offer 'fuss-free' farming for contractorA fuss-free approach to tractors and machinery is favoured by Huw Owen for the farming and contracting business he runs with wife Marion, based at Morfa Farm near Harlech. “I… WORKSHOP SKILLSInventions Comp 2026: Contractor builds tine toolbar drillTrivett and Sons’ tine toolbar drill has been highly commended. After battling several challenging autumn campaigns, Lawrence Trivett, brother Alistair and dad Andrew decided to rethink their drilling fleet. That… GRASSLAND MANAGEMENTBenefits of hay over silage for outwintered suckler cowsConserving multispecies swards as hay instead of silage has cut losses from spoilage and saved wrapping and disposal costs for Sam Pearman’s outwintered suckler cows on a bale-grazing system. See… OPINIONOpinion: Rush to build houses harms countryside and farmersHow many more new houses do we need? Everywhere you go, the urban sprawl gets bigger, infilling gaps between town and ring road on green belt, destroying farmland and habitat.… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: SFI 2026 set to be a shadow of its former selfThe taps have been turned on since Christmas, with no field work done for some time and water falling from the sky daily. What type of growing season will we… WORKSHOP SKILLSInventions Comp 2026: Planter cover keeps seed spuds dryCharlie Beattie has won third place in our simple category. One of the many challenges facing Charlie Beattie when planting 250ha of potatoes in Perthshire’s unpredictable weather is keeping seed…
