51AVÊÓƵ

Poultry farmers are set to face an increase in insurance premiums as avian influenza (AI) continues to pose a risk to operations.

The Scottish Government has unveiled plans for a four-tier support scheme, but NFU Scotland warned there are still no ‘detailed policy options’ on the table.

The Foundation for Common Land (FCL) has warned the last three per cent of England’s collectively managed land is at risk of being lost due to the slow development of the Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme.

Conservative leadership candidate Rishi Sunak was grilled by farmers and the press during an NFU hustings held at the union’s headquarters in Stoneleigh last week. Abi Kay reports on the highlights.

Defra has launched a £12.5 million competition to help accelerate the development of technologies to create new sources of resource efficient, low-emission proteins.

Defra must reword its ‘unachievable’ Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) arable soils standard on organic matter or risk it being snubbed by farmers, according to Stephen Ridsdale, chair of the British Farming Union.

51AVÊÓƵbusinesses must make sure they are registered for the Making Tax Digital (VAT) initiative to avoid facing future penalties, Anne Cianchi, Farmplan product manager, has warned.

Defra Secretary Victoria Prentis has said she is ‘happy’ with the initial take-up of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). Abi Kay and Angela Calvert report.

Farmers and landowners can utilise the Forestry Commission’s ‘flexible’ England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) to produce a woodland which meets their own objectives.

The newly-elected chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) select committee Sir Robert Goodwill has voiced concern that the Government is not quite ready to deliver parts of the ELM scheme.