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Responding to Defra putting on hold 76 capital grant items, NFU deputy president David Exwood said: "The messaging of this is confusing – farmers and growers are being asked to adopt measures to improve the environment but have been left in the lurch without access to the key grant schemes which will enable them to do this"

Defra confirmed 76 grant items have been impacted. For farmers who have applied for a grant that is temporarily withdrawn, their application will be put on hold and will be contacted early next year

The CAAV said an increase in applications and growing budget pressures has meant Rural Payments Agency has paused offers

A rumoured move in funding towards the Barnett formula would mean a UK Treasury model ‘calculates the amount of block grant each of the devolved nations should receive based on populations'

AHDB economics and analysis director David Eudall warned the industry was at a 'tipping point of how effective the Budget can be' in balancing food security, supporting farm efficiency, and delivering environmental benefits

New report says 16 rural authorities could be insolvent in next two years

Agricultural sustainability director at Lloyds Banking Group Ben Makowiecki said: "There are a lot of people trying to get to the same place in a similar way. Let us not compete against each other to get there"

Tenant Farmers Association said it had been given reassurances from a senior Defra official last week that a decision was imminent

This week from Farmers Guardian editor Olivia Midgley

FSA charges are currently discounted according to the number of hours involved so that smaller abattoir businesses, which require fewer hours regulation, receive a greater discount