news

Farmers in England are now able to apply for the Woodland Creation Grant (WCG) all-year-round in a bid to attract more applications. The move ties in with the government’s plans to increase the amount of woodland cover for which its goals include planting 11 million trees by 2020 and having 12%...

Defra's Farm Business Survey results show a 24% increase in total output for horticulture businesses between 2015/16 and 2016/17. The findings come from research conducted by Rural Business Research, a group of specialist Universities and Colleges in England who undertake the Defra-funded Farm...

The NFU is encouraging the agricultural and rural sectors to take part in their annual broadband and mobile survey to help build a true picture of connectivity in the countryside. The NFU continues to engage with the government about the need for fast, affordable and reliable broadband and...

Pladis UK&I, the company behind biscuit brands such as McVitie’s and Carr’s has announced plans to expand its 'Back to Farm' scheme. With a commitment to continue using 100% British wheat in their products, pladis UK&I are targeting a new group of farmers in the south of England to directly...

Farming Charity R.A.B.I (The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution) has announced the appointment of Alicia Chivers as its new chief executive from November 2018. A qualified chartered accountant from a farming family, Alicia is currently the CEO of the RAF Central Fund, a charity providing...

New figures have shown that organic food sales have grown 4% in 2018 thanks to strong dairy and fresh produce sales. The figures, over 12 months ending June 2018, shows seven consecutive years of growth for organic produce. Total sales grew by 5.3%, while dairy, the largest overall market...

Family farm businesses across the UK are invited to register for the third year of The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme from Monday 3 September 2018. Having already helped hundreds of family farming businesses, the initiative is aimed at dairy, beef, and sheep farmers, and is designed to help...

Time is running out for applicants to apply for overseas research grants to investigate new ideas for improving rural life in the UK. Those interested have until 5pm on 18 September 2018 to apply for the Churchill Fellowships; travel grants that fund individuals to research innovative ideas and...

The shortlist for this year’s British Farming Awards has been announced in what has been described as a record-breaking year for the event. With the awards now in its sixth year, there are 15 categories open to entrants recognising the core farming sectors, as well as acknowledging the wealth...

A unique business has been formed which sees dairy farmers, rearers and finishers paid a guaranteed price for breeding and finishing Wagyu cross dairy animals. Growing demand for Wagyu beef has resulted in Warrendale Wagyu, established by Jim Bloom last year, to develop a system that works on a...

The average number of job applicants per vacancy has dropped in the past year, according to the latest Labour Market Outlook from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. The CIPD report concludes that demand for labour remains robust but that labour supply is failing to keep pace...

A Dutch property company, Beladon, is launching the world's first offshore dairy farm in the Port of Rotterdam, this year. With the aim of helping the city produce more of its own food sustainably, the farm in the middle of Rotterdam’s Merwehaven harbour will initially milk 40 Meuse-Rhine-Issel...

Rhug Estate near Corwen in North Wales has made retail history this week opening the first on-farm drive-thru. The Denbighshire farm estate is renowned for its quality organic meat that includes wild bison and Japanese Sika deer, and suppliers some of the UK’s finest restaurants. But, in a...

Tenant farmers are warned to look carefully at clauses within new Farm Business Tenancies as a rise in agreements not fit for purpose are reported. Speaking on the issues, Philip Meade from Davis Meade Property Consultants said, “We are seeing a rise in the number of FBT agreements containing...

Young people in rural communities have been given their chance to help shape the future of the rural economy. The Rural Youth Project, launched at the start of this year by Jane Craigie Marketing, has been developed to find out more about the opinions of 18 to 28 year olds with a view to...

If no agreement is reached during Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU, small businesses will suffer. A study by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has found that 59% of SMEs that export goods to the EU Customs Union say trade would be impacted if overall costs increased as a...

The deadline to apply to attend a series of dairy business management classes is fast approaching. The Entrepreneurs in Dairying training programme organised jointly by RABDF, AHDB Dairy, consultancy firm Andersons and the NFU invites those with a vested interest in the industry to apply...

Morrisons has launched a trial that could revolutionise the way eggs are sold in the country's fourth biggest supermarket chain, a model others could learn from. The retailer says it is introducing pick-your-own egg stands in some of its stores - a return, it says, to the ‘farm shop style’ of...

Farmers and landowners should be cautious about any offers from developers who are looking to off-load grid connection rights for battery storage schemes. Independent power consultant, Roadnight Taylor, has issued the warning after a farmer contacted the firm for advice after being approached...

Results of the Savills Shoot Benchmarking Survey released this week, have highlighted optimism among UK shoots ahead of the 2018/19 season. The report produced in conjunction with the Game and Wildlife Trust which includes data from 130 shoots throughout the UK captured during the 2017/18...