Round up: Pressure on Rachel Reeves after farmer protest and more Labour MPs speak out and experts answer questions on IHT

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reflects on this week's main news stories including mounting pressure on the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, with 40 Labour MPs calling for changes to the current family farm tax proposals. She also looks ahead to next week, with a special 'Ask the Expert' feature coming up in Farmers Guardian online and in print, where a panel of experts will be answering our readers' questions around the fallout of Inheritance Tax and how to best prepare your family farm business

Rachael Brown

07 March 2025 • 1 min read

READ LATEST NEWS STORIES:

Pressure mounts on Rachel Reeves as rural Labour MPs make feelings known on family farm tax changes

First Minister accused of 'dereliction of duty' over family farm tax

Family to walk 100 miles for farmer who took his own life

National Pig Association chief raises fears over German animal product entering the UK

HAVE YOUR SAY: Take part in our tenant farming survey: 'How are changes to Inheritance Tax impacting your tenant farm?'

Farming in Five: Defra under scrutiny over its decision to close SFI, with questions around why farmers were given little notice, and its transparency over the budget. But who will be the winners and losers?

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the latest from the fallout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive closure. Defra is under scrutiny over its failure to give farmers' notice as the industry questions whether all the budget has been spent. She also looks ahead to next week, a special podcast on Donald Trump, tariffs and what this means for machinery markets and UK farming going forward and the livestock team are heading to Borderway UK Dairy Expo at Carlisle this week, the first dairy show of the year

Rachael Brown

14 March 2025 • 1 min read

Farming in Five

February 13: Farming Minister said giving notice on SFI closure would have led to a 'spike in applications'

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown analyses the fall out from the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), with the Farming Minister telling MPs that farmers were not given notice on closure as it would have led to a 'further spike in applications'. The National Trust says Defra's decision to close SFI to new applications will leave farmers facing a 'four month funding gap'. And she takes a look at the NFU's farmer confidence survey which is reportedly at an 'all time low'

Rachael Brown

13 March 2025 • 1 min read

Farming in Five

March 12: Defra delivers hammer blow as it closes SFI24

In today's Farming in Five, head of news and business Alex Black discusses the sudden announcement from Defra that it has closed applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2024 due to high demand. She takes a look at the comments made by Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner as well as farming's reaction to the news, with farmers branding it a 'shambles'