Arable

An amendment to the Agriculture Bill which would have banned low standard food imports from entering the UK was defeated in the House of Commons by 51 votes last night.

EAC Chairman, Philip Dunne MP has voiced concerns that the decision to suspend work on the Chemicals Strategy could disrupt chemical availability once the Brexit transition period comes to an end.

A particularly short flowering period is being seen in some crops of oilseed rape this season, presenting questions over what this could mean for yield come harvest.

Recent dry weather has led to sugar beet crops emerging unevenly, making herbicide applications tricky to time.

British potato stocks were 20 per cent higher at the end of March than at the same point last season, according to AHDB estimates.

Refusing to extend the deadline for EU trade talks will weaken the UK’s position and play straight into the hands of the US and others, says Dr Nick Fenwick, FUW head of policy.

The SNP has called on the Chancellor to use the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payment structure to ensure farmers receive coronavirus support.

Cover crop strategies – designed to protect margins, capitalise on farm payments and maximise environmental benefits – are essential, according to AHDB-funded research.

Specialists at the Centre for Food Policy at City, University of London, are calling for the establishment of a cross-Government committee to coordinate decision-making on food during the coronavirus pandemic.

Moving the UK towards self-sufficiency in food will undermine the country’s ability to bounce back from future shocks, a University of Leeds academic has claimed.