Dairy

A new piece of legislation which will allow the Government to continue to pay farm subsidies in 2020 is expected to be passed by the end of this month, according to a Defra spokeswoman.

In a fiery debate at the Oxford Real Farming Conference, George Monbiot’s vision that synthetic food would replace most agricultural production in the next few decades was greeted with disbelief and derision.

Farmers are set to cash in over the coming years as raw materials become ‘food brands’ in and of themselves, according to an advertising expert.

The fight between Welsh Government and the UK Government over funding for farmers is likely to intensify in 2020, says Plaid Cymru Shadow Rural Affairs Minister Llyr Gruffydd.

With this year’s winter shaping up to be mild and wet for many, cases of pneumonia in calves appear anecdotally high. Farmers Guardian provides a round-up of top tips on how to combat the disease.

The Government’s chief food adviser has called the current debate on meat eating an unpleasant dialogue of the deaf.

Defra Secretary Theresa Villiers has admitted ‘engaging’ with Number 10 on the last-minute decision to stop the Derbyshire badger cull.

Farmers without formal qualifications could be excluded from accessing Government funding or even tenancies over the next two or three years, a prominent peer has warned.

The NFU has called for farmers in England to keep at least 30 per cent of their direct payments after Brexit.

The NFU has called for the new Agriculture Bill, which will be reintroduced to Parliament this month, to set up a commission to protect food standards in trade deals.