Funding

More than 90 per cent of respondents anticipate a spike in demand for farming support organisations over the next five years, a new survey by the Farming Community Network (FCN) has revealed.

Defra and the Department for International Trade (DIT) have launched a ‘bounce back’ plan to help farmers hit by the coronavirus boost overseas sales.

Defra non-executive director Ben Goldsmith has called for ‘rewilding’ to be renamed ‘wilder farming’ in order to reassure farmers they are central to the movement.

A massive 80 per cent of rural businesses are expecting their profits to fall in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest Rural Sentiment Survey from Knight Frank.

Many fear nature restoration represents a threat to farming communities in the uplands, but nothing could be further from the truth. ‘Wilder farming’ is a better way to describe the changes needed than ‘rewilding’, says Defra non-executive director Ben Goldsmith.

The ‘vast majority’ of farms in England will survive the withdrawal of direct payments, Defra’s director general for food and farming, David Kennedy, has said.

Flood-hit farmers are set to benefit from a £6 million funding pot, to help with recovery efforts.

AFP, a specialist capital provider to UK businesses operating in the agriculture sector, has been approved to issue loans under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) to offset cashflow disruption.

Farmers who do not receive proper support during the Brexit transition period may face serious identity crises, the chief executive of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission has said.

Farmers are being urged to explore the opportunity of making money on private natural capital markets as Government spending on the coronavirus pandemic continues to spiral.