Funding

Industry bodies have warned of the potential consequences of some of the proposed policies ahead of today’s Budget. Cedric Porter reports. 

Policies around climate change mitigation can bring financial benefits for farm businesses. Olivia Midgley reports from the Energy and Rural Business Show at Peterborough Arena.  

The Chancellor has placated industry fears as he confirmed tax relief on red diesel would be retained for the agricultural sector. 

The SNP has said it is ‘exasperated’ by the UK Government’s failure to commit to having a red meat levy repatriation scheme up and running by April next year.

Rural areas are set to benefit from a £1 billion deal to help tackle poor mobile phone coverage within the next five years, which will see major phone operators share the costs of new masts.

A few years ago, our plan was to mitigate the loss of direct payments through diversification, but poor weather and prices mean that additional cash is being used to keep the farm afloat today, says Cornish lamb and beef farmer Rona Amiss.

The Government’s post-Brexit agriculture reforms provide an opportunity for farms to become more prosperous, but those who resist the push to become ‘park keepers’ risk being the first to go out of business, says independent consultant Derrick Wilkinson.

The Agriculture Bill has potential to deliver for the environment, but the Government’s insistence on penny pinching during the transition period is likely to drive the farmers needed to implement the policy out of business, says Tim Farron MP, Lib Dem farming spokesman.

Labour has not always done the best job of speaking for the countryside, but farmers need us to raise their concerns now more than ever, because uber-loyal Tories afraid of Number 10 won’t, says Shadow Defra Secretary Luke Pollard.

NFU Scotland has launched its policy proposals for the next decade with the period up to 2024 chiming closely with the Scottish Government’s well-aired Stability and Simplicity programme.