Legislation

Farmers Guardian has long campaigned for a change in the law around livestock worrying and, therefore, it is encouraging to see progress being made in Scotland with the introduction of the Livestock Worrying - Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill.

Farm groups have cautiously welcomed the Government’s new tariff schedule, which maintains protections for key agricultural products such as lamb, beef, poultry, cheese and butter.

With Covid-19 magnifying the strategic importance of domestic food production following major supply chain disruption, the National Beef Association (NBA) has warned Government must take food security ‘seriously’.

A new Bill before the Scottish Parliament will, if passed by MSPs, allow much stricter measures to be taken against those who allow their dogs to worry livestock.

The EU’s anti-innovation approach to policy making has stopped UK farmers benefitting from the latest scientific developments – but now there is an opportunity to change that, says Mark Buckingham, chair of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council.

There is much good in the Agriculture Bill, but its failure to protect farmers from low standard imports is very serious, says Daniel Zeichner, Labour’s Shadow Farming Minister.

Welsh Government’s failure to consider how to protect food security in its post-Brexit policy proposals was flagged as a major concern by respondents to a key consultation, held before the coronavirus pandemic.

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.

Faced with the greatest threat to public health this country has faced in our lifetimes, the Government has taken a series of unprecedented steps to protect the NHS and save many thousands of lives, says Defra Secretary George Eustice.

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.