Farm Business

Land and property markets have been shaken by the Covid-19 epidemic, but how long will it take for things to bounce back? Ewan Pate reports.

JCB has announced about 950 jobs are at risk of redundancy as demand for the manufacturer’s machines has fallen by half as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.

Firstly, I would like to start by acknowledging the fantastic job Christine Ryder has done writing this column for the past five years. She is truly a hard act to follow.

The Agriculture Bill returning to Parliament this week is an important step in the UK’s departure from the EU, setting out the route to a new, more tailored system of agricultural support, as well as providing the basis for UK farmers to embrace the latest technology.

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.

Prime minister Boris Johnson intervened twice to stop the Derbyshire badger cull going ahead, court documents have revealed.

The weather market is still in play and more dry weather is forecast for the EU in the coming weeks.

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.

Japan is seeking to minimise access to its market for UK food products in any post-Brexit trade deal, a leading expert has warned.

Reinforcing the crucial role of farming to politicians has not always been an easy task, especially for those with predominantly urban constituencies. The coronavirus pandemic has, however, forced many with with only a fleeting interest in agriculture to re-engage with the industry and the vital work farmers do in feeding the nation.