Farm Business

The Government’s new green watchdog should be given the power to determine whether future farming budgets are high enough to deliver desired environmental outcomes, a leading ecological body has said.

Former NFU president and AHDB chairman Sir Peter Kendall admitted he was ‘not confident’ that the Government would reject imported food produced to lower standards but fearful they may go instead for ‘bucketshop’ deals.

Not always a popular cropping option, spring oilseed rape could come into its own this year with firm prices among other factors in its favour, delegates at a United Oilseeds/AHDB Agronomy Seminar heard.

Farming remains hugely important to the French economy and its success is very much tied to the operation of the EU Single market.

Farmers in Scotland will benefit from a share of £40m as the Scottish Government moves to decarbonise the agricultural sector.

The issue of food standards for imported food is not going away as Secretary of State for Scotland Douglas Ross MP discovered when he addressed the NFUS conference in Glasgow.

Almost half of UK farmers (48 per cent) are planning to set up or expand diversification schemes following the UK’s biggest shake-up in funding for decades, according to new research by NFU Mutual.

The tools for effective leadership were discussed at the inaugural Cultivate conference, held at Heaton House Farm in Macclesfield, Cheshire, and sponsored by Farmers Guardian. 

On Monday night at our local Highland Perthshire NFU branch meeting we were treated to an entertaining and informative talk by our local butcher Rory McDonald of McDonald Bros, Pitlochry and Aberfeldy.

Almost four years on from the referendum, we still don’t know whether farmers will be able to sell into the EU market or if they’ll be undercut by substandard imports, says Deirdre Brock, SNP spokesperson for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.