Politics

NFU Scotland says the Government must answer on the missing millions

The Countryside Alliance hailed the move as a 'victory for common sense'

Rural groups welcome move but insist more affordable homes are needed

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan said many farmers in her constituency who were currently undertaking positive environmental work are ‘ineligible' for the SFI scheme

Online applications for the scheme will be closed from 5pm tomorrow (December 21) until January 4 2024, in order to carry out essential maintenance

Despite previous promises by Government that the land use strategy document would be published by the end of the year, the Farmers Guardian understands it has been delayed to some point next year

CLA Cymru said it worked out at a '12.9 per cent reduction in the rural affairs budget', hollowing out around £50 million in support for farming. But the Welsh Government said Basic Payment Scheme payments would be maintained at £238m for 2024

The proposal put forward by the Welsh Government, was opposed by FUW members due to factors such as cost, the impracticalities of attempting to pasteurise, and the welfare benefits of colostrum

Organic Farmers and Growers chief executive Roger Kerr said there was a ‘whole industry out there built around pesticides and fertilisers' which wants organic to fail, but organic is a ‘defined farming system that can deliver a ‘low carbon, nature-friendly, people-positive' food system

The application portal for SFI will be closed between December 27 2023- January 2 2024. Any draft SFI applications that are not submitted before December 31 2023 will be lost and not recoverable when the portal reopens again in the new year