Farming in Five

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on Arla’s soaring profits, giving its farmer-owners the highest dividend payout in the company’s history, how tenant farmers are being left ‘unprotected’ by the Chancellor’s changes to Inheritance Tax, and the UK's borders have been called into question once again after 600kg of illegal meat was seized in Northern Ireland.

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the farming unions' meeting with Treasury to discuss the family farm tax, where farming leaders felt the door had been 'slammed in their faces' once again. Unions now say their focus is on getting more Labour backbench MPs including those in the inner cities to pressurise the Government ahead of the Finance Bill in Autumn. And in other news, the UK's borders have been called into question once again after 600kg of illegal meat was seized in Northern Ireland, and growers are being urged to be extra vigilant amid warnings that organised crime gangs are targeting rural properties

In today's Farming in Five, head of news and business Alex Black discusses the farming union's and other farming bodies upcoming meeting with the Treasury, the trends in sheep meat production and the fall in confidence in small businesses

In today's Farming In Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the PM being pressurised by the Conservative party to show his face at NFU conference next week to address farmers' concerns over inheritance tax changes, farming unions are due to meet with Treasury officials tomorrow, where they hope to voice their members concerns and hear some solutions, and egg prices are soaring in the US as the impact of avian influenza is felt across the country.

In today's Farming In Five, head of news and business Alex Black talks about Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's comments that the UK can have a 'tax break' for farmers or bring down NHS waiting lists. The comments caused anger across the industry. It comes ahead of meetings between farming organisations and HM Treasury next week. And in Mind Your Head Week, farmers have been urged to take a break during a busy spring schedule for their mental health.

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the Prime Minister's comment that farming is 'top of his agenda', despite refusing to apologise for his Minister's comments earlier this week that agriculture was not high in the Government's 'pecking order', Devon County Council's Farms Estate is owed more than £400,000 in overdue rent from tenants, and farming shows scooped up awards at this year's TV Choice Awards, including a win for Springtime on the Farm which won best factual show

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the Farming Minister's comments that agriculture is low in the Government's 'pecking order' and 'the Budget is the Budget' and the focus must now be on getting the sector on a ‘proper, sustainable, business-like footing', and restaurant chain Nando's is to conduct an independent audit of its chicken suppliers after it was accused of ‘killing' the River Wye by green campaign groups

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown summarise the farmers' protest in Whitehall and concerns raised by some Labour backbencher MPs in yesterday's Westminster Hall debate, proposals for a new state-of-the-art abattoir in Orkney backed by Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, and new reward points being offered to potato growers who can an demonstrate best application practice at planting when using Nemathorin to manage key soil pests

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on farmer protest in Westminster over family family tax, followed by a debate in Westminster with MPs later today, a machinery auctioneer has seen a marked increase in the number of machinery valuations as farmers look to sell any surplus kit to help reduce the value of their estates, and UK beef production is expected to decrease by 5% in 2025, according to AHDB analysis

In today's Farming in Five, head of news and business Alex Black speaks about the new NFU Scotland president Andrew Connon and a round up of all the goings on at this year's NFUS conference