Livestock

It was a different format this year for the LiveScot event held at Lanark market with no spectators and animals judged in the pens, but there was a good turnout of livestock and strong demand from buyers.

UK ministers have been urged to negotiate a seven-year derogation from EU scrapie rules to allow the trade in breeding sheep between Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland (NI) to continue.

Tributes have been paid to a farmer and AHDB beef and lamb board member who died suddenly at his farm.

In the latest bull proofs, released this week by AHDB Dairy, there is a raft of newcomers in the genomic rankings alongside relative stability among the top daughter-proven bulls.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has paid £1.67 billion of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) money to more than 95 per cent of farmers in the first day of the payment window.

Farmers must be vigilant and ramp up their security measures following the rising spate in Land Rover Defender thefts, NFU Mutual and North Yorkshire Police have said.

We understand farmers are anxious about the changes outlined by Defra in its agricultural transition plan this week, but that change will offer real opportunities for the sector, says Farming Minister Victoria Prentis.