Border controls

Defra minister accused of 'sidestepping' questions ahead of looming fresh produce changes

Newly appointed chief executive Richard Lewis said: "Now more than ever, the UK needs a strong, science-led Animal and Plant Health Agency"

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown discusses President Donald Trump's 10% import tariffs and the impact on UK agriculture, the Farming Minister apologies to farmers who were unable to access SFI since its abrupt closure, the Government is warned not to go back on its word to seize and crush vehicles found to be importing illegal meat across the border, amid multiple disease threats, and the date for the new series of Clarkson's Farm has been announced

Nigel Bennet, livestock area manager, Northern Europe, Roam Technology, reflects on the growing risk to UK agriculture due to inadequate biosecurity, weak border controls and a shrinking veterinary workforce

Speaking on a panel giving evidence to the Efra Committee, Ms Wilson said she had been made aware of information that products of animal origin from Germany had been auto-cleared via Todcof in the last couple of weeks

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 episode of Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown discusses criticism of Government's response to foot-and-mouth disease in Germany and concerns raised over checks for illegal meat imports, Riverford Organic founder condemns supermarkets' support of farmers fighting to overturn the family farm tax as a ‘cynical, hypocritical' public relations stunt, and British dairy farmers have significantly reduced the number of pure-bred dairy bull calves being born on farms

Chartered environmental health practitioner and regulatory consultant, Helen Buckingham, said it took seven days for systems to be updated and 'things got through'

No cases of the disease have been reported in the UK so far