Efra Committee

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the top stories from this week, including the Chancellor being accused of using Ministers as 'human shields' over Inheritance Tax changes, farmers take fate into their own hands by abandoning their SFI applications early despite waiting for offers to be made by the Government, APHA appoints former police chief as new chief executive, and Baroness Minette Batters asked to lead a review into farm profitability. Next week the latest on Donald Trump's trade tariffs and the impact on agriculture, new details revealed for the next stage of Johne's disease plan, and a petition to get farming on the curriculum aims to get 100k signatures

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the appointment of APHA's new chief executive, former chief constable of Dyfed-Powys and Cleveland Police, Richard Lewis. She also reports on the latest wildfire warnings from across the UK, with 146 blazes reported in Northern Ireland since last Thursday. And young farmers vote on the impact of Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Inheritance Tax changes on the next generation of farmers

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

Minister defends Labour's agricultural policies as he faces bruising first Efra Committee appearance

Defra Minister Daniel Zeichner will be probed about the early closure of SFI and Defra's communication with the industry on key changes to farming policy

A letter written by Prime Minister David Lloyd George in 1917 has resurfaced online to reflect the national interest of growing food at home in a world filled with geopolitical uncertainty

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown looks back at the top news stories of the week, including the Chancellor's Spring Statement, the Defra Secretary facing criticism for visiting only four farms since Labour's General Election win, concerns around the end of funding for Producer Organisations within the soft fruit sector, and King Charles and the Prince of Wales out and about supporting British farming. She also looks ahead to next week, when the Farming Minister will make his first appearance before the Efra Committee to answer questions on the SFI suspension and ongoing industry concerns

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on a letter sent by the Efra Committee chair, Alistair Carmichael to the Farming Minister calling on the Government to focus on five key areas to improve fairness and resilience in the food supply chain. Later today Mr Carmichael will be presenting his food supply chain fairness bill in Parliament. And the absence of rural crime in the Government's Crime and Policing Bill has been branded 'unacceptable' by a Liberal Democrat MP

Alistair Carmichael asked for clarification when IPAFFS , Defra's IT system import of products, animals, food and feed system was successfully updated and operating as intended to reflect the policy change made on January 10 in response to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak

Efra chair Alistair Carmichael said the Defra Secretary and the Farming Minister should be the ‘voice of farmers within Government but they are clearly not being listened to' over the family farm tax