Labour Government

This week from Farmers Guardian editor Olivia Midgley

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown analyses the fall out from the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), with the Farming Minister telling MPs that farmers were not given notice on closure as it would have led to a 'further spike in applications'. The National Trust says Defra's decision to close SFI to new applications will leave farmers facing a 'four month funding gap'. And she takes a look at the NFU's farmer confidence survey which is reportedly at an 'all time low'

Environmental groups back farmers and join condemnation of Government announcement

Despite the Government's own website stating that it would give farmers six week notice before the closure of SFI, the Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said it was not possible, as it would have led to a ‘further spike in applications'

SFI24 now has more than 37,000 multi-year live agreements and has reached its ‘maximum limit' and can no longer accept new SFI applications from today

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on new Government plans that could force farmers and landowners to sell their land at a lower value, how lab-grown meat, dairy and sugar could hit retail shelves within two years, and a 'landmark' court ruling for environmental campaign group River Action, which has thrown out the NFU's bid to have chicken manure classed as an agricultural by-product, rather than as industrial ‘waste'

Livestock industry chief accuses Government agencies of rushing through 'a huge experiment in generational human health'

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reflects on this week's main news stories including mounting pressure on the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, with 40 Labour MPs calling for changes to the current family farm tax proposals. She also looks ahead to next week, with a special 'Ask the Expert' feature coming up in Farmers Guardian online and in print, where a panel of experts will be answering our readers' questions around the fallout of Inheritance Tax and how to best prepare your family farm business

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown takes a look at the main news stories this week, with the family farm tax dominating the headlines from NFU conference, and the PM facing criticism for breaking his promise on ensuring solar farm developments would not be at the expense of tenant farmers following the appeal decision at Emma and Rob Sturdy's farm. She also looks ahead to next week, with another farmer rally in Westminster on Pancake Day over the impact of the family farm tax on the elderly and terminally ill

The TFA has urgently called for answers following a decision earlier this week to allow a major solar development on the Sturdy family's tenanted farm in North Yorkshire