Steve Reed

NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said there are sheep farmers who have 'wholeheartedly thrown themselves into the SFI pilot', whose agreements have now ended with no certainty over continuation into SFI and fears over budget cutbacks

James farms Dairy Shorthorns east of Kendal, Cumbria, with his parents Kathleen and Henry, wife Michelle and sons Robert and Chris. The fifth generation to farm at Strickley, he is also vice-chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network

Responding to Defra putting on hold 76 capital grant items, NFU deputy president David Exwood said: "The messaging of this is confusing – farmers and growers are being asked to adopt measures to improve the environment but have been left in the lurch without access to the key grant schemes which will enable them to do this"

According to Defra, around 13,000 farmers were impacted by severe wet weather, including Storms Henk and Babet, between October and March last year

Defra confirmed 76 grant items have been impacted. For farmers who have applied for a grant that is temporarily withdrawn, their application will be put on hold and will be contacted early next year

The NFU has expressed ‘extreme concern' to reports the scheme is now unlikely to open until mid-2025

In an online video to NFU members, Mr Bradshaw said the PM was 'very much in listening mode' and hoped he was going to act on what he had heard around the 'very real human impacts' of IHT changes

Devon and Wales face record rainfall as 172 flood alerts remain in place across UK

The NFU said their campaign to overturn the family farm tax has attracted an increase of 50,000 signatures over just two days in the lead-up to and after the NFU's mass lobby of MPs in Westminster this week

Welsh Conservatives said the family farm tax will be 'detrimental to the future of farming in Wales', warning that food security will be 'threatened and food prices will rise'