Steve Reed

Mr Juniper, former president of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and adviser to King Charles, has been reappointed as chair of Natural England for a third term

Exmoor farmer Robin Milton said ‘trust and confidence in SFI had been wrecked' and it would take ‘some exceptionally good assurance' before many farmers would trust integrating it into their business again

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'

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'

North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain writes about the family farm tax, changes to Universal Credit, mental health in farming, Defra Secretary Steve Reed, NFU Scotland, tenant farmers and the cost pressures facing the sector

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

This week from Farmers Guardian editor Olivia Midgley

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

When asked what political barriers there were to the Treasury adopting the clawback solution put to Treasury officials last week, Mr Bradshaw said the Government was looking for an ‘economic moment', referencing the Autumn Budget later this year