trade

ELMS might not be shaping up to be the revolutionary scheme promised by Ministers, but my experience tells me reinventing the wheel may not necessarily be a good thing, says Efra committee chairman Neil Parish MP.

The run of increasing pig prices has come to an end against a background of more supply and lower global prices.

The National Pig Association (NPA) has warned any friction at the UK-EU border when the Brexit transition period comes to an end will hit exports of breeding stock and cull sows.

Farmers have benefited from lower fuel prices over the last few months, but costs of a range of key inputs are now creeping up.

So it is now official, the UK is in recession as a result of two consecutive quarters of negative growth.

All Government departments must be aware that introducing friction at the UK-EU border will have a major effect on pig production, processing and herd health, says Ed Barker, senior policy advisor at the National Pig Association.

The Government’s Trade Bill has left MPs with less power to scrutinise trade deals and protect farmers than UK MEPs had in the EU, says Tim Farron, agriculture spokesman for the Liberal Democrats.

New Trade and Agriculture Commission member Shanker Singham has not always had the best reputation in the farming community. Abi Kay speaks to him to find out how he thinks UK farmers can be protected in a post-Brexit world.

During my early-teen growth spurt I had skinny, matchstick legs and gigantic size-12 feet which I could barely control. This made me hopeless at football – this was in the1980s and Peter Crouch had not surfaced yet.

Irish farmers could be entitled to payments in the region of €100 (£90) per head of cattle slaughtered due to Brexit and Covid-19 disruption.