Politics

The Prince of Wales will not be renewing the lease on his 1,000-acre organic farm in Gloucestershire, it has been confirmed.

Farming groups have criticised the latest proposals to reintroduce the Eurasian lynx at a site in Scotland, amid fears over predation.

The NFU has called for further clarity on the new Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS), as the government consultation draws to a close today (31st July).

Farmers will no longer be required to comply with complex rules around crop diversification, Ecological Focus Areas and greening permanent grassland, after government announced the removal of greening rules from the direct payments regime for 2021.

A Cambridgeshire arable farmer has raised concerns about food security amid government proposals to take thousands of hectares out of food production to plant trees.

Homes and businesses across the country will be better protected and more resilient in future after the government revealed its long-term plan to tackle the risks of flooding and coastal erosion.

Retailers, farming unions, consumer, hospitality and environmental bodies have all been included in the membership of the new Trade and Agriculture Commission, the government says.

Farmers drove their tractors into the heart of London this week as part of a socially-distanced protest against the possibility of cheap food imports arriving in the UK.

As lockdown restrictions continue to ease across the UK, more and more people are venturing into the great outdoors to enjoy some fresh air and get their daily dose of exercise. But for farmers, this can mean an influx of strangers walking across their land. 

Trade secretary Liz Truss has announced that, after months of campaigning from farming groups, the government will set up a Trade and Agriculture Commission to help inform trade policy.

The UK Government has launched a consultation to find out whether new regulations could help to ensure dairy farmers are treated fairly, which the NFU is describing as a “once in a lifetime opportunity to build a better future for the UK dairy sector”.

Rural tourism businesses will be able to reopen from 4th July, the government has announced, prompting a sigh of relief from rural organisations.