Farmers call for flexibility within SFS to avoid “irreversible damage”

At a seminar on the Welsh government’s proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) hosted by NFU Cymru, farmers have raised concerns over the 10% tree cover and habitat targets with rural affairs minister Lesley Griffiths and called for greater flexibility to make the scheme viable for producers.

Alternative support for Welsh farmers as subsidy scheme draws to a close

With subsidy payments for farmers set to end this year, the Welsh government has announced the launch of an interim agri-environment scheme from 1st January 2024 to provide alternative support until the start of the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme in 2025.

Total farming income sees 13% rise in England last year

Despite high input costs, the total income from farming (TIFF) in England came to £5.7 billion in 2022, marking an increase of 12.9% on the previous year, the latest figures released by Defra yesterday (6th July) have revealed.

CAAV opposes proposal restricting APR on tenanted land

The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) has strongly opposed a proposal that would restrict Agricultural Property Relief (APR) on tenanted land to land let for at least eight years.

Levy payers face increase in rates as AHDB looks to offset rising costs

Discussions have begun around increasing levy rates from April 2024 as AHDB claims the board’s spending power has been significantly reduced by inflation and rising costs, limiting its ability to deliver valuable services to the agriculture sector.

Defra announces latest round of FETF funding

Over £30 million has been made available to farmers and foresters for equipment and technology under the Productivity and Slurry budget.

Farmers more likely to seek financial advice and invest in the future, survey shows

Latest research from NFU Mutual has shown farmers and other agricultural workers are more likely to be proactive in the face of current economic challenges such as high inflation by seeking financial advice and exploring investment opportunities.

New guidance on delinked payments creates fairer system for farm buyers

Farm buyers are now eligible to claim delinked payments on recently purchased land, provided they made a valid BPS claim in 2023, the latest guidance from Defra has revealed.

Opportunities in farm and rural estate finance in a volatile market

In times of high volatility in the finance market, Mark Ashbridge of finance solutions firm Ashbridge Partners believes there are still opportunities to be had for farmers wishing to expand their business, and even suggested that raising debt in an inflationary environment can be, on the long term, really quite productive.

Tax considerations of green farming in 2023

With biodiversity net gain (BNG) and woodland carbon units (WCU) utilised by more and more farm businesses to generate additional income, Gavin Birchall, tax advisory partner at Scrutton Bland, shared expert advice on the various tax implications of green farming in 2023.

AHDB exceeds two-year target saving £8.5m in operational costs

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) confirmed it has achieved the target of reducing operational costs by £7.8m by the end of the 2022/23 tax year, saving a total of £8.5m in a bid to offer better value for levy payers.

SFI payments could soon exceed historic BPS income

Rural land and property specialists GSC Grays believe some farms could be better off under the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme and urged farmers to consider transitioning to a regenerative farming system.

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