Business News

With the launch of the SFI scheme delayed until mid-September and farmers facing a bleak end to 2023, the NFU is calling on the government to “do the right thing” and halt all further reductions to BPS payments until environmental schemes are fully up and running.

The sugar industry are ready to accept applicants for the latest Sugar Industry Programme taking place through the sugar beet campaign. The course is for those who grow sugar beet and would be interested to learn what happens on the inside of the sugar industry.

With British Sugar recently announcing their factory opening dates, many farmers and haulage companies are preparing to transport sugar beet to the factories this autumn. Keeping farmers and industry workers safe is a key topic right now, here are some important things to consider regarding vehicle load safety and security.

The Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO) has launched a new podcast targeted at the UK’s pea and bean sector.

As the government moves to push back import checks on EU produce by another three months, the British Poultry Council (BPC) raised concerns that further delays will undercut domestic production with cheap imports, posing a food safety and biosecurity risk and pushing up British food prices.

The farming industry carries many risks. Some are obvious, such as dealing with heavy or sharp apparatus, working at height or even angry livestock, and others less so, such as handling grain.

Over 15 hours of business training and one-to-one support is available for farming families in England through the Farm for the Future programme, run by The Royal Countryside Fund with the aim of helping farmers increase business resilience and plan for the future.

Research carried out by UCD’s School of Agriculture and Food Science has shown that significant cost savings are possible when using multispecies swards for grazing livestock, which can yield up to 25% more herbage and lead to quicker finishing times.

Over 100 MPs have signed a letter urging supermarkets to incorporate ‘Buy British’ sections on their online shops.

Dr Carrie Rimes, a former grassland ecologist turned artisan cheese-maker, recently hosted minister Lesley Griffiths on her new award-winning sheep milk dairy in Bethesda, Gwynedd, which was realised through government funding and support from the local council.

The National Sheep Association is highlighting the importance of British consumers having access to high quality, affordable British food, that also benefits the countryside and farming communities.

Some of the UK’s best pick your own farms have been shortlisted for the national Farm Retail Awards.