March 12: Defra delivers hammer blow as it closes SFI24

In today's Farming in Five, head of news and business Alex Black discusses the sudden announcement from Defra that it has closed applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2024 due to high demand. She takes a look at the comments made by Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner as well as farming's reaction to the news, with farmers branding it a 'shambles'

Alex Black

12 March 2025 • 1 min read

March 12: Defra delivers hammer blow as it closes SFI24

In today's Farming in Five, head of news and business Alex Black discusses the sudden announcement from Defra that it has closed applications for the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2024 due to high demand. She takes a look at the comments made by Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner as well as farming's reaction to the news, with farmers branding it a 'shambles'

Alex Black

12 March 2025 • 1 min read

Farming in Five

March 11: Farmers could be forced to sell their land to councils for less than their potential value under new Government planning measures

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on new Government plans that could force farmers and landowners to sell their land at a lower value, how lab-grown meat, dairy and sugar could hit retail shelves within two years, and a 'landmark' court ruling for environmental campaign group River Action, which has thrown out the NFU's bid to have chicken manure classed as an agricultural by-product, rather than as industrial ‘waste'

Rachael Brown

11 March 2025 • 1 min read

Farming in Five

March 10: Defra introduces import ban from Hungary and Slovakia after confirmed foot-and-mouth outbreak

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on Defra's import ban of cattle, sheep, pigs and deer from Hungry and Slovakia after confirmed a foot and mouth case on a farm with 1,400 cattle in Hungary. The Farming Minister said the Government will not hesitate to add additional countries to the list if the disease spreads. Elsewhere, she reports on how a Welsh farmer declined cancer treatment due to fear of Inheritance Tax changes

Rachael Brown

10 March 2025 • 1 min read