Politics

Secretary of State, Emma Reynolds has confirmed that the SFI26 Window 1 budget will be fixed at £60m, despite calls for 'flexibility' to ensure all small farms can access funding within the first window

The changes are expected to cut pre-application time by up to 12 months and save developers £1 billion on major infrastructure projects

The Minister instead cited that market forces and global commodity prices should ultimately govern UK agriculture

Secretary of State Emma Reynolds agreed change must happen 'more quickly,' but refused to blame her predecessor, and the now Housing Secretary, Steve Reed

The assessment process for emergency authorisations of pesticides is now to be updated following the investigation by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP)

The Reform UK party leader confirmed he would be putting his name forward in the by-election and it was now down to the people of Clacton to decide

The union said farmers have waited long enough, and any further delay will only 'add to frustration and uncertainty'

Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for food, waste and rural affairs said county farms are 'much more than a line on a balance sheet'.

Defra said demand has been strong since the scheme opened

Farmers Guardian deputy editor Alex Black discusses the latest announcements on farm funding