defra secretary

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown gives a round up of the latest updates from Treasury and farming leaders on the family farm tax. She looks ahead to the NFU conference next week where the Defra Secretary will give a speech to farmers, but the Prime Minister is not expected to attend

This week from Rachael Brown, Farmers Guardian chief reporter

Treasury urged to work together to consider whether its IHT policy could be 'recalibrated' and a 'few tweaks' could be made to both support family farms and close loopholes to maintain pressure on 'landbankers'

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown summarise the farmers' protest in Whitehall and concerns raised by some Labour backbencher MPs in yesterday's Westminster Hall debate, proposals for a new state-of-the-art abattoir in Orkney backed by Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, and new reward points being offered to potato growers who can an demonstrate best application practice at planting when using Nemathorin to manage key soil pests

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the latest reaction to Government's land use announcement, which the TFA claims could see agricultural land drop by 10%; 13 dairy producers in the South West have been handed their 12 months' notice by Saputo Dairy UK, and the Welsh Labour MP who is standing up for farmers over family farm tax row. She also looks ahead to next week with NFU Scotland's annual conference, Dairy-Tech and YAMS machinery show all taking place

The Defra Secretary will launch a consultation on a new strategic approach to managing land use in England today (January 31)

This week's opinion from throughout the world of agriculture: Oxford Real Farming Conference manager, Hester van Hensbergen

NFU president Tom Bradshaw said the Government fails to recognise that the farming industry is in a ‘cash flow crisis' right now, with the ‘lowest farmer and grower confidence ever recorded'

The Soil Association said if the Defra Secretary wants to achieve 'long-term food security, profitability and sustainability for our farming sector', then simply monitoring for British food in public institutions 'will not be enough'