Farming Minister

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the latest from the fallout of the Sustainable Farming Incentive closure. Defra is under scrutiny over its failure to give farmers' notice as the industry questions whether all the budget has been spent. She also looks ahead to next week, a special podcast on Donald Trump, tariffs and what this means for machinery markets and UK farming going forward and the livestock team are heading to Borderway UK Dairy Expo at Carlisle this week, the first dairy show of the year

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown analyses the fall out from the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), with the Farming Minister telling MPs that farmers were not given notice on closure as it would have led to a 'further spike in applications'. The National Trust says Defra's decision to close SFI to new applications will leave farmers facing a 'four month funding gap'. And she takes a look at the NFU's farmer confidence survey which is reportedly at an 'all time low'

Despite the Government's own website stating that it would give farmers six week notice before the closure of SFI, the Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said it was not possible, as it would have led to a ‘further spike in applications'

SFI24 now has more than 37,000 multi-year live agreements and has reached its ‘maximum limit' and can no longer accept new SFI applications from today

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

Efra chair Alistair Carmichael said the Defra Secretary and the Farming Minister should be the ‘voice of farmers within Government but they are clearly not being listened to' over the family farm tax

This week from Rachael Brown, Farmers Guardian chief reporter

In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the Farming Minister's comments that agriculture is low in the Government's 'pecking order' and 'the Budget is the Budget' and the focus must now be on getting the sector on a ‘proper, sustainable, business-like footing', and restaurant chain Nando's is to conduct an independent audit of its chicken suppliers after it was accused of ‘killing' the River Wye by green campaign groups