In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown takes a look at the main news stories this week, with the family farm tax dominating the headlines from NFU conference, and the PM facing criticism for breaking his promise on ensuring solar farm developments would not be at the expense of tenant farmers following the appeal decision at Emma and Rob Sturdy's farm. She also looks ahead to next week, with another farmer rally in Westminster on Pancake Day over the impact of the family farm tax on the elderly and terminally ill
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
Yorkshire-based farmer disrupts Secretary of State's speech with banner quoting PM's promise to industry
In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the body found in the search for missing woman and farmers daughter, Jenny Hall. She gives a look ahead to tomorrow's NFU conference in London ( February 25), calls to treat farmers holding Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreements fairly, and Arla boss confirms backlash towards methane suppresser Bovaer has failed to impact its sales so far
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
In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on Arla’s soaring profits, giving its farmer-owners the highest dividend payout in the company’s history, how tenant farmers are being left ‘unprotected’ by the Chancellor’s changes to Inheritance Tax, and the UK's borders have been called into question once again after 600kg of illegal meat was seized in Northern Ireland.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said the Government believed it was 'right' and that the proposals were 'fair', with the farming industry offered ‘generous' exemptions
In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the farming unions' meeting with Treasury to discuss the family farm tax, where farming leaders felt the door had been 'slammed in their faces' once again. Unions now say their focus is on getting more Labour backbench MPs including those in the inner cities to pressurise the Government ahead of the Finance Bill in Autumn. And in other news, the UK's borders have been called into question once again after 600kg of illegal meat was seized in Northern Ireland, and growers are being urged to be extra vigilant amid warnings that organised crime gangs are targeting rural properties
All four UK farming unions and member organisations from across the sector are due to meet with Treasury officials on February 18 to discuss the Government's proposed changes to Inheritance Tax
Prior to the Budget, the Farmers' Union of Wales previously warned a worse case scenario of full ‘Barnettisation' of Wales' agricultural funding could equate to a ‘drop of around 40% in funding for Welsh farming - a cut of around £150m a year'