Politics

The British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) has called on the UK government to maintain its leading edge over the EU in precision plant breeding by ramping up investment in research and innovation and moving forward with plans to bring gene edited products to market.

NFU Scotland has welcomed John Davidson as its new chief executive this week, marking the appointment of the 11th individual to assume the role in the past 110 years.

Farming groups have welcomed the Senedd’s decision to vote in favour of the historic Agriculture (Wales) Bill this Tuesday (27th June), which will be key to supporting farmers and sustainable food production in the face of climate change.

The first-ever Wales Agriculture Bill that sets out the course of future support for Welsh farmers is due to enter its final stage of scrutiny today (Tuesday 27th June) and will be voted on by members of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) later this evening.

The ‘new and improved’ Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 will start accepting applications from August, with an expanded list of actions and more flexibility, Defra has revealed.

Changes to ELMS will offer improved access for upland farmers, as well as improved options under Countryside Stewardship for 2023.

Taking on board the key recommendations of the Rock Review, Defra has today (24th May) announced new measures to support the long-term sustainability of the tenant farming sector, including the launch of a Farm Tenancy Forum and a consultation on appointing a Tenant Farming Commissioner in England.

Following the penultimate revision of the Agriculture (Wales) Bill on Tuesday 16th May, the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) is calling for further amendments to address concerns surrounding the economic viability of agricultural businesses and provide support to new and young entrants to the industry.

The NFU has cautiously welcomed the new deal with the CPTPP, saying it could provide opportunities for getting more British food on plates overseas.

A joint message has been issued from union presidents following summit in Belfast. The four leading agricultural organisations across the UK have repeated calls for UK Government to recognise food security concerns and extend the Energy and Trade Intensive Industry scheme (ETII) to include those sectors of agriculture heavily reliant on energy.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) regarded former Defra advisor Ben Goldsmith’s comments on sheep farming in the UK as ‘naïve’ and ‘uneducated’ in a statement issued to defend the valuable role sheep fulfill in the UK countryside.

Farming groups have criticised the government over plans to sign trade agreements with Canada and Mexico that will lead to low-welfare imports of beef and pork undercutting British producers.