Business top stories HEALTH AND SAFETYAdvice on employers' liability, injury and H&S managementEmployers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement for any business using labour. It provides cover for legal liability for injury or illness caused to anyone working on the farm. Businesses… CROPS MARKETS AND PRICESUK wheat markets falter with global supplies set to riseUK feed wheat futures for May 2026 dropped to a contract low of £171.50/t on 26 November, as a stronger pound made domestic wheat less competitive on global markets. The… LAND MARKETSLand reform priorities misaligned with public, say ScotsGovernment priorities on land reform do not reflect public concerns, according to Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), which represents landowners. The organisation was responding to a report from the Scottish… TAXSmall IHT concession in an otherwise damaging BudgetChancellor Rachel Reeves has offered a small concession in her Autumn Budget in relation to inheritance tax on farm assets. She has confirmed the 100% agricultural property relief (APR) threshold… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESGB pig price falls to £2/kg as margins tighten on farmAfter several buoyant years for the pork sector, falling pig prices are once again squeezing margins for producers. Finished pig prices have slipped by almost 8p/kg in the past three… DAIRY MARKETS AND PRICESDairy sector plans ahead to manage excess milk volumesAn oversupplied milk market is putting significant pressure on farmgate milk prices, with further cuts expected to be announced by processors next week. Independent dairy analyst Chris Walkland has warned… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTSyngenta sells UK seed breeding business to focus on hybridsGlobal crop protection and seeds firm Syngenta has agreed the sale of its UK malting barley seed breeding activities to major breeder Ragt. Syngenta’s decision to sell off its remaining… ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMESDeadline looms for CS Mid Tier rollover decisionsTime is running out for thousands of English farmers yet to respond to their Countryside Stewardship (CS) Mid Tier rollover offers, with Defra warning that the window to secure a… GRANTSWelsh organic farming sector to get £3m grantThe organic sector in Wales is due a £3m cash injection next year, Wales deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies announced at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair on Monday (24 November).… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTNuffield Bullock Award: Herefordshire adviser wins top prizeKate Speke-Adams, the managing director of Herefordshire Rural Hub, an independent support service for the county’s farmers, is the winner of this year’s Bullock Award. The award, named in honour… TENANCIES AND RENTSCouncil farm tenancies continue to disappear in EnglandFewer tenancies were offered to farmers by local authorities in the past year, continuing a concerning long-term decline in the number of county council-owned farms in England. A total of… BUSINESSUK farmers at tipping point with retailers, survey revealsFarmers, MPs and campaigners are urging ministers to overhaul regulation of the UK food supply chain after new findings revealed seven in 10 growers say supermarket relations have worsened in… LAND MARKETSFarmland in your area 2025: North-west EnglandSales of smaller blocks of bare land have been the most common feature in market activity in the north-west of England in 2025. This is a development which agents say… BUSINESSFarm business incomes show partial recovery after sharp fallDairy, grazing livestock, and poultry enterprises all saw improved incomes for the year ending February 2025, while the picture for cereals, horticulture and pigs appears mixed. Latest farm business income… Business newsSee all LAND MARKETSLand reform priorities misaligned with public, say ScotsGovernment priorities on land reform do not reflect public concerns, according to Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), which represents landowners. The organisation was responding to a report from the Scottish… DAIRY MARKETS AND PRICESDairy sector plans ahead to manage excess milk volumesAn oversupplied milk market is putting significant pressure on farmgate milk prices, with further cuts expected to be announced by processors next week. Independent dairy analyst Chris Walkland has warned… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTSyngenta sells UK seed breeding business to focus on hybridsGlobal crop protection and seeds firm Syngenta has agreed the sale of its UK malting barley seed breeding activities to major breeder Ragt. Syngenta’s decision to sell off its remaining… GRANTSWelsh organic farming sector to get £3m grantThe organic sector in Wales is due a £3m cash injection next year, Wales deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies announced at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair on Monday (24 November).… More articles Explore farm management Know How Business advice Essential guides Practical tips Case studies Business management Compliance Payments, schemes and grants Diversification Health and safety Succession planning Road legal Careers and personal development Explore all topics Latest from farm management Know HowSee all HEALTH AND SAFETYAdvice on employers' liability, injury and H&S managementEmployers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement for any business using labour. It provides cover for legal liability for injury or illness caused to anyone working on the farm. Businesses… TAXAdvice on keeping accurate accounts to pay the right taxEfficient bookkeeping is fundamental to producing timely and accurate accounts for both tax and management purposes. Many arable farmers have March year ends and are likely to drop out of… BUSINESSExecutors and trustees – their roles and responsibilitiesWith wills being written and reviewed as part of inheritance tax (IHT) and succession planning, it is vital to understand the role of the executor – the person responsible for… BUSINESS CLINICBusiness Clinic: Will known issues derail sale of our farm?Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Andrew Chandler, head of rural agency with Carter Jonas, advises on how… DIVERSIFICATIONWhy story and standards are key in marketing farm produceIt’s clear that social media and digital communications are increasingly important in marketing farm produce and services in diversified businesses. However, it is the story, standards and ethos of a… BUSINESS CLINICBusiness Clinic: Reclaiming VAT on private and business useWhether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Kate Bell, a partner with accountant Albert Goodman, explains how to approach… BUSINESS CLINICBusiness Clinic: Should I lease my land for battery storage?Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Eve Laws, a partner in Thrings’ agriculture and clean energy teams, advises… PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTSStacking income: What is it and how to do it on farmVolatile prices and weather extremes have added risk and uncertainty to farm businesses while dwindling government support has caused a shortfall between pre- and post-Brexit incomes. To make up that… DIVERSIFICATIONTransition webinar: How to start a new farm-based businessIn the latest of our Transition Webinar series, we look at how to diversify into a new farm-based business to help secure a stable income to support the main focus… TENANCIES AND RENTSAdvice on tax and legal issues when a farm tenancy endsA careful approach is needed where a landlord wants to regain vacant possession of farmland or a tenant wants to surrender the tenancy so that, ideally, the legal and tax… BUSINESS MANAGEMENTHow to start improving on-farm water qualityPutting resilience measures into a farming business is one of the best ways to protect water, prevent pollution and retain more water in the landscape. With many of the major… STAFF MANAGEMENTHow agriculture can beat the labour crisis with new recruitsAgriculture has traditionally recruited workers from within its own ranks. But labour shortages and new farming techniques mean farmers should look beyond established recruitment sources to find the right person… SUCCESSION PLANNINGLifetime gifting: Advice on implications and considerationsGiving away farming and other assets without thinking through the day-to-day and longer term consequences can simply mean swapping a potential tax problem for a raft of other complications, warn… FARM ENERGYAdvice on legal and tax angles for renewables projectsSolar developers continue to look for sites and interested landowners can do much to put themselves in the best position to proceed. Interest in potential wind turbine sites is also… TENANCIES AND RENTSTenancy succession - advice on meeting the suitability testThe suitability test is one of three hurdles to clear in tenancy succession, and the bar was raised in September 2024 alongside other changes to the requirements in England and… LAND MARKETSLand Registry delays improve but process still frustratesAll registration applications are now being processed within 10.9 months of submission, according to new data from the Land Registry. This is ahead of the goal the organisation had set… Business Clinic BUSINESS CLINICBusiness Clinic: Will known issues derail sale of our farm?Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Andrew Chandler, head of rural agency with Carter Jonas, advises on how… BUSINESS CLINICBusiness Clinic: Reclaiming VAT on private and business useWhether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Kate Bell, a partner with accountant Albert Goodman, explains how to approach… BUSINESS CLINICBusiness Clinic: Should I lease my land for battery storage?Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Eve Laws, a partner in Thrings’ agriculture and clean energy teams, advises… BUSINESS CLINICBusiness Clinic: Neighbour may be encroaching on our landWhether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Jessica Moore, solicitor in Thrings’ agricultural litigation team, advises on how to… View all Business Clinic articles Markets and trendsSee all LAND MARKETSLand reform priorities misaligned with public, say ScotsGovernment priorities on land reform do not reflect public concerns, according to Scottish Land & Estates (SLE), which represents landowners. The organisation was responding to a report from the Scottish… DAIRY MARKETS AND PRICESDairy sector plans ahead to manage excess milk volumesAn oversupplied milk market is putting significant pressure on farmgate milk prices, with further cuts expected to be announced by processors next week. Independent dairy analyst Chris Walkland has warned… MARKETS AND TRENDSUK forestry values lift to £19,200/ha in 2025Roughly 9,200ha of forestry land was listed on the market over the past 12 months, with average values per stocked hectare lifting by 3% to £19,200/ha. The UK Forestry Market… CROPS MARKETS AND PRICESSpring barley area set to fall by 15% in 2026 as wheat risesProvisional estimates forecast the total UK barley area will fall next year to the lowest levels since 2010, at below 1m hectares. The spring barley area is expected to fall… MEAT MARKETS AND PRICESLamb trade strengthens as tight supplies support pricesThe lamb trade appears to have turned a corner, with tighter supplies and improved export demand helping prices recover in recent weeks. Deadweight lamb prices plateaued during October, but have… CROPS MARKETS AND PRICESRedundancies at maltsters raise alarm for barley growersThe Scottish malting barley sector has been hit with fresh challenges over the past month as several maltsters look to scale back operations. Despite higher yields and a bumper barley… MARKETS AND TRENDSUnited Oilseeds maintains a profit despite smaller cropGrower-owned co-operative United Oilseeds reported a pre-tax profit of £1.2m in the financial year ending June 2025. This was down from levels a year earlier of £1.8m. However, this had… INPUT MARKETS AND PRICESArable farmers hit hardest by rising input costsRising input costs have hit arable farmers hard over the past 12 months at a time when yields and output values have been under pressure, according to the latest AF… Advertisements Land in your areaSee all LAND MARKETSFarmland in your area 2024: East MidlandsAgents report a clear growth in the supply of farmland coming to the market in the East Midlands in 2024, a combination of public and private sales that resulted in… LAND MARKETSFarmland in your area 2025: North-west EnglandSales of smaller blocks of bare land have been the most common feature in market activity in the north-west of England in 2025. This is a development which agents say… LAND MARKETSFarmland in your area 2024: East of EnglandWhole farm and bare land sales in the east of England were at one of their highest ever volumes in 2024, and the majority of sales were to farmers. By… LAND MARKETSFarmland in your area 2024: Yorkshire and HumberPrivate sales dominated in the Yorkshire and Humber region in 2024, with some agents reporting that more than two-thirds of transactions took place off the open market, many to cash… Most popular this week
