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All the latest agricultural news for the arable and livestock farming sectors across the UK. Keep up up-to-date with farming policy from Defra and the devolved governments, agricultural subsidies and grants, farm compliance, farming business news and rural issues.

Advice and tips

CRIME

9 tips to combat farm theft during darker nights

As the nights draw in following the end of British Summer Time, farmers are advised to ramp up security to deter rural thieves. See also: Video – farmers’ top tips…

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Why on-farm water supply is critical to contain fires

Farmers need to be fully prepared to counter the risk of fire at any time but particularly at certain times of year such as harvest and during festivities such as…

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Top tips for how to take on dangerous job of mixing slurry

Farmers are being warned by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) to take extra care when planning the dangerous job of mixing slurry. Slurry gas is a…

TENANCIES AND RENTS

How to become a county council farm tenant

County council farms provide a great opportunity for people looking to reach the first rung in the farming ladder and many holdings are designed specifically with new entrants in mind.…

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Case studies

NEWS

Farmers Weekly Awards – Young Farmer finalists 2018

Young farmers are the future of the agricultural sector and are coming into the industry by working on family farms, starting new businesses and competing for tenancies. Some sell themselves…

NEWS

Mooing cattle recorded in bitter row over noise

Mooing cattle on a Yorkshire farm will be recorded for a year in a bid to end a bitter planning row between an organic beef farmer and his neighbour. The…

AWARDS

FW Awards winners – on farming, winning and judging

With just two weeks to go until the closing date, if you haven’t already entered or nominated someone for a Farmers Weekly Award this year, there’s no better time to…

NEWS

Video: How Gloucs farmers are working to prevent flooding

Farmers and landowners in Gloucestershire’s Upper Thames area are working together to manage the land to provide catchment-scale solutions to prevent future floods while making businesses resilient.  When storms Eva…

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Community

OPINION

Opinion: Never mind Brexit, what about my meniscus?

Neighbour: "Did you properly check your meniscus?" Me: "I didn't know I had one." This has been the flavour of the farming conversation round these parts throughout April and May.…

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Insights

TECHNOLOGY

How farmers will be affected by new drone rules

A clampdown against irresponsible drone flights near airports will also affect the proper and beneficial use of the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in agriculture. Farmers, agronomists and agri-tech companies will…

FARM POLICY

Industry leaders clash over outlook for food and farming

Fears that British farmers will face a flood of substandard food imports were a key topic at the Oxford Farming Conference – as politicians and industry leaders clashed over the…

BREXIT

How will the EU withdrawal agreement affect farmers?

After two years of negotiations, Downing Street and Brussels have finally reached a draft agreement on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, together with a joint political declaration on their…

NEWS

How farming suffered post-WW1 from government 'betrayal'

The First World War had a disruptive effect on British farming, but the aftermath of war was almost as turbulent, as Richard Munday, Hertfordshire farmer and historian explains. See also: First…

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News

NEWS

Hundreds of lambing ewes stolen in Norfolk farm raid

Police are appealing for information to help catch those responsible for a large-scale sheep theft. Initially, officers suspected that more around 500 sheep had been stolen from a field in…

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Farm partnership fined after child injured by ATV

A Devon farming partnership has been ordered to pay more than £33,000 after a young boy suffered a serious leg injury while travelling in an all-terrain vehicle. The nine-year-old boy…

TECHNOLOGY

Police secure new powers to combat illegal drones

Farmers will be affected by new police powers to tackle the illegal use of drones following travel chaos at Gatwick airport over Christmas. New legislation will give police officers the…

BREXIT

Farmers frustrated by Brexit impasse in parliament

Industry leaders have called on Theresa May to rule out a no-deal Brexit after her EU withdrawal plan suffered a record defeat by MPs. The House of Commons rejected the…

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Opinion

NEWS

Opinion: Lesson from OFC beware of politicians' empty words

I never know when the cut-off date is to announce New Year’s resolutions. Let’s assume we still have time. My take-home message from this year’s Oxford Farming Conference is, as…

NEWS

Opinion: Grass-fed beef has so much to recommend it

A friend has recently completed her 34th season of plucking, cleaning and dressing poultry in the turkey shed – quite an achievement for someone who has only just hit 50.…

NEWS

Opinion: The shock and sadness at rural suicide

I was going to write about something else entirely this month. I’d almost finished and was ready to send it in. And then, completely out of the blue, and just…

NEWS

Opinion: Farmers must keep an open mind on the vegan challenge

Humanism, veganism and same-sex marriage would seem like very stony ground for a livestock farmer and kirk elder to go ploughing in so early in the new year. Although I…

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Test and reviews

16 essential farming apps for 2014

Smart phones have revolutionised how farmers run their businesses, with apps doing anything from identifying weeds to recording and managing grazing platforms. There’s an amazing array of apps on the…

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Video

WEATHER

Video: Drought-hit dairy farmers determined not to sell cows

Two Anglesey dairy farmers who have been among the hardest-hit by the drought are determined to spend their way out of trouble instead of selling cattle. Business partners Johnjo Roberts…

WEATHER

Video: Farmers trade water in battle to save crops

The Environment Agency says it will fast-track applications from drought-hit growers who want to trade water with other farmers in a bid to save crops. Agency team leader Jonathan Thompson…

NEWS

Video: How Next Generation network is helping young farmers

The next generation of farmers are young, passionate, experimental and brave – but most importantly, they are succeeding. The Exmoor Hill Farming Network is one organisation that has prioritised supporting…

NEWS

Video: Farmer's camera catches fly-tipper in the act

A dairy farmer is appealing to the public to help identify a shameless woman caught on camera appearing to fly-tip on his land. Joe Tucker, 19, installed a small camera…

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