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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

Video: Quad bike theft – how to avoid being a victim

Every farmer would be lost without their quad bike to get around the farm and yet, they are still the farm vehicles stolen most often. In this video hear from…

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…

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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

HEALTH AND SAFETY

The farm trailer safety campaign set up by bereaved mother

Farmer Jane Gurney, whose son Harry Christian-Allan was killed in a trailer accident in 2014 is the driving force behind a vital trailer safety campaign. 'Tilly Your Trailer' is an…

BREXIT

10 risks a post-Brexit US trade deal poses to the UK

The Soil Association says it has identified 10 threats from a possible US trade deal after the UK leaves the European Union. UK environmental and animal welfare standards could be…

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…

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News

CRIME

Video: Dog attack - 'no farmer should have to go through it'

Warning: Video contains graphic images. Dog attacks on sheep cost the UK farming industry £1.2m in 2018, according to NFU Mutual, and in Wales incidents are on the rise. Gareth…

HEALTH AND SAFETY

New HSE rules on welding fumes come into force

Farmers are being alerted to a change in health and safety rules affecting anyone who does welding. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recently announced that it is reclassifying…

WILDLIFE

Chris Packham group seeks ban on shooting pigeons and crows

Shooting birds such as wood pigeon, rooks and magpies could become illegal if conservationists succeed in a legal challenge launched in the High Court on Friday (22 March). The action…

IRRIGATION

Drought measures increasingly likely, farmers warned

Summer drought measures are increasingly likely in 2019 if dry weather persists, the NFU has warned. This follows initial results from an NFU survey which suggests that one third of…

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Opinion

NEWS

Opinion: Odds stacked in favour of US farmers

I sometimes wonder if farmers are unique in that, when they go on holiday, they like to look at farming. Am I the only husband to have pushed my luck…

NEWS

Opinion: 'Put down your pitchforks and learn from the USA'

Howdy, folks. Seems like our US ambassador got you mighty vexed about taking a few more food imports from us once you leave the Museum of Agriculture – pardon me,…

NEWS

Opinion: Wake up and smell the reality of Brexit

Two years ago, renowned environmentalist George Monbiot said that our exit from the EU would be as dignified as a drunk getting chucked out of a pub at closing time.…

OPINION

Opinion: Land price collapse 'delayed, but not avoided'

Almost exactly two years ago I wrote in these pages that, in the wake of the EU referendum, farmland prices would fall significantly.  I also pointed out that the self-interested,…

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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

CRIME

Video: CCTV footage shows gang snatch in-lamb ewe

A sheep farmer disturbed a gang of rustlers making off with one of his in-lamb ewes in the middle of the night. Oliver Johnson was woken from his sleep to…

CRIME

Video: Quad bike theft – how to avoid being a victim

Every farmer would be lost without their quad bike to get around the farm and yet, they are still the farm vehicles stolen most often. In this video hear from…

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…

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