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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

FLY-TIPPING

What to do if you’re a victim of… fly-tipping

Farmers and landowners are plagued by fly-tipping and there is widespread anger and frustration that existing laws do not go far enough in supporting victims. Fly-tipping incidents in England have…

HEALTH AND SAFETY

How to work safely near overhead power lines on farmland

According to the Farm Safety Foundation, at least one farmworker dies each year as a result of contact with an overhead power line. In the past five years, there were…

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…

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Case studies

CRIME

Video: Farm bunds fend off rural criminals

It’s a simple but effective crime prevention measure that doesn’t cost farmers the earth. For centuries, earth bunds were used to protect areas and keep unwanted visitors off land near…

CRIME

Video: Farms turned into fortresses to battle rural crime

Farmers from Ambion Contractors Ltd, near Sutton Cheney in Leicestershire, in the shadows of the Bosworth battlefield, are engaged in their own battle – the constant fight against rural crime.…

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…

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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

NEWS

Listen: Farmers Weekly answers "Stupid Questions" on farming

We all know the public is still woefully uninformed about modern farming, so we're doing our bit to educate and champion farmers. Listen to our executive editor Phil Clarke answer…

ENVIRONMENT

How Duchy Home Farm converted to fully organic

Duchy Home Farm covers 770ha and started converting to fully organic in 1995 when farm manager David Wilson took over. Back then organic farming was new to Mr Wilson, but…

FARM POLICY

Organic campaigner - how profit and sustainability can work

Achieving more sustainable food production in the UK will require a “carrot and stick” approach, but with more emphasis on inducements than penalties, according to Sustainable Food Trust chief executive…

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News

FARMLIFE

Police search for missing North Yorkshire grain merchant

Fears are growing for the safety of a well-known grain buyer in North Yorkshire after he went missing at the weekend. Howard Jackson, 63, was last seen at about 8am…

BREXIT

'No delays to Welsh Brexit farm subsidy plans'

Policymakers insist they will not delay introducing new ways of delivering agricultural support to Welsh farmers, including the planned phasing out of direct farm subsidies from 2021. The Welsh government…

NEWS

Food bill to rise by £786 if plant protection products banned

The average annual UK family shopping bill will rise by £786 if plant protection products are removed from farms, according to a new report. Commissioned by the Crop Protection Association…

FARM POLICY

Slash direct payments to fund agroecology, urges report

Direct payments to farmers would be slashed to one-third of current values as part of a radical shift to a sustainable farming system based on agroecology post Brexit. The proposal…

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Opinion

NEWS

Opinion: Realities of flower production and climate change

Many of you will be blissfully unaware that British Flowers Week has recently been and gone. This initiative, which was started by New Covent Garden Market, is a national event…

NEWS

Opinion: Harnessing the power of agri-tech and data

The agriculture industry in Scotland and beyond has experienced huge technological advances in recent years. Technology has developed across every aspect of a farm, from machinery to livestock equipment and…

NEWS

Opinion: Stress of being on TV mitigated by message conveyed

Brendan Behan once pointed out that “there’s no such thing as bad publicity’.  A few weeks ago, I got a very small taste of what he meant when BBC’s Countryfile…

NEWS

Opinion: Farmers need to appreciate the role of beneficial bugs

It was a strange looking creepy crawly that drew my attention to this serious disfunction within British farming. The story starts with a well-respected farmer asking for help to identify…

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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: Farm bunds fend off rural criminals

It’s a simple but effective crime prevention measure that doesn’t cost farmers the earth. For centuries, earth bunds were used to protect areas and keep unwanted visitors off land near…

ENVIRONMENT

Video: Why cattle and a combine are environmental champions

Farming is often painted by environmental groups as the bad guy but a project to improve water quality and carbon storing are proving that farming holds some of the answers…

CRIME

Video: Farms turned into fortresses to battle rural crime

Farmers from Ambion Contractors Ltd, near Sutton Cheney in Leicestershire, in the shadows of the Bosworth battlefield, are engaged in their own battle – the constant fight against rural crime.…

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…

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