Charlie Reeve

Agricultural businesses will be hoping the Autumn Budget delivers some much-needed support and relief, after a challenging year marked by low yields and rising input costs.

Prime minister Andy Burnham has confirmed that a UK-EU summit will take place in Brussels on 20 November to discuss rebuilding a closer trading relationship between the UK and the EU.

Livestock keepers are being warned not to buy, sell or exchange surplus bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) vaccines, as it could present a “significant risk” to animal health.

The High Court ruled on 14 October that traditional Herefords will remain classified as a sub-population of the Hereford breed, rather than as a separate breed.

MPs from across the political spectrum hosted a Home Affairs Committee on 13th October to hear from experts on the scope of serious and organised rural crime.

The Welsh government has made advance farm payments to thousands of farmers in Wales in a bid to provide more certainty and flexibility to businesses during a challenging year.

Ministers have confirmed that farmers who encountered technical issues while submitting a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) application on 22 September and reported it within a week will be able to continue their applications.

A carbon tax on imported fertiliser is due to come into force from 1 January 2027, despite extensive lobbying by farming groups and the wider fertiliser sector to delay it.

Hundreds of farmers attended a rally in Berkshire on 20 October calling for the Labour government to scrap changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) on inheritance tax.

The Treasury has confirmed that it will cut tariffs on fertiliser and kerosene as part of a wider government cost-of-living tariff package.