Without government support, family farms will be driven out of existence, says Clodhopper One attack by Rachel Reeves was more than enough. But the Chancellor and the Labour government seem hell bent on destroying family farms. The Chancellor has repeatedly pulled the rug of financial support from farmers –... Read more

Few industries are so dependent on the weather as farming. Not even tourism is so much at the mercy of the elements. If harvest is the end of the farming calendar, then this summer marks the culmination of yet another challenging season – although the weather has been different... Read more

Like it or not, Donald Trump’s tariffs and trade agreements are bad news for British farmers, says Clodhopper What is it about us older farmers? Do we just not understand stuff? Has our thought process slowed down so much we are losing touch with reality? Having briefly read the... Read more

Good politicians know when to change their minds – and aren’t afraid to do so when the time is right. Especially when mounting evidence suggests that doggedly pursuing a policy will harm the very people it was designed to protect. This is the challenge facing the government after a... Read more

Politicians seem to think the countryside is for anything but food production, says Clodhopper. The Labour government’s attack on farmers is often assumed to be a class war being waged against wicked wealthy landowners – and I think I know why. This belief persists despite the fact most working... Read more

Next month marks the conclusion of the  government’s long-awaited spending review – the culmination of months of wrangling over how much money the country has to spend and indeed what it should be spent on. The review is one of those dull but important things Westminster watchers get very... Read more

The discovery of glyphosate resistance earlier this year on a farm in south-east England was only a matter of time – and perhaps unsurprising given that some formulations of the herbicide sometimes appear to be less effective than others. But it still came as a shock. Glyphosate resistance has... Read more

It’s hard to think of another government in recent memory dishing out so much pain to farmers who feed the nation. Last month’s shock decision by Defra to close the flagship Sustainable Farming Incentive to new applications with immediate effect was as brutal as it was unfair. It was... Read more

The government’s latest move in the battle over inheritance tax has rightly angered farmers and farming families. Summoning industry leaders from across the UK to attend top level talks in London  raised hopes of a Treasury compromise on  plans to impose inheritance tax on farming assets worth more than... Read more

The government’s decision to pause new capital grant applications has once again left thousands of farmers facing unnecessary uncertainty. Capital grants play a big part in encouraging farm businesses invest for the future – helping growers and livestock producers maintain high environmental standards while ensuring their businesses remain profitable.... Read more