Serving the Farming Industry across the Midlands for 35 Years
Policeman takes up fight against livestock theft
The UK’s first national livestock theft police officer has launched a new initiative to get on top of the crime. Funding provided by UK rural insurer NFU Mutual has enabled the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU) to recruit Martin Beck, who has 30 years of policing experience in the... Read more
Five-point plan to navigate farming’s financial storm
Record rainfall has significantly increased financial pressures on farm businesses – but action can be taken to tackle many challenges. Large areas of farmland remain waterlogged following the wettest 18 months on record. The wet winter and spring have left some farms facing the first season without a harvest... Read more
Building blocks for a new countryside
Farmers and landowners are often concerned about the prospect of tax changes if a Labour government comes to power. A perennial fear is a hike in capital gains tax – or even the introduction of a yet more punitive ‘development tax’. With Keir Starmer’s party tipped to win the... Read more
New rights could make diversification easier
Changes to permitted development rights could benefit farmers, says Suzanne Tucker Farmers and landowners could find it easier to convert old buildings into new homes following changes to permitted development rights. The UK is facing a national shortage of good quality and affordable homes, so a raft of new... Read more
Thousands apply for Sustainable Farming Incentive
More than 10,000 farmers have now applied to join the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) – and receive payments actions that support food production and the environment. One-in-eight eligible farmers having submitted applications for the Defra scheme in the four months since it re-opened last September. This is on top... Read more
Non-farmers snap up half of all farmland sold last year
Non-farmers purchased more than half of all farms sold on the open market last year, suggest the latest figures from land agents Strutt & Parker. Farmers accounted for the lowest level of transactions on record during 2023 – equivalent to only 44% of open market transactions during the year... Read more
Simpler approach to SFI can deliver bigger benefits
A step-by-step approach will help growers get the most from the government’s Sustainable Farming Incentive – delivering bigger benefits for farm businesses and for the environment, say advisers. “While 2024 has started with the promise of numerous new SFI options to be introduced during the summer, coupled to a... Read more
Good causes benefit from £178k NFU Mutual charity fund
Local charities across the Midlands have received more than £178,000 in donations raised by the region’s NFU Mutual office. Some 40 local charities will received a share of the money – part of a £1.92 million Agency Giving Fund launched by the rural insurer’s head office in Stratford upon... Read more
Update pension contributions to combat inflation, farmers told
Farmers and self-employed people working in agriculture are being urged to update their pension contributions following two years of high inflation. Many farmers use pensions as an alternative income stream in later life to reduce the impact of multiple generations taking income from the farm – and the number... Read more
Diversification is ‘vital boost’ to farm incomes
Non-farm income is an increasingly important source of revenue for farmers as they seek to offset reductions in government support. UK farm income from diversification enterprises has risen to 13% of turnover in 2023, suggests research from rural insurer NFU Mutual. Some 34% of farmers now run a diversified... Read more