Rural News

Ahead of Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement, due to be presented on 22nd November, Sean McCann, chartered financial planner at NFU Mutual, picks out three things farmers should look out for…

A kind-hearted brother and sister who grew up on their family farm in Wales have left most of their estate and wealth to the Wales Air Ambulance.

Bridging the gap between farm and the consumer is something that lots of farmers are trying to do in an effort to help more people understand the reality of what goes into producing their food, and hopefully alter public opinion on why supporting and buying British is so important.

The cost of Land Rover Defender thefts is nearly at £2.5 million, remaining stubbornly high in 2022 after a sharp increase in 2021, NFU Mutual has warned.

Farming families across England are being invited to join a free programme of support – with the option of taking part, virtually from the farm.

A Perthshire artist has created a series of artwork inspired by the #KeepTalking theme of RSABI’s winter mental health campaign.

Farmland in parts of the country remains submerged in floodwater following recent storms Babet and Ciaran – putting farmers under financial and emotional strain and prompting calls for government action.

The Midlands Machinery Show returns to Newark Showground on 8–9th November, offering farmers and contractors the opportunity to view the latest kit. From new tractors to robots, precision sprayers to drills, and ever more refined low disturbance cultivators, there promises to be something for everyone.

RSABI has teamed up with Dyslexia Scotland to offer free assessments to farmers over 40, and to raise awareness of the challenges farmers with dyslexia face.

The value of UK farmland continues to be underpinned by strong demand from a growing number of purchasers and the new opportunities that existing landowners are keen to explore.

Since 2019 the NFU’s petition to ban sky lanterns in the UK has gained over 100,000 signatures as more research is conducted into their potential ability to start wildfires, kill animals, destroy crops, set buildings alight, as well as littering the countryside. To date 188 councils out of 333 have banned them in England and Wales.

Dairy farmer Stephen Carson recently installed the UK’s first batch milking system, with milk being pasteurised and bottled on site before being sold through vending machines. Allowing him to keep the profits through the supply chain, the project was funded by a combination of government grants and specialist agri finance.