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BUSINESS

Average arable performance will see losses from harvest 2024

Many average-performing arable farms will make a loss from the 2024 harvest, with a predicted net margin of £80/ha before rent and finance costs. The figures come from Strutt &…

PLANNING PERMISSION

Councils gain compulsory purchase powers without hope value

Councils have new powers to use compulsory purchase (CP) to acquire land without accounting for any hope value in the compensation payment to the landowner. This applies only to land…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Global sow herd stabilises as pig producers return to profit

The tide finally seems to be turning for the global pork sector and after a period of herd contraction, pig numbers are now beginning to stabilise. Better returns for pig…

LAND MARKETS

Diverse Gloucs estate one of largest sales in recent years

One of the largest farming estates to be offered for sale in recent years is being launched this month with a price tag of £57.5m. The 3,811-acre Down Ampney Estate,…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Advice on moving into contract farming agreements

Contract farming agreements (CFAs) offer a way to maintain the income and capital tax advantages of being a working farmer, while reducing the demands of day-to-day management and working capital…

STAFF MANAGEMENT

Industry leaders welcome five-year seasonal worker pledge

The government has committed to extending its Seasonal Worker Scheme by a further five years to 2029, as part of a package of measures announced to support farmers ahead of…

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CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Russia's wheat harvest prospects dented by dry, cold spell

Analysts have lowered their prospects for Russia’s 2024 wheat harvest following extreme weather events this spring. Southern Russia, which grows up to 40% of the country’s wheat crop, has been…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK plantings improve but still poor as wheat hits £190/t

Winter wheat crop conditions in April made some improvements on the previous month but remain very poor by historic standards with yields expected to be low this harvest. Almost half…

BUSINESS

GEA Farm Technologies acquires South West Dairy Services

Dairy equipment specialists GEA Farm Technologies has acquired South West Dairy Services, expanding its presence further in the region. Devon-based South West Dairy Services has already been operating as one…

PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

New 'safety net' farm support for NI to start in 2025

Farmers in Northern Ireland will receive a new Farm Sustainability Transition Payment in 2025 to replace the Basic Payment Scheme, with the full Farm Sustainability Payment coming into operation in…

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Latest from farm management Know How

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DIVERSIFICATION

How farms can help meet electric vehicle charging demands

The RAC estimates around 1.1m fully electric vehicles (EVs) are on UK roads, and with sales of new petrol and diesel cars set to end by 2035, that figure is…

DIVERSIFICATION

Time to plan for threat to holiday let tax regime

Furnished holiday lets (FHLs) are an integral part of many farm tourism ventures and enjoy favourable tax treatment, provided they meet certain requirements including their availability and actual occupation by…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: How do we structure our business/succession?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Conor Melvin, associate at Thrings, Carly Drummond, senior tax manager at MHA and Joe…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: What should my grazing agreement include?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Caroline Raspison, associate, Carter Jonas, Truro, advises on a grazing agreement. See also: Business…

DIVERSIFICATION

Farm recycling sideline grows into full-time enterprise

Henry Harrison and Edward Medforth launched H&M Recycling four years ago to provide a service for farm plastics. They began by baling polypropylene fertiliser and seed bags, also taking polyethylene…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

How to manage business change for agricultural transition

While farmers have always faced change, the agricultural transition period requires most of them to implement new practices and embrace new thinking to achieve successful business transformations, at a scale…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

How to set up a farm machinery sharing syndicate

As farmers transition to more resilient systems, greater scrutiny is applied to fertiliser, seed, herbicide and other agronomy costs, but is that same degree of analysis applied to machinery outlay?…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

6 business areas to focus on for Transition farming success

Successful farming businesses will need to be streamlined, efficient and diversified for the significant challenges that lie ahead, while having built-in resilience and being financially astute. Those that survive will…

BUSINESS

Advice on some of the pitfalls of land transactions

Good preparation is the watchword when selling land, and "buyer beware" is the catchphrase for purchasers. The checklist for sellers is a long one, starting with advice from land agents,…

GRANTS

Farming grant funding in England: A comprehensive guide

A plethora of government grants and support payments is available for farm businesses in 2024. Charlie Reeve discovers what’s up for grabs from Defra and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA)…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Who owns land in two-generation partnership?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Russell Reeves, partner and head of agricultural litigation at law firm Thrings,…

BPS

Advice on the delinked payment transfer market

Farmers in England who want to transfer or sell any of their delinked payment reference data have only a short window in which to do so. The window for transfers…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Should we surrender tenancy and create LLP?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Carly Drummond, senior tax manager at MHA, advises on the tax implications of…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Is battery storage an option on poultry unit?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s experts can help. Jamie Baxter, Senior Rural Surveyor at Carter Jonas, advises on energy use and storage for…

TENANCIES AND RENTS

Advice for tenant farmers considering diversification

Changes in support payments and tough trading conditions mean many farmers are considering diversifying, but tenant farmers have an extra hurdle to clear before embarking on any project. Agricultural tenancies…

BUSINESS

Rural housing: Options to decarbonise and improve efficiency

From period farmhouses to farmworkers’ cottages, rural housing comes in many shapes and sizes, but they all share similar challenges when it comes to energy. Rural properties off the mains…

Business Clinic

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: How do we structure our business/succession?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Conor Melvin, associate at Thrings, Carly Drummond, senior tax manager at MHA and Joe…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: What should my grazing agreement include?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Caroline Raspison, associate, Carter Jonas, Truro, advises on a grazing agreement. See also: Business…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Who owns land in two-generation partnership?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Russell Reeves, partner and head of agricultural litigation at law firm Thrings,…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Should we surrender tenancy and create LLP?

Whether it’s a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Carly Drummond, senior tax manager at MHA, advises on the tax implications of…

 
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Markets and trends

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CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Russia's wheat harvest prospects dented by dry, cold spell

Analysts have lowered their prospects for Russia’s 2024 wheat harvest following extreme weather events this spring. Southern Russia, which grows up to 40% of the country’s wheat crop, has been…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

UK plantings improve but still poor as wheat hits £190/t

Winter wheat crop conditions in April made some improvements on the previous month but remain very poor by historic standards with yields expected to be low this harvest. Almost half…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

Store cattle hit £2,000 a head peak at Scots auction marts

Scottish livestock farmers have been receiving higher returns for store cattle at auction markets so far this year, with prices consistently above the same period in 2023. Store cattle prices…

BREXIT

New border controls to prioritise 'highest risk goods'

Post-Brexit border checks on animal, plant and food products will not be fully implemented when they are introduced later this month amid concerns this could cause “significant disruption”. Less than…

CROPS MARKETS AND PRICES

Hectare launches instant grain payments system for farmers

Crop-trading platform Hectare has launched a new agricultural finance product that enables arable farmers to be paid within three days for up to 80% of a contract’s value. The agri-tech…

MEAT MARKETS AND PRICES

'Vet attestation' rules for meat exports to be tightened

UK farmers will be barred from exporting non-assured livestock or products derived from them to the EU from next week, unless they have a vet-supplied declaration that their animals have…

DAIRY MARKETS AND PRICES

Arla invests £179m to become major supplier of mozzarella

Major dairy co-operative Arla has unveiled plans to invest £179m in its UK business as it aims to grow exports of mozzarella. The milk processor, which is supplied by more…

LAND MARKETS

Outrage as Scots government plans to break up larger holdings

Scottish landowners have slated a new Land Reform Bill tabled in Holyrood on Thursday (14 March) which sets out plans to break up larger farms and estates should they come…

Commodities

Futures markets and commodity risk management online course

Learn all you need to know about the futures markets and how you can benefit from them:

  • Risk management strategies for a more predictable financial performance
  • Educated conversations when collaborating with your advisors
  • Negotiate better prices with your grain merchants

Find out more

 
 

Land in your area

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LAND MARKETS

Farmland in your area 2023: East of England

The land market in the east of England is bucking the national trend, with farmers accounting for the bulk of buyers in this region. Although 2023 saw growth in the…

LAND MARKETS

Farmland in your area 2023: West Midlands

The acreage of land offered for sale in the West Midlands in 2023 is up by about one-third on the previous 12 months, pushing supply higher than the 10-year average.…

LAND MARKETS

Farmland in your area 2023: Wales

Intense competition among farmers in some Welsh regions led to farmland changing hands at more than £20,000/acre in 2023. Known hotspots, including Anglesey and the Vale of Clwyd which have…

LAND MARKETS

Farmland in your area 2023: East Midlands

Public and private market activity for land and farms in the East Midlands has increased in 2023, with what agents suggest is a reasonable supply and a good level of…

 
 
 

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