A future where farmers are properly supported to farm more innovatively and protect the environment is a step closer today following the introduction of the Agriculture Bill.
The landmark legislation introduced today will provide  a boost to the industry after years of inefficient and overly bureaucratic policy dictated to farmers by the EU.
 
It sets out how farmers and land managers in England will in the future be rewarded with public money for “public goods” – such as better air and water quality, higher animal welfare standards, improved access to the countryside or measures to reduce flooding. This will contribute to the government’s commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, while at the same time, helping to boost farmers’ productivity.

Forthcoming Agriculture Bill will provide a new system of farm support outside the EU, where farmers are rewarded for enhancing the environment
 
The Government has today (9 January) introduced legislation to provide continuity for farmers across all four corners of the UK and ensure farming subsidies are paid for 2020
 
The Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) (DPLC) Bill has been introduced in Parliament to give governments across the UK powers to administer direct payments to farmers for 2020.

Ainscough Strategic Land has announced four further land promotion agreements as the new year gets off to a strong start.
The deals, which will see two sites in Cheshire, one in Warrington and one in Worcestershire promoted through the planning system for new housing, have the capacity for almost 1,700 new homes.  The company’s latest financial figures saw it turn over £10.6m on sales of land that delivered 830 new homes.

The first podcast dedicated to rural Scotland and its varied industries – food, farming, tourism, charity, education, forestry, conservation, professional services and much more – has been launched today (Monday 13th January) and is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and a new dedicated website.

OnFARM – Food, Agriculture and Rural Matters – is being launched by rural business specialists Scene & Herd PR and Marketing who are working with industry experts, successful business owners and key organisations to increase public and inter-industry awareness of Scottish rural enterprise and its stories.

Sharing insights from across the food, farming and rural spheres, OnFARM is set to benefit the industry and its stakeholders as a new platform for communication.

OnFARM launches this week with an episode featuring key rural organisation, RHET (the Royal Highland Education Trust), highlighting the crucial work of the charity which provides free educational activities and learning for young people, giving tens of thousands of children the chance to visit a farm each year.

More than 92% of farmers received their 2019 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) money in the first two weeks of the payment window.
 
The latest figures from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) show that 92.4% of payments were made by end of Friday 13 December, worth £1.6bn. This builds on the 59,600 farmers who received payments totalling £1.2bn on 2 December, the first day of the payment window.
 
Additionally, those who claimed in 2019 on their Countryside Stewardship (CS) and Environmental Stewardship (ES) agreements will receive one full payment this year, as part of a wider improvement plan to deliver a better service to farmers and land managers.

The owners of a Perthshire hostelry have been congratulated for an initiative which got behind Scotch Lamb as well as raising funds for RSABI, the charity which supports people in Scottish farming.

The idea was developed by Eileen Keay and Frank McKie, owners of the Chapelhill Inn at Logiealmond. The couple celebrated St Andrew’s Day by serving locally-produced Scotch Lamb and for each lamb dish sold, the couple made a donation to RSABI.

The lamb was sourced from the Stevenson family at Rashielea, Balmacolly, Bankfoot and prepared by Stevensons Butchers in Stanley. A total of £150 was raised for RSABI by the Chapelhill Inn team, who pride themselves on sourcing local produce.

Farm diversification take guts – and a lot of encouragement from people who can support you. No-one knows this more than Celia Gaze, the author of farm diversification book Why Put a Bow Tie on a Llama?

On January 10th, 2020 Celia is hosting a book launch on her family farm – The Wellbeing Farm in Lancashire – which she turned into a popular rustic wedding venue.

A farmer who has used conservation to help transform the fortunes of his family’s historic estate has received an honorary fellowship from the University of Cumbria.

Giles Mounsey-Heysham is the ninth generation to manage his ancestral family property, Castletown, near Rockcliffe, Carlisle.

Inheriting the farm following the death of his father, Giles went on to qualify as a chartered surveyor, working for international land agents Cluttons for 35 years. He continues to work as a consultant for Savills today.

In parallel to his professional career, Giles ran the 4,700-acre family farm in rural north Cumbria.

Farmers affected by August flooding can now apply for flood grants through the Farming Recovery Fund – a £2 million fund to help farmers with repairs.

Through the Farming Recovery Fund, farmers in parts of North Yorkshire and Wainfleet, Lincolnshire, who have suffered uninsurable damage to their property can now apply for grants between £500 and £25,000 to cover a number of repair costs.

RSABI, the charity which supports people working in Scottish agriculture, is this week launching its biggest ever campaign aimed at raising awareness of the range of support it provides.

RSABI, which provides vital financial, practical and emotional support to individuals and families with links to Scottish agriculture, is also embarking on a major drive to double the membership of its supporters’ schemes.

The six-week campaign, in the run-up to the festive season, aims to raise awareness of the range of services offered by RSABI, from helping with money worries and employment concerns to accident, illness and mental well-being.

A key focus of the #supportRSABI campaign, officially launched today, will be encouraging people with links to agriculture in Scotland to become members of its Supporters Schemes which include individual, business and corporate memberships.

The charity is aiming to double its membership numbers in each of these three supporter categories by September 2020.