Several government funding pots are available to support farmers affected by prolonged dry weather. These include a £2,000 Emergency Drought Grant for eligible farmers facing financial pressure, up to £15 million for on-farm reservoirs, and an additional £50 million for…
The second SFI26 application window opens on 22 September. Get ready by checking the guidance, deciding which options suit your parcels and making sure your Rural Payments Agency details are up to date. If applying for maintenance of traditional buildings,…
From today (11th Sept), where there are clear clinical signs, private vets will be able to diagnose bluetongue after examining affected animals, with cases formally confirmed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). This will mean fewer straightforward cases…
Up to 26th August, there has been official confirmation of 1 case in North Yorkshire, 4 in Cumbria and none in Northumberland but there are fears that these official figures are an underestimate. Testing of bluetongue samples has been increased…
This Friday (28th Aug) will be the last day of SFI26 being open for small farms and those without existing agreements. We are then expecting SFI 26 to open to all farmers in September – but when? We have heard…
The latest round of the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) Fund is now open and closes on 30th September. The funding is for practical on-farm trials and demonstrations of innovative equipment and techniques that can be tested in…
Bluetongue is spreading fast, and staying informed is one of the best ways to protect your business. Join local vets, Animal and Plant Health Agency/Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) representatives and industry specialists at one of our…
This week, Andy Burnham and Farming Minister, Stephen Morgan, announced a package of support to help farmers manage the impacts of this summer’s extreme dry weather. Defra has confirmed the following measures: Temporary adjustments to Environmental Land Management (ELM) agreements…
Defra has not updated the allocated SFI budget figures since last week but have reported that of the 1,188 agreements offered to farmers so far, 922 were accepted by 31 July. Defra published news last week that Window 1 will close no later than midnight…
The ongoing drought, combined with the impact of the Bluetongue outbreak, is placing significant pressure on livestock farms and creating additional worries at an already challenging time. If these issues are affecting your ability to feed your livestock, we may…