Articles in "Agriculture"

After a year which saw a snap General Election, hundreds of new MPs entering the House of Commons, and the inheritance tax announcement in the autumn Budget, the political lobbying work undertaken by the National Farmers’ Union has never been more important.

The multi-faceted challenges faced by family farming businesses will be the focus of the first joint Lovewell Blake/NFU Farmers’ Evening of 2025, which takes place at Halesworth Golf Club on Wednesday 7^th May.

For the many farmers in our region, there will have been disappointment that there was no moderation of the effects of the inheritance tax announcement made in the autumn Budget.

With grain prices depressed at harvest and only getting worse since and potential inheritance tax changes reducing the want for significant investment in storage, 2025 may be the year for more farms to become part of a grain co-operative.

A renewed focus on succession planning, and innovation driven by a younger generation taking over earlier, could be the silver lining to the cloud looming over farming following the Agricultural Property Relief (APR) announcement in the budget.

Farmers will be facing significant changes in growing conditions by the end of the 21^st century – that was the message from a leading meteorologist at the latest Lovewell Blake/NFU Farmers’ Evening held in Halesworth.

The 2024 Budget has brought significant changes to the farming industry and understandably sparked extreme concerns for all those within it regarding the future of their multi-generation family farms and the future of the industry as a whole.

Leading meteorologist Chris Bell will be exploring the science and impacts of climate change on agriculture during the third joint Lovewell Blake/NFU Farmers’ Evening of 2024, which takes place at Halesworth Golf Club on Wednesday 6^th November.