The government has said it will ensure there is continuity of the support services for victims and witnesses that are currently provided by PCCs. 

New governance structure for policing

The NFU is urging ministers to ensure rural crime is not forgotten, with the announcement offering an opportunity for the government to create a new governance structure for policing that includes a national approach to rural crime.

This could be done, for example through a cross-departmental rural crime task force, something the NFU has long called for to address persistent failures in tackling rural crime.

NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos said she was grateful for the PCC's work listening to and supporting rural communities: “Crimes like fly-tipping, livestock worrying and machinery theft are not just costly but emotionally distressing. Farms are more than just businesses, they are homes, and everyone deserves to feel safe in their own community.

“As policing functions now transfer to elected mayors, we look forward to working with the Mayoral Strategic Authorities and future Policing and Crime Boards from 2028 onwards.

“That transition must deliver a stronger national focus on rural crime, and we will continue to press for a national cross-departmental taskforce to make sure rural communities are properly protected.”

The decision to abolish the PCCs is part of a 'major series of reforms' the government said, adding that its upcoming 'Police Reform White Paper' will set out further powers to improve standards and restore local neighbourhood policing, including a new National Centre of Policing. 

"We await the upcoming White Paper with interest,” Rachel added.

Rural theft cost the UK approximately £44.1 million in 2024, and a concerted effort is needed to ensure rural Britain is not left as the poor relation in the government’s commitment to tackle crime.

The Department for Education commissioned Professor Becky Francis to carry out a review of the national curriculum last year, during which the NFU responded to a call for evidence, outlining 15 recommendations to improve children's education around where their food comes from.

We also launched a petition, calling for young people to learn more about British food production and farming, encouraging curriculum updates to reflect the realities of the sector.

Professor Francis's report has now been published, and the government has responded, outlining a number of key reforms that it intends to bring in from September 2028 onwards. It will publish the final revised national curriculum by spring 2027. Until then, we await more detail around which of Professor Francis's recommendations the government will include in this final version of the national curriculum. 

NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos welcomed the report's publication: “Young people deserve to leave school with a fair understanding of the many benefits British farming has to offer. We know this is a view shared both by teachers and by tens of thousands of people across the country who stand behind us too.
 
"We'll continue engage with both the government and external stakeholders to ensure that the voices of farmers and food producers are heard as the Department for Education begins to choose and implement the recommendations from this review."

From revisions to food education and technical qualifications, to a stronger emphasis on sustainability, science, and digital literacy, we explore the 11 key changes Professor Francis has recommended to government that could be coming to classrooms in the next three years.

1. Food and nutrition education

The review recommends renaming 'Cooking and Nutrition' to 'Food and Nutrition'. This change is intended to enable learners not only to acquire the life skills necessary to create balanced, healthy meals but also to develop an understanding of topics such as food sustainability, an area the review identifies as requiring further development.

2. Food will not be a standalone subject

Due to pressures on curriculum time and the additional burden this would place on schools, the review concludes that food should not be a standalone subject. The findings from the call for evidence indicate that too many pupils are being denied the opportunity to master the subject’s core knowledge and skills. The review further notes that, according to stakeholders, this is particularly concerning given the skills shortages in the UK food systems sector.

This underscores the need for the government to elevate the profile of food in schools even in the absence of a standalone subject.

3. Revamping Level 3 qualifications

The review recommends improvements to Level 3 qualifications (A Levels, T levels and equivalent) reflecting the government’s earlier white paper and consultation. 
 
The NFU, alongside other stakeholders, has campaigned for the reinstatement of the Food A Level. While this review does not guarantee its reinstatement, it opens the possibility for enhanced progression routes within food and farming qualifications, 
 
The government has recently announced plans to introduce new V Levels to replace many existing qualifications; they will sit alongside A Levels and T Levels and offer a new vocational pathway for students who want to explore different sectors before deciding where to specialise. There could be potential for V Levels in both Food and Agriculture. 
 
The review recommends no significant reforms to the Agriculture T Level and other technical qualifications until these are successfully embedded.

4. Strong focus on climate and sustainability

Climate change and sustainability are significant themes throughout the review. The industry is encouraged to recognise the importance of these recommendations. Specific attention is drawn to these topics within Science, Design and Technology, and Citizenship. It is notable, however, that the review does not mention the proposed Natural History GCSE.

5. Citizenship taking a higher priority

The review recommends that Citizenship becomes statutory from Key Stage 1 (4 years +), with one of the core elements being climate change and sustainability. This represents a substantial shift, ensuring that all learners in both primary and secondary education are expected to engage with these topics.

6. Every learner having the opportunity to study triple science

The review recommends entitlement to Triple Science at GCSE, so that any student who wishes to pursue Triple Science can do so. This is a welcome addition, as the Triple Science GCSE includes increased coverage of food security, which is not present in the Double Award. The review, however, notes that a substantial rise in uptake is unlikely due to non-curriculum-related barriers acknowledged within the findings.

7. Highlighting the growth of the green economy

The review correctly identifies climate science as crucial for supporting the wider economy. It anticipates that growth in the green economy will double the number of STEM jobs in the UK. The recognition of agriculture as a key component within these roles is particularly significant.

8. Linking subjects together

The review identifies the value of establishing better horizontal links across subjects to highlight where content in one area relies on understanding in another. This coherence is vital for understanding food systems, and alignment between subjects such as Biology, Geography, and the newly named Food and Nutrition subjects would be particularly beneficial.

9. Geography top of the class

The review recommends only “light touch” changes to Geography due to significant prior development to the subject. One such recommendation is “to support greater use of contemporary, local, and representative case studies and contexts”. This represents a clear opportunity for the inclusion of farming and rural examples.

10. Focus on digital literacy and tackling misinformation

The NFU has consistently highlighted the prevalence of misconceptions and preconceptions about agriculture which are driven by online misinformation. The review’s emphasis on digital literacy, particularly within Citizenship and Science, is therefore very welcome.

While not directly related to learning about food and farming, implementation of this recommendation could yield considerable benefits for young people’s food choices.

11. Financial literacy

The review also places importance on financial literacy, an area strongly highlighted by NFU members during the consultation. Although this may not appear directly connected to food and farming education, it supports the development of young people as both informed consumers and future business owners.

What next?

It is important to remember that the Curriculum Review is an independent review and that the Department for Education has the choice as to whether they will implement all, or any, of the recommendations from the review. 

Some recommendations of the review have already been put into motion including an immediate consultation on new Level 3 pathways.

The Curriculum Review demonstrates clear recognition of food, sustainability, and green economy priorities. For the food and farming sector, these recommendations present tangible opportunities to:

• Embed food systems thinking into mainstream education.
• Strengthen career pathways into agri-food and technical sectors.
• Position agriculture as central to the UK’s sustainability and skills agenda.

The NFU will continue to engage with the government and education partners to ensure these opportunities are realised, shaping a curriculum that reflects the realities of modern food and farming and equips young people with the knowledge and skills to support a sustainable future.

The independent UK-based research centre CenTax (Centre for the Analysis of Taxation) has argued that the policy needs changes to deliver the government’s intentions and has proposed a number of amendments.

Not too late to make changes

On the sending of the letter, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “Over the past 12 months, I have never known such an outpouring of anger and frustration from all sectors of the farming industry and wider supply chain to this unjust policy.
 
“It has been evident the Treasury does not understand farming and has remained intransigent in its position despite many calling for change.  As we have repeatedly pointed out, the policy as it is, is anti-growth. It is stopping businesses and farms from investing and will leave many farming families forced to sell all or parts of their business to afford these horrendous future tax bills.
 
“There is such a strength of feeling as demonstrated by the 107 businesses, retailers and trade bodies from across the food and farming supply chain that have signed this letter to Sir Keir Starmer.
 
“Our message to the Prime Minister is clear. We are just a week out from the Budget; there is still time to do the right thing for British farming and rural businesses and consider the valid alternatives that have been proposed by the NFU and others. It is not too late to make changes which will raise the money the government needs while safeguarding the future of family farms.
 
“This is a pivotal moment. Getting this right will mean we can move forward and work together to regain some of the confidence that has drained away after months of relentless pressure. This government must back British farming for all it delivers for the nation and for the economic value it underpins in our largest manufacturing sector, British food and drink.”

Read the letter in full: 

In May 2022, the UK Government suspended tariffs on all goods from Ukraine and suspended any quantitative quotas under the existing UK-Ukraine FTA (Free Trade Agreement) – which replicated the trade deal between the EU and Ukraine after Brexit – for 12 months. This was to support Ukraine during the tragedy of the illegal invasion. 

Within these submissions the NFU has outlined the increased pressure on UK poultry farmers who have already faced substantial challenges in recent years including significant increases in overall production costs, alongside the current wide-reaching devastation of avian influenza, and labour shortages, to name only a few.

The NFU has expressed extreme concern to government that if the current tariff suspension mechanisms are extended, and volumes are not limited to an appropriate level, this could lead to significant and damaging consequences for domestic producers. The impact on producer confidence is already showing, and this has a substantial knock-on effect on investment, growth and ultimately sector resilience.

Throughout this process the NFU has recommended steps the government can take to navigate between supporting Ukraine, through enhanced market access for Ukrainian agri-food products, and protecting our own vulnerable domestic producers from the negative cumulative impacts of trade liberalisations.

Reduction in market returns

Since the UK granted its temporary tariff suspensions, imports of Ukrainian poultry meat to the UK have significantly increased year on year, while for eggs the sector has seen a very significant rise in imports since September 2024. Increased import volumes can reduce the returns available in the market for domestic producers.

With the EU now imposing greater restrictions upon the volumes of Ukrainian poultry meat and egg products able to enter the single market tariff free, the NFU is concerned there is potential for further displaced product to be exported into the UK market.

Detrimental effect on producer confidence

The difference in animal welfare standards between the UK and Ukraine, combined with Ukraine’s lower input and compliance costs, leaves British farmers unable to compete.

Imported products produced in production systems that are banned in the UK benefit from significant cost of production advantages when compared to domestic products. This undermines British production and provides an unlevel playing field which further impacts producer confidence.

UK government support

It should also be recognised that the UK Government is already helping Ukraine in many ways and direct support for the poultry sector was provided in July 2025 with a BI (British International Investment) loan for a significant €30 million, given to MHP – Ukraine’s largest poultry and processed meat producer, employing over 30,000 people in Ukraine and exporting to over 70 countries.

Wide-reaching impact

NFU Poultry Board Chair Will Raw said: “We appreciate the government wants to support Ukraine and we recognise the importance of helping Ukrainians at this disastrous time. Since 2022, the government has provided support for Ukraine in various ways, including a suspension of all tariffs and quotas on Ukrainian poultry products entering the UK, which is due to expire in March 2026. Since the invasion of Ukraine, the NFU has also worked to support farmers in the country.

“British poultry farmers are proud to produce to high standards and we have to meet stringent food safety, animal welfare and environmental legislation. With the government's focus on food security and fairness in the supply chain, ministers must not allow food produced to methods that would be considered illegal in the UK from being imported. It undermines our farmers and dents consumer confidence. The wide-reaching impacts of allowing such imports stalls investment, erodes growth and affects overall resilience in a vital sector that provides such an important source of protein to feed the nation.

“It remains imperative for the right balance to be achieved to prevent any level of well-meaning support resulting in unintended consequences for British food producers.”

NFU recommendations

The NFU has recommended steps the government can take to navigate between enhanced market access for Ukrainian agri-food products and protecting our own domestic producers from the negative cumulative impacts of trade liberalisations. These include:

• Extending the special considerations made for the British egg and poultry sectors to fully recognise the sensitivities of these sectors in any decision on tariff easements beyond March 2026.
• Ensuring any further support measures are appropriately volume limited with annual reviews.
• Recognising that any market access should be conditional upon the imported products meeting production methods equivalent to those required of domestic UK producers.
• Reviewing the temporary safeguard mechanism negotiated under the terms of the current easement agreement (Article 3 of Agreement No.1) without delay.

The NFU will keep members informed on this evolving situation.

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Within the sanitary and phytosanitary issues covered by the agreement, the Crops Board discussed with Mr Carmichael retention of precision breeding technologies, access to glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant, the importance of the UK having the ability to operate its own PPP (plant protection product) authorisations, and how the supply chain could ensure that limits on ergot alkaloids and T-2 and HT-2 mycotoxins in oats do not disrupt trade.

Mr Carmichael explained that the Efra Select Committee would have numerous opportunities to scrutinise the impact of the SPS agreement throughout the negotiation process. Alongside this, the NFU National Crops Board will maximise its long-standing relationships with farmers across Europe through Copa Cogeca meetings, facilitated by the BAB office in Brussels.

Photograph: NFU Combinable Crops Board in discussion with Efra Chair Alistair Carmichael

Boosting profitability and productivity

Broader challenges around productivity and profitability were also highlighted, with a lack of strategy providing limited direction to research and development in the sector. The NFU’s Sustainable Protein Action Plan was discussed as an opportunity to boost long term productivity and profitability, including levers the government can use to deliver confidence for the protein sector and to help offset imported soya.

NFU Combinable Crops Board Jamie Burrows concluded the meeting by thanking Mr Carmichael for his time, and especially for making key recommendations on the proactive steps the board can continue to take to deliver improvements to the productivity and profitability of the combinable crops sector.

Following the meeting Jamie said: “We had a really honest and open conversation with Mr Carmichael, who helped us understand the impact of the NFU’s policy asks detailed in our strategy for the combinable crops sector. Mr Carmichael welcomed the opportunity to hear directly from the National Crops Board to hear first hand experiences and provide evidence behind the work he does as Efra Select Committee Chair.”

Photograph: NFU Combinable Crops Board Chair Jamie Burrows and Efra Chair Alistair Carmichael

The APG (Agricultural Productivity Group), co-chaired by NFU Deputy President David Exwood and senior Defra officials, aims to drive agreement and common purpose between the government and industry to support a productive and resilient farming sector. It meets quarterly to discuss and agree actions. 

The APG would like to invite the participation of a young farmer to represent the next generation and contribute their experience, thoughts, challenges and ideas as a future farming leader.

Criteria for applying

To apply you must meet the following criteria:

• You will be an active farmer in England who wants to contribute to future agricultural productivity aims and bring next generation on-farm experience to policy makers and industry.
• You should be a strong communicator, ideally with existing evidence of engagement among peers.
• You must be aged 35 or under.
• Within reason to personal circumstance, you must be willing to make yourself available to attend four hybrid (virtual and in-person attendance available) meetings over a 12-month period from January 2026. There may be additional opportunity to become involved in ‘task-and-finish’ activities on a voluntary basis, and the successful applicant will benefit from mentoring support throughout the appointment term.

How to apply

To apply, you should provide a few sentences to explain your farming experience and why you should be chosen to take up this opportunity – 400 words maximum. Applicants may be invited for a further online conversation prior to invitation to join the forum*.

Send your application to agri-tech-sector-policy@defra.gov.uk by 5pm on 27 November 2025.

*APG membership does not constitute a public appointment, and the forum is not a formal public body. However, while participating in the forum, all members are encouraged to adhere to the Seven Principles of Public Life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership).

During a debate on the impact of land use change on food security brought forward by Conservative MP for Aldridge-Brownhills Wendy Morton, MPs were told by Ms Morton that “Domestic food security is national security and it must be protected”. 

MPs raised how the government’s proposed changes to APR (Agricultural Property Relief) and BPR (Business Property Relief) could affect our food security, forcing the sale of farmland which may be bought by developers, taking it out of food production. Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, referenced figures from the NFU, which showed that up to 75% of commercial family farms will be above the £1m threshold. 

Rural Affairs spokesperson Tim Farron agreed that the “proposed inheritance tax charges cause further damage”, adding that  “the family farm tax is not just unfair; it further incentivises a reduction in Britain’s ability to feed itself”. 

Shadow Farming Minister Robbie Moore, Conservative MP for Keighley and Ilkley, told MPs it was a “disgrace” that the Chancellor Rachel Reeves was yet to meet with the NFU or other farming organisations to discuss the government’s reforms to APR and BPR.

Only this week, a group of almost 90 cross-party MPs wrote to the Chancellor calling on her to change course.

Food security impact

Ms Morton referred to Defra figures which showed that food prices in Britain had increased by more than 36% between January 2021 and April 2025, at a rate three times that versus the previous decade.

The Conservative MP said that we risked making our food security worse through our “own planning choices”, and referenced her concerns with the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, shared by the NFU, in which Natural England could gain compulsory purchase powers of land for EDPs (Environmental Delivery Plans) for the environmental offsetting of infrastructure or housebuilding. These purchasing powers could mean, Ms Morton said, farmland would be permanent and unchallengeable.

Shadow Farming Minister Robbie Moore said the same as Ms Morton, saying the right of Natural England to buy land at its agricultural value rather than its developed value would make the impact on our food security worse.

Against this difficult backdrop, Ms Morton said the last thing the government should be doing is making it harder for farming families to stay on their land, referencing the planned changes to inheritance tax. 

Liberal Democrat MP for Chichester Jess Brown-Fuller agreed, saying that “families are put in the awful situation of potentially having to sell off parts of their family farm to pay these taxes”, adding that they need “economies of scale to make farming work”.

She also raised the NFU’s concerns around the end of the Fruit and Veg Aid scheme which will end in December this year. Ms Brown-Fuller said despite a small budget of £40m, the scheme had been a major driver of growth in the sector including for soft fruit growers in her constituency, which she praised. The NFU has long been calling for a new scheme, and for this to be expanded to cover all sectors of horticulture, including individual businesses as well as producer organisations.

Former Farming Minister and Labour MP for Cambridge Daniel Zeichner queried why the previous government did not bring a Land Use Framework forward. Answering questions from the Efra Committee last week, Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds said the Land Use Framework would be published in the New Year. 

Referencing a recent Efra Committee report, South West Norfolk Labour MP Terry Jermy said this had shown Defra has “no effective system of oversight for border checks, with inadequate and sometimes even banned products passing into the UK” and quoted NFU President Tom Bradshaw’s concerns on how prepared the UK would be to feed itself in a crisis. 

MPs united in calling for a coherent Land Use Framework

Josh Newbury, the Labour MP for Cannock Chase said he shared the view of those in the farming community and the wider food supply chain that we cannot afford to see food security as a “sideshow”, or “nice to have”, reiterating the Prime Minister’s comments that food security is national security. 

Agreeing with the importance of food security, Chris Hinchcliff, Labour MP for North East Hertfordshire, said that our food security was also under threat from climate change, and that encouraging farmers to use sustainable farming practices was as important as the transition to net zero.  

Alongside a transition to sustainable farming practices, Mr Hinchcliff spoke of the importance of growing healthy and nutritional crops in the UK, saying that providing "price floors" to farmers could help encourage them to grow crops which would benefit the nation’s health and food security in the process.

Dr Roz Savage, the Liberal Democrat MP for South Cotswolds, said that while the government’s Land Use Framework had the right aims, the government should stop pitting demands on land against each other. Mirroring calls from the NFU, Dr Savage told MPs that government departments needed to stop "operating in silos", with planning decisions made incorporating the needs of local geographies and communities.

Framework published before Christmas

Responding, Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle welcomed the debate. The Minister also said food security was about more than just land use. Dame Angela also reiterated comments made by Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds at her appearance in front of the Efra Committee that former NFU President Baroness Batters’s report into farm profitability would be published before the end of the year, before the Land Use Framework, Food Strategy and Farming Roadmap in 2026.

NFU Deputy President David Exwood responded to the news: “There were some encouraging signals from the Defra Secretary of State about clarity, certainty and the need to build confidence in SFI. The announcement that SFI will reopen in the first half of next year is welcome but further details can’t come soon enough for those farm businesses struggling to understand what Environmental Land Management schemes will mean for them in the future.  

“Farming is the key to a successful rural economy and SFI must be a part of delivering sustainable farming businesses and thriving nature. We look forward to working with Defra to develop policies that will unlock the potential of UK agriculture and ensure farmers are rewarded for the public goods they deliver for the environment alongside producing food for 70 million consumers.” 

Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier extensions

Earlier this year, the NFU secured a one-year extension to the CSMT (Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier) scheme, which was set to expire at the end of 2025.

Acknowledging the mistakes made, the Defra Secretary reiterated the call for eligible farmers to respond to Mid Tier extensions, with more than 2,000 yet to accept the offer. “I urge all those who have not yet responded to do so by the 27 November deadline,” she said.

Farmers are encouraged to accept the CSMT extension. Information on transferring schemes will be included in the reformed SFI scheme details.

The NFU is aware that the first CSHT (Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier) agreement is expected to go live in December.

Rural strategies

“The Batters Review and Environmental Improvement Plan will be published before Christmas, followed by the Land Use Framework, and Farming Roadmap early next year,” the Defra Secretary confirmed.

“These aren’t separate initiatives – they form a coherent strategy that gives rural communities a bright future.”   

Ms Reynolds’s speech was heard earlier this week at the CLA conference.

Under The Organic Production (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/1111), the derogation allowing up to 5% non-organic protein feed for pigs and poultry is extended only until 31 December 2026, and its scope is limited to piglets of no more than 35kg and poultry of no more than 30 weeks of age. This means any birds that are more than 30 weeks old and pigs weighing more than 35kg must be fed 100% organic diets from 1 January 2026

Following NFU lobbying, we understand Defra is working with certification bodies to support producers in complying with the amended derogation from 1 January 2026.

Any NFU members who have concerns can contact their organic certification body or NFU CallFirst on 0370 845 8458.

The current situation

Defra has shared its response to the April 2025 consultation on extending two key organic farming derogations for pig and poultry producers. These derogations were due to end on 31 December 2025.

• Feeding up to 5% non-organic protein in pig and poultry diets.
• The use of non-organically reared pullets for egg production up to 18 weeks of age.

What are the new rules?

Defra proposed extending both derogations until 31 December 2026, but limiting the scope of use for the 5% non-organic protein feed.

Following the consultation Defra have confirmed that from 1 January 2026, this derogation will now only apply to:

• young poultry under 30 weeks of age
• piglets under 35 kg.

This means any birds that are more than 30 weeks old and pigs that weigh more than 35kg must be fed 100% organic diets from 1 January 2026.

The derogation for non-organic pullets up to 18 weeks has been fully extended until 31 December 2026.

The NFU response

In our consultation response, the NFU urged Defra to fully extend both derogations.

We highlighted that allowing up to 5% non-organic protein remains vital for providing balanced diets and protecting animal welfare, since some key ingredients, such as maize gluten cannot currently be sourced from organic ingredients.

The NFU raised strong concerns about limiting the protein derogation to only young poultry, noting that balanced nutrition is essential throughout a bird’s life, not just in its early stages.

In addition, the NFU emphasised the critical importance of the derogation to use non-organically reared pullets for egg production.

At present, UK organic producers rely almost entirely on non-organically reared pullets, as there are no organic breeding flocks available. Without this derogation, organic poultry production in GB would not be able to effectively operate.

While we welcome the extension of the derogations the NFU has significant concerns about narrowing the scope of the organic protein feed derogation to poultry younger than 30 weeks. We urge the government to keep this under close review and be prepared to act quickly if there are any adverse consequences for bird health and welfare.

It has now been confirmed GB will dynamically align with EU organic regulations, which means that Great Britain will adopt the EU's main organic regulation (2018/848). 

At the moment, EU rules still allow up to 5% non-organic protein in feed until 31 December 2026.

Poultry under 30 weeks old can have this 5% allowance, while older birds must be fed 100% organic feed.

GB’s recent changes to the 5% non-organic protein rule now put us under the same requirements as the EU.

The NFU will continue to press Defra to keep these allowances for as long as they are needed to support organic egg and poultry meat producers in GB and ensure the derogation for non-organic pullets up to 18 weeks is fully extended under the SPS agreement.

Read more on NFUonline

Poultry

Avian influenza – essential information

Biosecurity awareness

The strategic priorities align with the NFU’s asks on rural crime, and the activities that severely impact farm businesses and rural communities, particularly those around organised acquisitive crime, livestock worrying, and livestock and machinery theft.

Rural policing teams have recovered more than £12.7 million worth of stolen machinery this year, including £825,500 worth recovered from overseas, leading to 155 arrests. Crimes are increasingly being carried out by organised crime groups the NPCC has said, requiring a coordinated response. 

Complexity of rural crime

NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos said the launch of the strategy served as “recognition of the serious and organised nature of rural crime”. 

“For too long, criminal gangs have exploited the countryside, targeting machinery, livestock and land with devastating impacts on businesses and families,” she said. 
 
“The NFU has consistently called for a cross departmental rural crime taskforce, sustained funding for the National Rural Crime Unit and stronger legislation to protect farmers from theft, hare coursing and livestock worrying. It is positive to see government and police leaders acknowledging the complexities of rural crime and committing to intelligence-led policing, new technology and national training.”

In its strategy, the National Police Chief’s Council recognises ‘the complexities of specific rural offences which are cross-border in nature, involve a significant degree of planning and co-ordination, often involve international networks and which have a substantial impact on rural communities’ .

The NPCC has said new technology will aid intelligence-led policing, using advanced data analytics and crime mapping, with police already using technology such as drones to tackle wildlife crime.

National training programmes will be rolled out for tackling machinery theft, livestock crime and wildlife offences, with DNA analysis used to support investigations. 

Deputy Chief Constable Nigel Harrison, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Rural and Wildlife Crime, said: “Police chiefs recognise rural communities can feel isolated and vulnerable. The strategy will embed and strengthen visible policing within rural areas so those who live and work in the countryside are connected to their local police teams and feel as safe as those within urban areas.”

‘Delivery is key’

The NFU also welcomed recognition of other areas of concern for rural communities within the strategy – particularly fly-tipping – and the commitment to assist Local Authorities, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales with investigations, enforcement and prevention.

Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said: “New powers to seize stolen assets, improved access to data and technology, and increased collaboration will help police forces make Britain’s rural communities against organised crime.”

The government has also committed to introducing legislation that will make it a requirement for all new ATVs and GPS units to have forensic markings in an effort to deter thieves, following sustained NFU lobbying for the scope of the Equipment Theft Act to be widened. Meanwhile, the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) Bill is currently making its way through the House of Lords after passing its third reading in the Commons. Marking a significant milestone in the Bill’s journey following years of NFU lobbying, the Bill would see police given greater powers to crack down on irresponsible dog owners. 

Welcoming the new three-year strategy, NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos warned that “delivery is key”.

“Farmers need visible policing, swift recovery of stolen equipment and sentencing that deters repeat offenders. A holistic, joined-up approach will make this effective, and we will continue to work with the Home Office, Defra and police forces to ensure this strategy translates into real protection for those who live and work in the countryside.”

Festive Farming Quest was NFU Education’s latest offering for schoolchildren across the country, bringing farming to the classroom for its first-ever festive live lessons.

Why it matters

The Festive Farming Quest connected children with the people, animals and crops behind some of their favourite festive traditions, showcasing the breadth of British farming and its role in the celebrations.

The live lessons provide a unique opportunity for NFU Education to inspire the next generation and highlight the role our industry plays in seasonal celebrations.

Building a connection with young people

NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos said: “Farmers and growers are proud to play such a central role in our festive traditions and the Festive Farming Quest is a brilliant way to bring that story into classrooms. We know that teachers and children are eager to learn more about where their food comes from, and these live lessons give them the chance to connect directly with the people, animals and crops behind Christmas.

“It’s about more than just brussels sprouts or turkeys. It’s about showing the breadth of British farming and inspiring the next generation to understand the care, skill and innovation that goes into producing food to world‑leading standards. As farmers, we want to build that connection with young people, so they not only enjoy their festive favourites but also understand the work and dedication behind them.

“NFU Education’s live lessons throughout 2025 have reached over half a million schoolchildren. By giving pupils the chance to meet farmers, vets and food producers, we’re helping them see agriculture as part of their everyday lives, celebrate the sector and ensure farming has a place at the heart of education.”

Meet the experts

What did the teachers think?

Teachers have been sharing their thoughts after taking part in the Festive Farming Quest on social media and beyond.

Schoolchildren have responded enthusiastically to the subjects covered, while educators have praised the pace and interactive nature of the lessons.

NFU Education Manager Jennie Devine presenting a segment on Brussel sprouts with farmer James Heyes for the KS1 Festive Farming Quest

NFU Chief Education Manager Joshua Payne discussing turkey toys with Lucy and James of J&R Sheffield for the KS2 Festive Farming Quest

“Removing the exemption for dairy based pre-packaged drinks and putting them in the same category as fizzy pop makes no sense. 

“This proposed levy also ignores the highly nutritious value of milk. These drinks, made with at least 75% milk, are not only great tasting but a cost-effective way for the public to source essential daily intakes of high-quality protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals.”

In 2018, the industry successfully lobbied for milk drinks to be exempt from the “Soft Drinks Industry Levy” (known as the sugar tax).  Currently, milk-based drinks are exempt if they contain at least 75ml of milk per 100ml. 

The NFU maintained at the time that milk and yoghurt-based drinks are an accessible, affordable and nutritious way for many people to meet their recommended daily allowance of a range of nutrients. They provide calcium, high quality protein, B vitamins, iodine, zinc and phosphorus. 

Following industry feedback, the Treasury has acknowledged the unique composition of dairy and has included a lactose allowance to prevent dairy companies from paying a levy on naturally occurring lactose. The government has also extended the implementation date to 2028. This allows dairy companies time to reformulate products to meet the new thresholds. 

The data collected will support the NFU’s call for greater recognition for farming within existing energy support schemes.

The government brought in support schemes to protect high-energy users against the sharpest of rises and currently don’t apply to most farming and growing businesses.

The NFU and NFU Energy are urging members to assess the impacts of increased standing charges as a series of three changes begin to take effect.

The increases, phased in from October 2025 to April 2026, could see charges rise sharply, putting significant pressure on high- and seasonal-energy users.

Use the free energy calculator today

Help build evidence

The NFU is calling on the government to review the SIC (Standard Industry Classification) codes to better reflect the high energy users in our industry and to bring reforms to Ofgem’s Targeted Charging Review, which sets the bands on which the charges are based.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “Spiralling energy costs, which are set to increase in April, are threatening the viability of farming and growing businesses. Some members are reporting increased costs of over £1 million, which simply is not sustainable.

“I would urge all businesses concerned about their energy costs to take advantage of the calculator to help them plan for the months ahead. Vitally, it will also help us build a picture to show just how extreme these cost rises are as we continue to take the issue to government.”

Clear, practical insight

Among the new headlines announced with the plan’s publication is £500 million for Landscape Recovery Projects to be invested over a 20-year period and £85 million to improve and restore peatlands.

The new interim targets published today include:

• 250,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitats to be restored or created outside of protected sites.
• Double the number of farms providing 'sufficient year-round resources for farm wildlife', compared with 2025.
• Reduce the rate of establishment of invasive non-native species by at least 50% by December 2030, compared to 2000 levels.

Clear targets for British food production

Responding to the launch of the EIP NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “The clear direction from Defra is that they need farmers to deliver for the environment and farmers stand ready to do just that. What farmers need from Defra in return is similar clarity on the importance of domestic food production and a policy framework that supports that.  
 
“The Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds said, ‘Britain’s rolling hills and stunning coastline are treasures’ that must be protected. It shouldn’t be forgotten that these landscapes exist because generations of farmers have shaped and cared for them while producing food for the nation. We need polices that enable farm businesses to produce food, strengthen food security, and achieve the government’s own ambition of improving farm profitability alongside these environmental goals. 
 
“Defra’s plans for Landscape Recovery projects under the EIP involve combining government funding with private investment. However, experience shows that attracting private investment has been challenging, raising concerns about how farmers can confidently engage their businesses in the projects.
 
“That’s why we’re calling for certainty over the Sustainable Farming Incentive, alongside delivery of the EIP, and, as clearly set out in the NFU Blueprints, a multifunctional Land Use Framework that gives food production equal priority to environmental delivery. 

"We also need clear targets for British food production, because a resilient food system is not just an ambition, it’s a necessity. This will go a long way in giving farmers the clarity that they need from Defra and confidence to the public who tell us time and time again that they want to buy British.”

The government concluded a rapid review of the previous EIP from 2023, forming part of a wider statutory EIP review which considered the implementation of the EIP23, progress towards meeting targets set out in the Environment Act, whether the natural environment has improved and if different steps should be taken to meet these aims. 

It has said it will work with stakeholders, including farmers, to deliver the revised plan.

Impact on farmers and growers

Goal 1: Restored nature

To deliver Goal 1 to create a network of bigger, better, and more resilient habitats to help nature thrive, the government has committed to:

• Conserve and manage 30% of the UK’s land by 2030 (30by30).
• Achieve favourable condition for 50% of SSSIs (sites of special scientific interest), create and restore 250,000 hectares of wildlife rich habitat, increase tree canopy and woodland cover by 0.33%/43,000 hectares, double the number of farms providing sufficient year-round resources for farm wildlife.
• Support farmers and land managers to create or restore 48,000km of hedgerows by 2037 and 72,500km of hedgerows by 2050.

Agri-environment schemes will have a major role in securing these outcomes. Farmers will therefore be critical to the delivery of the nature targets. Private finance is also expected to play a role, alongside a range of policy mechanisms.

Goal 2: Air

To deliver Goal 2 to reduce emissions and population exposure to air pollutants, the government has committed to:

• Deliver air quality targets for PM2.5 concentration and exposure by potentially requiring farmers to use low emission spreading equipment and covering slurry stores, among other mitigation measures such as Environmental Permitting Regulations for the cattle sectors.

Goal 3: Water

To deliver Goal 3 to ensure healthy water catchments, sustainable water supply, and clean rivers, the government has committed to:

• Reduce total nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment pollution from agriculture to the water environment by at least 12% by December 2030, compared to 2018 levels. Appropriate land management actions will be encouraged through ELMs. Defra is likely to issue new and updated regulations for farmers on water quality in 2026 which will work towards this goal. New requirements could be increased slurry store capacity, and different closed periods for spreading nutrients.
• Modernise the abstraction licensing system, including moving it into the Environmental Permitting Regulations. 
• Support the agricultural sector in ensuring collaborative sustainable water use, through enabling an increase in the number of Water Abstractor Groups from 7 to 14 by 2030.
• Review the regulatory framework for sewage sludge spreading to agricultural land to ensure it effectively manages the risks to the environment and health. As recommended by the Independent Water Commission, a reform of sewage sludge regulations will be considered by Defra within its wider work on water reform.

Goal 4: Chemicals and pesticides

To deliver Goal 4 to minimise environmental risks from chemicals and pesticides, the government has committed to:

• Reform UK registration, evaluation, authorisation, and restriction of chemicals to enable protections that address chemical pollution to be applied more quickly, efficiently and in a way that is more aligned with our closest trading partners, especially the EU, by December 2028.
• Take action on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) aka ‘forever chemicals’ through a new PFAS plan which will be published in 2026. The plan will set out a range of interventions, measures and initiatives with specific actions and delivery milestones to raise understanding and awareness of PFAS in the environment, identify releases of harmful PFAS and protect people and the environment from harm relating to exposure.
• Deliver the domestic pesticides reduction target, as set out in the 2025 UK Pesticides NAP (National Action Plan), to reduce each of the 20 metrics of the PLI (Pesticides Load Indicator) by at least 10% by 2030 in the arable sector compared to 2018.
• End the use of neonicotinoid pesticides (clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) that are known to carry substantial risks to pollinator populations.

Goal 5: Waste

To deliver Goal 5 to minimise waste by designing it out of the system and reusing and recycling materials wherever possible, the government has committed to:

• Reduce illegal waste sites from 2023 to 2024 levels by 2029-2030 by reforming certain permit exemptions and introducing record keeping. The digital waste tracking service and reform of the carriers, brokers and dealers regulation will make it easier for regulators to detect and also act upon non-compliant waste operators and waste crime.
• Reduce fly-tipping incidents from local authority reported 2023 to 2024 levels by 2029-2030. In early 2026, guidance to support local councils to seize and crush more vehicles used for fly-tipping, including using new technologies will be published.
• Publish the circular economy growth plan in early 2026. Progress towards circularity through the plan will be monitored and evaluated to demonstrate expectations around government initiatives to effect change and achieve the government’s wider goals and targets. Waste crime is an identified indicator monitoring environmental change.

Goal 6: Resources

To deliver Goal 6 to ensure that natural resources are produced, managed, and consumed sustainably, the government has committed to:

• Bring at least 40% of England’s agricultural soil into sustainable management by 2028, increasing to 60% by 2030 by empowering farmers to establish baselines and encouraging farmers to sustainably manage soils through agri-environment schemes.
• Improve the quality, consistency and availability of soil data by publishing an initial statistic of soil health for England during 2026 and aiming to establish a soil health baseline by 2029.
• Create and implement a new farming roadmap in 2026, which will outline a vision for farming to 2050 and set the direction on how to get there.
• Create and implement a new food strategy by building supply chains that are more resilient, sustainable and promote healthier eating.

Goal 7: Climate change

To deliver Goal 7 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to accelerate to net zero and work to prepare the natural environment for the effects of climate change, the government has committed to:

• Reduce and report on carbon emissions from farming and agricultural practices in line with the government’s Carbon Budgets 4, 5 and 6 (2023 to 2037) by supporting farmers with advice, regulations, and incentives to implement sustainable land-management practices outlined in the new Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan.
• Restore approximately 280,000 hectares of peatland in England by 2050 through an £85m investment in peatland restoration and funding water infrastructure for more sustainable farming on peatland. The Nature for Climate Peatland Grant scheme will continue until March 2027, before peatland support is integrated into ELMs.
• Increase the number of trees on farms, with a focus on silvoarable (trees with crops) and silvopastoral (trees with livestock) agroforestry systems by incentivising integration of tree planting and food production through agri-environment schemes.
• Make terrestrial protected site designation and management more dynamic and adaptive to the changing climate by completing an assessment of all SSSIs by 2032 and implementing climate change adaptive delivery plans for at least 10% of high risk SSSIs by 2030.

Goal 8: Reducing environmental hazards

To deliver Goal 8 to strengthen resilience and adaptation, and reduce the risk of harm to people, the environment and the economy from natural hazards, the government has committed to:

• Make sure that 92% of Environment Agency maintained flood and coastal risk management assets are at or above target condition by March 2026 by ensuring investment is prioritised for high-consequence defences, including those damaged in storms or ongoing flood events.
• Deliver an improved evidence base to monitor wildfires, through fire and rescue service incident data through work with stakeholders to share incident categories, publishing statistics, supporting local authorities’ communication, and reviewing the Wildfire Framework to clarify roles and responsibilities.
• Fund research to address the risk of wildfire through increasing the natural resilience of habitats to wildfires, such as through re-wetting or restoring hydrological function.
• Continue to support woodland creation and peatland restoration projects through funding and by recording hectares planted or restored. The EWCO (England Woodland Creation Offer) will help incentivise the planting of woodlands and trees outside of woodland. The EWCO is targeted towards landowners and managers.

Goal 9: Biosecurity

To deliver Goal 9 to enhance biosecurity to protect our natural environment and boost the health and resilience of plants, animals, ecosystems and people, the government has committed to:

• Understand, prevent, eradicate and control biodiversity threats from invasive non-native species, animal and plant pests and diseases.

Goal 10: Access to nature

To deliver Goal 10 to ensure inclusive access to nature and protect nature’s beauty and heritage, the government has committed to:

• Ensure that everyone has access to green or blue spaces within a 15-minute walk from home, through the establishment of nine National River Walks.
• Repeal of the cut-off date for recording historic rights of way by 2031. The NFU doesn’t support the repeal of the cut-off date.
• Develop measures to improve responsible access that protect and enhance nature and visitor experiences, aiming to increase the number of people visiting the countryside and coast for leisure and tourism purposes, by widening the public’s access in National Parks and National Landscapes. Improve access to nature through ELMs.

In recent months, the NFU has been made aware of more and more members seeking to change their business structures. This can include looking at who is formally involved in the control and management of the business, as well as who holds ownership of the land and other assets. In many cases, this has been due to the proposed changes to inheritance tax, but there may be other reasons why families have wanted to make changes.  

A change in business structure or control of a business, as well as land occupation changes, can have an impact on a range of scheme agreements.

It is therefore important this issue is considered when thinking about any changes to a business that has support scheme agreements in place. For example, currently, SFI does not generally recognise or anticipate that significant business changes could happen during the three-year agreement period and does not allow the transfer of the agreement as a result.  

The RPA needs to understand business structure changes and, in some situations, that can lead to the RPA changing the business’s SBI (Single Business Identifier).  This change can risk the receipt of future support scheme payments and possibly lead to the clawback of scheme monies already received.

Equally, where a business is giving up occupation and/or control of land, this can have an impact on payments already received, particularly where this occurs mid-way through a multi-year agreement. 

Where a business change is being considered, taking professional advice that covers both legal and accounting support as well as seeking input from those who understand support schemes is going to be key to navigate all the issues. It is important that any professionals advising on potential business structure changes are alerted to the fact that you are participating in support schemes, so that this can be property accounted for in the advice. NFU members can obtain free initial legal and professional advice from NFU CallFirst, and the Legal and Technical Advisers at NFU CallFirst can also arrange a referral to one of the NFU’s panel firms of solicitors for more detailed advice about their specific situation. NFU members can also make use of the NFU’s Legal Health Check service, to help identify areas which may need to be addressed.   

How the RPA treats business structures

The RPA needs to understand who the scheme agreements holders are for a range of schemes it administers, such as ELMs or productivity grants. This is so it can identify the business, and understand how one business may be linked to any other businesses, and check this against the scheme rules in place (for example, claim limitations that are set per business).  

The RPA also needs to know who controls a business, their relationship to other businesses if they have an interest or interaction with those other businesses, and when control within a business changes. Due to the rules in place it can lead to separate, legally recognised businesses being considered as one business for the purposes of engaging with support schemes due to the level of common control between the respective businesses. 

The RPA identifies separate businesses via their unique SBI (Single Business Identifier). The continued use of an SBI number or a change to an SBI number for a business is key when it comes to how the RPA treats any associated support schemes in place for the original business.  

The rules the RPA follows to determine the identity and extent of a business and where there are changes within those businesses can be found at: GOV.UK | Rural payments: if the structure of your business is changing. This guidance may be of assistance in understanding what view the RPA may take of any restructuring, but as every situation is unique, it should only be used as a general guide.

These are important rules to consider when changes to business structures or control of these businesses occur. So, when seeking advice about potential business structure changes, it will be important to alert professional advisers to any other business interests of the parties involved, so that they can advise as to whether there are likely to be any significant implications. 

What is a business change?

Business changes can take a number of forms and can be triggered by a number of events. This can include changes to the partners in a partnership, partnerships divided into new business structures, new family members coming into a farming partnership with original partners retiring from the partnership at the same time.  

These changes may not be considered significant by a farming family, however, as set out in the guidance, you would need to notify the RPA of these changes. The RPA will consider how any changes impact on its records. 

Depending on the precise circumstances, the RPA may decide the changes are minor and no further action is needed, or it may conclude that the changes are more significant and trigger a new business record and therefore a new SBI number is needed. The guidance sets out the factors that the RPA takes into consideration when making these decisions. 

If the RPA determines a new business has been created due to changes made to its structure, this may impact on your ability to continue with any existing environment schemes. For example, some schemes do not allow you to transfer agreements across from old businesses to new businesses. What happens next will depend on the rules for each scheme.

We have highlighted the information currently available on how business changes and agreement transfers are treated within different support schemes; however, it is always important to check that you are referring to the latest version of any guidance documents.

This is not exhaustive list, it does not cover woodland schemes for example, and each agreement will need to be considered alongside any others to determine how one set of rules will impact upon another.

Countryside Stewardship revenue agreements

Information covered in section 7 of the relevant agreement handbook covers business changes and flexibilities.

Standalone capital grant agreements

Most capital items need to be maintained for five years by the original agreement holder. Information on these schemes can be found at: GOV.UK | Capital items: guidance for applicants and agreement holders.

The RPA will consider changes to business structures or transfers of land under an agreement on a case-by-case basis, as each situation will be different. This will determine if a repayment of funding is required in this five-year period. Let the RPA know at the earliest opportunity to allow for timely consideration of the situation.

Environmental Stewardship agreements

Information is covered in section 3 of the scheme handbook on flexibilities around transferring agreements. 

SFI

Currently, SFI does not recognise or anticipate that any significant business changes could happen during the three-year agreement period.  

The NFU has raised a number of issues with the RPA including:

• Inheritance upon death – we understand that the RPA is now in the process of allowing transfer in limited situations.
• Business change – the RPA has confirmed to the NFU that the aforementioned rules on business change apply to SFI.
• Transfer all or part of the SFI agreement – unfortunately, as is set out in the SFI guidance, there is currently no option to transfer all or part of the agreement to another party, for example when giving up a tenancy or a piece of land or selling the farm or land. This is different to Countryside Stewardship revenue agreement transfers.

SFI guidance is available at: GOV.UK | Sustainable Farming Incentive: guidance for applicants and agreement holders.

Productivity grants

Many schemes have a five-year period where scheme conditions need to be respected. See: GOV.UK | Invest in equipment, technology and infrastructure to increase productivity for more information.

NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos reacted to the news: “The government’s £1.5 billion commitment to skills and apprenticeships, including fully funded SME apprenticeships for eligible young people, is a positive step for farming.”
 
“However, we are disappointed by the lack of detail on when funded short courses will be available to agriculture and horticulture businesses, and whether they will be offered on the same basis as other sectors in the government’s Industrial Strategy.”

At present, it appears that funded short course are restricted to the Industrial Strategy 8 sectors.

“We know this is a priority for Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle, which is why clarity is essential,” Rachel added.
 
“Apprenticeships inspire the next generation, offering good jobs, clear career pathways and the flexibility to match different ambitions. For family farms, they provide vital support to future proof businesses and bring fresh energy into the sector, helping strengthen rural communities and secure the skilled workforce our industry needs.”

What else was announced in the Autumn Budget?

Explore our links below to find out what else was announced for farming.

The 2025 IMS (International Meat Secretariat) World Meat Congress, held in Cuiabá, Brazil from 27-30 October brought together more than 500 industry leaders, farmers, processors, officials, and academics from more than 20 countries. 

Hosted jointly by the IMS and the IMAC (Instituto Mato-Grossense da Carne), the event took place in the heart of Brazil’s largest agricultural region. Mato Grosso, home to 34.5 million cattle and exporting to 65 international markets, generated beef exports valued at $2.7 billion in 2024, providing an ideal backdrop for discussions on the global meat sector.

Global trade under pressure

Despite these pressures, the outlook for global meat markets remains positive. Many regions face declining production capacity while global demand – particularly in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa – continues to grow. This imbalance is expected to sustain price strength across all major protein categories.

Sustainability and production efficiency

Sustainability, animal health, and the role of livestock in global nutrition were recurring topics across the event.

Professor Michael Lee of Harper Adams University stressed that livestock systems contribute to healthier diets and can support environmental goals when managed effectively. He emphasised the importance of improving livestock genetics, optimising feed and forage systems, strengthening animal health, and embracing nature-based solutions. 

There was broad agreement that investment in technology and innovation is essential for reducing the sector’s environmental footprint.

The use of HGPs (hormone growth promotors) generated lively debate.

Although Brazil does not use HGPs, emerging research indicates that cattle finished with hormone implants can produce lower emissions due to shorter finishing times.

The challenge, especially for countries using HGPs, lies in demonstrating credible traceability and segregation throughout processing in order to retain access to markets such as the UK and EU that require non-HGP beef.

Nutrition, public perception, and communication

Speakers also addressed the role of animal protein in human health and the growing scrutiny of ultra-processed foods.

Referencing the 2024 Denver Call to Action, Frederic Leroy reiterated that livestock systems must be guided by rigorous science and should not be undermined by oversimplified or ideological narratives.

At the same time, the industry must take responsibility for nourishing a growing global population while minimising environmental impacts.

A consistent message across the congress was the need to strengthen communication with consumers. While trust in the meat industry remains relatively strong, delegates agreed that producers must become more proactive in conveying their environmental achievements and the positive contribution of livestock production.

With global protein demand rising, UK producers in particular were encouraged to invest confidently in their businesses to help meet national food security needs rather than relying on imports.

Field visit: Fazenda Aba

The congress concluded with a visit to Fazenda Aba, a 1,355-hectare beef finishing operation in Mato Grosso.

The visit offered valuable insight into the region’s production systems.

Getting financial affairs into a strong position will be a top priority for many British farm businesses following the confirmation of changes to inheritance tax. But knowing where to start isn’t always straightforward.

Our top tips for preparing for these discussions with your solicitor or financial adviser are your handy starting point. They cover some of the common issues you may wish to consider and documents you may need to get the most out of a meeting with your professional adviser.

However, each situation will be unique, so your professional adviser will be able to discuss your specific situation with you in more detail and run through what is needed to consider your situation properly.

And of course, for legal reasons, none of the information on this page should be considered as legal or financial advice from the NFU.

Before you start your search

Think about what you want to achieve from the meeting. Is it tax efficiency, succession planning or something else? It sometimes helps if you can have these statements prepared:

• By the end of our meeting, I want to...
• The problem I have is…

It is also a good idea to have a written list of questions and concerns you would like to discuss in advance and save these somewhere so you don’t lose them.

Think about planning timelines

When do you need your affairs in order by? Over what time period do you need any changes to happen?

Be prepared for open and honest conversations with professional advisers, business partners and your family.

Addressing difficult topics now will often reduce problems further down the line and ensure that everyone understands what the long-term plans are.

Legal checks

Before you start looking for professional advice, it’s worth taking our legal health check service with one of our panel firms of solicitors – it’s free for NFU members and will give you some initial observations and recommendations – NFU Legal Health Check Service – NFUonline.

If you subscribe to the NFU Legal Assistance Scheme, you may be entitled to a contribution towards your legal costs in reviewing documents or, indeed, having documents drafted.

When it comes to finding a solicitor the Law Society has a find a solicitor page – Find a Solicitor | The Law Society.

Look for firms with an agricultural specialism rather than a general wills and probate firm as agriculture is such a specialist area. Other specialisms to consider are tax planning, estate planning and inheritance.

If you’ve got a recommendation from trusted family members or friends that is also well worth an initial enquiry.

If you’re an NFU member you can start with our panel and get specialist advice at discount rates – NFU Legal Panel – NFUonline.

If you’ve got an accountant, it may be helpful if they join some of the tax planning meetings you have, and make sure you keep them in the loop from the start.

Prepare for your meeting

It’s important you have all your recent relevant financial information to hand.

Have your bank statements to hand, plus details of any investment portfolio, if you have one.

You also need your property or asset documents. This could be a list:

• agricultural assets and non-agricultural assets
• title deeds
• recent property valuations
• details of the entire property portfolio, including agricultural land, farmhouses and any residential property lettings.

Other key documents to have to hand include:

• Previous Tax Returns (particularly the last 2-5 years)
• Estate documents – Wills, Trusts, or any prior estate planning documents
• Business records:
  • Company eg, Articles of Association, Shareholder Agreements, company accounts, incorporation and share documents from any Family Investment Company
  • Partnerships eg, original Partnership Agreements, copies of accounts
    • Family tree eg. details of spouses, children (both inside and outside of the farming business)
    • ID documentation – passport, driving licence and separate proof of address
    • Details of any life insurance
    • Details of your accountant

Legal help from the NFU

NFU Legal Health Check Service

NFU Legal Assistance Scheme (LAS)

NFU Legal Panel

This page contains general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure accuracy, no representation is made as to its correctness or completeness and no responsibility or liability is assumed for errors or omissions. Anyone considering entering into a long-term land management agreement should take independent advice before signing the agreement.

Thank you to all NFU members who continue to actively campaign on this crucial issue. Every email, letter, conversation, farm visit and meeting really makes a difference and we are starting to see this reflected in MPs’ actions as the Finance Bill makes it way through Parliament. 

At a moment’s notice, hundreds of NFU members rallied together and sprang into action on Tuesday afternoon to contact their MP and urge them to abstain after the NFU heard from sources in Westminster that there would be a vote that evening. 

The vote wasn't binding, but abstentions demonstrate that backbench MPs oppose the current policy, putting more pressure on the government to make amendments.

If your MP is on the list of those that abstained, you can use our write to your MP tool below to thank them for their work.

Send a message of thanks to your MP

Mounting opposition

There has been mounting opposition to the family farm tax.

More than 275,000 members of the public have called on the government to make changes to the policy; trade associations representing 160,000 family businesses wrote to the Chancellor calling for reform to the policy; MPs from across the political divide have told the Chancellor about the impact it will have on the rural communities they represent; and independent tax experts have suggested changes to make it more targeted.

During the debates following last week’s budget, more and more Labour MPs have spoken out against the family farm tax.

Commenting on the vote, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “I’d like to thank all the Labour MPs who have stood up to show that they cannot support this pernicious policy. 

“These MPs are the rural representatives of the Labour Party. They represent the working people of the countryside and have spoken up on behalf of their constituents. It is vital that the Chancellor and Prime Minister listen to the clear message they have delivered this evening. 

“I’d also like to thank the farmers and growers who took the time to engage with their MPs to get the message out there.

“The next step in the fight against the family farm tax is removing the elderly and terminally ill from the eye of the storm of this unjust and unfair policy.” 

More Labour MPs speak out

In the run up to the vote, even more Labour MPs have joined their colleagues in speaking out against this unjust policy, calling on the government to reconsider and listen to the farmers they represent.

Penrith and Solway MP Markus Campbell-Savours told the House he would stand by his farming constituents and vote against the resolution. He reminded the House of Labour’s promise before before the election not to change APR and said that he would keep his word.

South Derbyshire MP Samantha Niblett said “we have lost the trust of our farmers” and pleaded with the government to look again at the changes to APR and BPR. She also highlighted the “distress and strain” that the anti-forestalling clause is putting on elderly farmers. 

Terry Jermy, MP for South West Norfolk, warned that the “future of farming in this country depends on this government’s policy being right”, while Jayne Kirkham, MP for Truro and Falmouth, also highlighted the importance of farmers for food security and national security. 

James Naish, the MP for Rushcliffe, urged the government to listen to those backbenchers who have consistently called for changes to the family farm tax.

Follow @NFUPolitical on X for all the latest updates.

The only support mentioned in the Budget document for non-domestic energy users refers to the Network Charging Compensation scheme and the upcoming British Industrial Competitiveness scheme, neither of which energy-intensive farmers and growers qualify for.

Increased charges to come into force

Responding to the news, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “We have been warning that spiralling energy costs are adding huge inflationary pressures in the supply chain, and it’s disappointing to see the Budget failing to recognise the impact this has on farmers and growers.
 
The NFU President warned that forthcoming changes to standing charges in the spring “are still set to hit businesses hard”. The increases, phased in from October 2025 to April 2026, could see charges rise sharply, putting significant pressure on high- and seasonal-energy users.

Read more about how increases to standing charges could affect you.

“We need better recognition of the energy intensity of agriculture and horticulture so farmers and growers can access the support afforded to other industries,” Tom added. “As the government looks to mitigate food price inflation this would be a significant step to stop impending inflationary pressure.”

What else was announced in the Autumn Budget?

Explore our links below to find out what else was announced for farming.

It was also the first opportunity the NFU’s legal experts would have to review whether the government had made any further amendments to the draft version we saw in the summer.

We also knew that on Tuesday there would be a vote in the House of Commons on the general principles of the Finance Bill to allow it to continue making progress through Parliament and become law by April 2026.

However, thanks to a tip off from a trusted insider in Westminster, the NFU was alerted to the fact that the Speaker’s Office in the House of Commons was going to grant a specific vote on the part of the Bill related to inheritance tax, otherwise known as Resolution 50.

A slight curve ball – but certainly not an unwelcome one.

What action did the NFU take?

The NFU team began firing on all cylinders and we quickly alerted our members and urged them to contact their MP and ask them to abstain on this vote.

To be clear, we didn’t expect the government to lose this vote but it was an important opportunity for Labour MPs to be able to demonstrate their strength of feeling on the issue. The more abstentions, the more of a problem the government has. And by late afternoon we were starting to hear that the Labour Whips were getting nervous about numbers.

Defying your parliamentary ‘whip’ – the way your Party wants you to vote – is not for the faint-hearted. These MPs will have been under pressure by their government colleagues to ‘toe the party line’ so I think it was pretty courageous of them to do this, and they deserve to be applauded for these efforts.

Without these abstentions, any progress towards making the government see that they need to, at the very least, adjust this policy to protect the most vulnerable and elderly in our community, would be over.

How did my MP vote?

If you’ve checked out the government’s website you’ll see that 87 Labour MPs abstained from voting. However a number of these MPs are ministers who’ll have been out on government business or other MPs who may have been ‘slipped’, in other words, given a pass to not be in the House of Commons on this day. The NFU team therefore spent the next morning ringing around MPs to check which of those were genuine rebellions and we are pleased that this number reaches close to 40.

If your MP was on this list you can thank them for their work by using our Write to your MP tool. As I said, it’s only thanks to the continued efforts of these MPs that we are able to demonstrate to the government that they need to rework their policy.

Send a message of thanks to your MP

Next steps

Looking forward, we will now focus our efforts on the amendment process. But our campaign to remove those most vulnerable members from the eye of this storm continues. And we can be buoyed by the efforts of the team and NFU members across the country, certain that, in conjunction with their political representatives, we have sent strong signal to the government. 

Chancellor – there is still time to quell your backbenchers and do the right thing.

The NFU is seeking new members of the NFU PPG (Potato Policy Group) to support the development and delivery of its policy objectives.

At such a critical time for the sector, there has never been a better time to get involved and have your say on how the NFU supports potato growers.

Applications are being sought from members across all parts of England and Wales and covering a range of different markets such as processing, chipping, fresh and seed.

The work of the PPG

The NFU PPG consists of eight appointed members, plus a provision to co-opt additional members where knowledge or subsector gaps are identified.

Group members are appointed and empowered to make informed and responsible decisions on national (England and Wales) potato policy issues.

Decisions made by the group are collective, meaning that any policy decision taken by the group is endorsed and advocated by members and staff.

The PPG works alongside the national board for Horticulture and Potatoes and has a critical role in shaping NFU policies that impact on potato growers.

Whether it is crop protection or business resilience, shocks to the supply chain or cost inflation, the EU reset or water issues, the PPG helps identify the issues affecting members and creates a plan of action to address them.

The PPG also has the opportunity to input directly into national policy through the NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Board, with the ability to elect two members to sit on the national board, one of whom will be elected to take on the position of Vice-chair (Potatoes) on the national board.

The collective responsibilities of the Potato Policy Group are to:

• Determine and champion the NFU’s policies in respect of the potatoes sector and help to set priorities in respect of key policy issues.
• Develop and help implement NFU strategy in the potatoes sector.
• Demonstrate leadership on key policy issues and lobbying activity to and from members and stakeholders within the potato sector – maintaining active dialogue and communication, and actively representing the NFU at events, external meetings and, where appropriate, with the media.
• Demonstrate leadership to the NFU’s potato members at regional and national level.

Group members’ duties

All members are expected to have regular access to a computer/digital device since all correspondence relating to the group is done electronically. Specific duties include:

• Attend all NFU PPG meetings and other such meetings (regional and national NFU business) as necessary. Poor attendance at meetings may result in a review of suitability for the position.
• Respond to requests for information and input from NFU staff.
• Read in advance all papers that are relevant to the work of the group and provide feedback and/or guidance as required.
• Be the NFU’s recognised regional and/or national spokesperson on key policy issues.
• Develop relationships with representatives of the industry and supply chain.
• Represent the views of regional growers at a national level.
• Ensure that policy decisions taken by the NFU PPG are communicated properly to members in each region and to ensure that regional communications are sufficient to ensure members have access to information on NFU policy work.
• Communicate electronically with staff and other group members.
• Represent the NFU on external committees as required.
• Observe the NFU’s code of conduct for appointed representatives of the association.

Commitment

Group members serve a two-year term but can then stand for re-appointment at each two-year cycle. Co-options also serve terms of up to two years.

The first meeting of the year will be held at Stoneleigh on Wednesday 18 February 2026 – candidates should aim to be available to attend the first meeting or explain why this is not possible in their application.

PPG members will also be invited to join the November Horticulture and Potatoes Board meeting.

Expenses

PPG members receive a day rate paid to the business. Expenses associated with group meetings and group activities are also paid.

If you want to know more about the role, please contact NFU Horticulture and Potatoes Adviser Zoë Moore by emailing horticulture@nfu.org.uk. 

The NFU has responded to a letter in The Grocer in which Liam Hodgson, senior global technical manager for broilers at The Humane League, misrepresents the poultry sector's commitment to antibiotic reduction.

The letter, ‘Supermarkets hold the key to healthier, safer poultry’, was published in November.

Mr Hodgson suggests that the sector’s reductions in antibiotic usage are not to be celebrated when it was “flagrantly overmedicating” animals in the first instance.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw corrects Hodgson’s misrepresentation, highlighting the initiative taken by committed poultry producers who are “quietly delivering world-leading results”.

Read the NFU’s letter in response:

A Finance Bill is slightly different. Because they enact Budgets, in this case the Autumn Budget, there has usually already been a few days’ debate following the Chancellor’s speech. During this year’s Budget debate for instance, plenty of Labour MPs stood up to speak out against the family farm tax. 

This month’s Second Reading of the Finance Bill focused on the general principles of what the Chancellor set out in her Budget. The NFU sent a briefing to MPs to help them prepare for the debate which opened the Second Reading. 

Can the Bill be amended at this stage?

The crucial point for us is that no amendments to a Bill are allowed at Second Reading. Because there are no amendments to debate or vote on, there is just one vote for MPs to make – whether the Bill should proceed to the next stage on its journey into law. 

As His Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition, the Conservative Party tabled a ‘reasoned amendment’ that was voted on by MPs. Despite its name, a reasoned amendment does not change the contents of a Bill. The amendment stated that the Finance Bill should not progress further because it includes, among other things, the family farm tax.

How did MPs vote?

At Second Reading, MPs are given a yes/no (or aye/no) vote on whether a Bill progresses to the next stage. A reasoned amendment does not change that. It only allows MPs who want to stop the progress of a Bill to set out their reasons why.

In their amendment, the Conservatives said it should be stopped because of the family farm tax, changes to income tax thresholds, and increases in spending and borrowing. 

While the NFU remains in close contact with Labour backbenchers on the family farm tax, we did not expect another parliamentary rebellion at this stage. 

We understand that even those Labour MPs who previously abstained on Resolution 50 will still welcome the overall Budget package. It is important to remember that the Finance Bill contains lots of other changes as set out in the Chancellor’s Budget, for example, the removal of the two-child benefit cap. 

It is not uncommon for MPs who vote in favour of the Bill (and against the reasoned amendment), to then back amendments at later stages. 

It is at these later stages that greater protections for elderly and terminally ill farmers can be added. 

Next steps

The House of Commons will rise for its Christmas Recess on 19 December. Therefore, the chance for MPs to carry out more detailed scrutiny of the Finance Bill, including the specific clauses on the family farm tax, will come in the New Year. 

That means that there is still, after all this time, an opportunity for the government to act.

A rough timetable for the Bill has now been published:

Committee Stage will start on 12 January, with a deadline of 26 February. 

This is the first time that MPs can put forward amendments to the Finance Bill. 

Unlike most Bills, the Committee Stage for the Finance Bill will be broken down into two parts. The first – which is called Committee of the Whole House – allows all MPs to take part in the debate and to make amendments.

Usually, the most controversial elements are debated at this stage. 

The second part of Committee Stage will see a handful of MPs selected to go through the Bill line-by-line. Only MPs on this committee can put forward amendments during this part. 

After the Bill has gone through Committee Stage, it will have its Report Stage. This will be the final chance for all MPs to put forward amendments.

Report and Third Reading will happen on the same day. After this, the Bill will have completed its progress through the Commons. 

At this point MPs will give their final approval to the Bill as amended. 

NFU position

The NFU’s view remains that the Labour Party should keep its pre-election promise and reverse this tax. At the very least, the government should move its own amendment to the Finance Bill to remove the anti-forestalling clause. This clause specifically precludes elderly or terminally ill farmers from navigating these reforms.

If the government do not do the right thing, we will work with backbench MPs to put forward an amendment to the Finance Bill at Committee Stage so that the most vulnerable members of our community are protected. 

NFU Dairy Board Chair Paul Tompkins said: “This is the first real test of the new contract regulations; the first time the sector has had an adjudicator overseeing compliance with the regulations.

Farmers are also now empowered to request an explanation for how their milk price is calculated to ensure that any changes are in accordance with their contract. It is essential we see dairy farmers engaging with their buyers and the new regulations during this challenging period.”

Ulster Farmers’ Union Dairy Chairman Cyril Orr said: “As dairy farmers, we are entering a challenging period marked by significant market uncertainty and pressure on farm gate prices. It is more vital than ever that farmers can place trust in their processors. We need to see greater openness, transparency and genuine collaboration within milk pools. This is essential to ensure a sustainable future for dairy farmers.”

NFU Scotland Milk Committee Chair Bruce Mackie added: “For the vast majority of Scottish dairy farmers, milk prices are now tumbling at an alarming rate while production costs rise. The industry faces a very difficult few months ahead and it is imperative that there is transparency, fair play and communication between milk buyers and individual suppliers to help ensure both parties have the necessary resilience to survive this downturn.”

Open letter to processors

View the renewed objectives and priorities at: Red Tractor | Improving the combinable crops and sugar beet scheme.

We are encouraging NFU members to share their views on the key priorities for technical improvements in combinable crops and sugar beet. Your feedback will help shape the future of farm assurance in these sectors.

Farm Assurance Review

The NFU Combinable Crops Board’s response to the UK FAR (Farm Assurance Review) outlines the changes which should be made to how farm assurance is delivered, while the Red Tractor strategy sets the direction for how assurance will evolve.

Building on this, the Combinable Crops and Sugar Beet TAC (Technical Advisory Committee) will develop detailed recommendations to update the standards and scheme in line with these objectives. 

The NFU representatives continue to lobby for change on behalf of members, based on the views gathered from various regional and national meetings. To reinforce this position, direct farmer and grower input to the Red Tractor Sector Board will help shape the future of farm assurance standards.

Give your feedback on the renewed objectives

Responding to the Liberal Democrats’ calls for a ‘farm first’ equivalent to Teach First, designed to attract young people into farming, NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos said: “Encouraging the next generation into farming is vital if we are to strengthen the UK’s long-term food security. Producing food for the nation has a huge range of job opportunities and career paths but more work needs to be done to showcase the sector and attract new talent.

“There is a role for everyone in farming, from farm management and crop production to roles in veterinary science, agri-engineering, food technology and environmental stewardship. Alongside training up new entrants, it’s also essential that those already working within agriculture have the opportunity to access skills training to progress their careers and ensure that the industry can keep developing for the future. 
 
“British agriculture provides sustainable, high-quality food and plays a vital role in supporting rural communities. Inspiring young people today will safeguard our ability to feed the national tomorrow.”

Lost generation

Changes to the national curriculum

The Department for Education commissioned Professor Becky Francis to carry out a review of the national curriculum last year, during which the NFU responded to a call for evidence, outlining 15 recommendations to improve children's education around where their food comes from.

We also launched a petition, calling for young people to learn more about British food production and farming, encouraging curriculum updates to reflect the realities of the sector.

Following the publication of Professor Francis's report, the government has responded, outlining a number of key reforms that it intends to bring in from September 2028 onwards. 

Professor Francis made a series of recommendations including around revisions to food education and technical qualifications. NFU Education will continue to engage with the government and education partners to ensure these opportunities are realised. 

Through our Farmers for Schools programme, farmers who are NFU Education ambassadors engage with the next generation about food production and careers, working with schools to develop and inspire young people and ensure they can make informed choices about what they eat and what happens over the hedgerow to produce their food.

Benefits to the supply chain

An increase in output of OSR offers bountiful opportunity to the supply chain. Processors have a desire to use domestic production to fulfil domestic demand, with alternative sources costing between £20 and £40 more per tonne.

Food manufacturers will be able to substitute imported palm and sunflower oil with domestic OSR. Rapeseed meal is a co-product of oil extraction and represents a valuable animal feed to livestock farmers.

Feed compounders will be able to reduce their reliance on imported protein. Rapeseed meal is the most common alternative to soybean meal, and is a highly-valued ingredient in ruminants due to its higher fibre content and lower amino acid availability. 

Challenges remain

From an environmental perspective, OSR is one of the best sources of pollen and nectar, especially early on in the season, benefiting pollinators and promoting biodiversity. It is also widely recognised as an important break crop in arable rotations, providing a variety of benefits to soil structure and soil health.

This welcome news is not a reflection that all challenges for growing the crop have gone away. Trade barriers remain, which have a particular impact on seed imports. The regulatory regime for crop protection products remains uncertain. The risk of Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle damage is still at the forefront of our minds.

Nonetheless, it is welcome to see an increase in domestic planting areas of OSR, offering the potential of a more prosperous OSR harvest to the benefit of everyone.

Current status

The IOM (Isle of Man) and Guernsey do not have BSE NR (Negligible Risk) status; they are currently classed as UR (Undetermined Risk). Unlike the rest of the UK (which is NR), cattle from IOM and Guernsey must be treated as Controlled/Undetermined Risk for their entire life; no GB residency period applies.

This means that slaughter and processing requirements are different.

These cattle must be segregated and processed following (EU) 999/2001 rules for CR/UR areas, meaning processors are not obligated to accept UR cattle; it is a commercial decision. Keepers of cattle that have originated in the IOM or Guernsey must confirm that the processor is willing to accept the cattle before moving the cattle to slaughter.

Products from IOM/Guernsey cattle remain eligible for export, provided segregation and processing rules are followed.

IOM and Guernsey are applying for NR status, but the process will take at least 12 months.

Background

• GB (England, Wales, Scotland) achieved BSE NR status on 29 May 2025.
• With NR status, some tissues previously considered SRM (specified risk material) under CR rules are no longer SRM for GB-born cattle, increasing what can enter the food chain
• From 24 November 2025, GB establishments can export bovine products using NR-based SRM controls.

Exceptions

• Cattle from non-NR regions (including IOM and Guernsey) still require full SRM removal per CR/UR rules.
• Identification ear tag prefixes:
  • UK 01 = Isle of Man
  • UK 02 = Guernsey

More from NFUonline:

View the renewed objectives and priorities at: Red Tractor | Improving the fresh produce scheme.

Share your views

We are encouraging NFU members to share their views on the key priorities for technical improvements in fresh produce, as they set the direction for how the assurance scheme will evolve. The Fresh Produce TAC (Technical Advisory Committee) will be developing detailed recommendations to revise the standards and scheme in line with these objectives.

A streamlined and effective farm assurance landscape is one of the 10 building blocks for growing success in the NFU’s UK horticulture growth strategy, which sets out the key challenges and requirements for the sector. 

NFU representatives continue to lobby for change on behalf of members. To reinforce this position, direct farmer and grower input to Red Tractor will help shape the future of farm assurance standards.

The opportunity to feedback on the renewed objectives closes on 1 February 2026. 

Give your feedback

Still time to take action

Tom added: “From Friday’s meeting, it is clear to me the Prime Minister is listening to the clear messages he is hearing from Labour MPs, and their constituents. There is still time to take action to remove those most at risk from the eye of this storm.

“In many sectors farming has faced declining production over recent years including poultry, beef, cereals and vegetables. The government has a significant opportunity to reverse these declines and boost economic growth if it puts supportive policies in place for planning, commits to sector-by-sector targets in the Food Strategy and delivers on the recommendations that will be contained within the Farm Profitability Review.

“There is the opportunity to boost farming profitability, deliver on the manifesto commitment around food security and improve the resilience of our food system.”

This news comes as the NFU's 10-year weather survey results have revealed that 68% of NFU members have seen an increase in drought and 56% say they’ve seen an increase in flooding.

Survey results also showed that of those farmers whose businesses were impacted by severe weather events, 47% reported financial losses of at least £10,000, with 12% reporting losses of over £100,000.

Read the results of our 10-year survey: The impact of climate change on farming

Weather extremes resulting in financial losses

Three key pledges

Water, whether too much or too little, plays a huge role in the nation’s food production and has a knock-on impact on farming and growing businesses. Since the NFU brought together key stakeholders for a summit to discuss water challenges almost six months ago, we have been driving forward our three key pledges:

1. Robust data: Support a pilot scheme in a defined catchment with a scientific partner to test methodologies for farmers to undertake their own water quality testing. We will bring to the attention of members new, promising data and technology-led approaches that can help access water and aid with efficient application.
2. Advice and information: Grow our water quality information for farmers and growers to raise awareness of relevant obligations, including more best practice advice and case studies, signposting to rules and funding initiatives, and information on how to prepare for an Environment Agency inspection. We will work with members across all our regions to support the formation of water abstractor groups and communicate the risks and opportunities in the future demand for water while protecting the environment.
3. Partnership working: Convene industry experts and regulators to develop and roll out at scale nutrient management knowledge exchange and professional development. This will support water quality outcomes, nutrient use efficiency and productivity. We will work with planners and regulators on resilient and sustainable options for accessing water, particularly during times and in places of scarcity, to deliver food security. We will also continue our work as a founding member of the Rural Flood Resilience Partnership.

‘This is just the start’

Since then, the NFU has:

• Supported the creation of a Water Abstractor Group in Shropshire, with further interest being expressed by members in Kent, West Suffolk, Cambridge, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Yorkshire – all areas that have experienced a shortage of water this summer.
• Convened follow-up meetings with water summit partners on planning systems – a key area identified in supporting necessary infrastructure improvements on farms for reservoirs and slurry storage – and on supply chain collaboration.
• Engaged with scientific partners on the potential creation of a pilot scheme to test methodologies for farmers to undertake their own water quality testing, further meetings are set up for the new year.
• Increased our water quality information for farmers which has resulted in members volunteering to test Defra’s new nutrient management tool. NFU regional teams are also working with AHDB to arrange water quality advice meetings in the new year.

NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos continued: “The water summit was just the start of tackling the challenges with water, whether it be resources, flooding or quality. It opened the door to having open and honest conversations, which we’re continuing to have almost six months on, and is resulting in real change on the ground.

“There is still more to be done. It is vital that government, local authorities, water companies, environmental NGOs and the supply chain work together collaboratively to ensure farmers and growers have access to a clean supply of water to safeguard UK’s food security.”

While it is still a mandatory condition for enrolment to the RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons), the UK regulator of vets, for students to undertake teaching in farm animal disciplines, it is no longer a universal requirement to complete animal husbandry EMS on farms, or clinical EMS in farm practices.

Therefore, those students not wishing to pursue a career in farm animal medicine can, from the early stages of their training, opt out of most farm-oriented experiences.

This is a concerning development in the story of farm vet shortages. A growing number of students now have increasingly limited exposure to farmers and agriculture. Inevitably, these students are less likely to understand or advocate for British agriculture and are even less likely to consider a career pathway that involves farm animal veterinary practice.

However, as they say, where there is a challenge, there is an opportunity. There is an opportunity for farmers to intervene, to break this troubling feedback loop, by supporting positive farm placement experiences. This in turn will help to facilitate greater awareness of farm animal health and welfare policy in our vets’ formative stages of training.

Having a positive experience

We know from testimony that if vets are able to get out on farm, and have a positive experience while they’re there, then it creates a win-win situation for both student and farmer.

The student gets practical experience of working with livestock, and in the process (hopefully) develops an interest in the agricultural sector – or at the very least, dispels any negative preconceptions that may have put them off choosing a career in farm animal medicine.

The farmer sees the practical benefits of their animals having more time with veterinary professionals and develops their own understanding of the vet’s role in maintaining their business. An overwhelming majority of NFU members involved in facilitating vet placements report how much they value the experience and appreciate its significance in the training of vets.

When we’re talking about placements, the key word here is ‘positive’.

Recent studies of student experiences have highlighted how crucial it is for early experiences of agriculture and farms to be ‘positive and constructive’.

An important aspect of this is the provision of good quality placements, where mutual expectations are managed, and where students from all backgrounds feel comfortable.

NFU support

The NFU is working with individual vet schools and the Vet Schools Council to strengthen relationships between placement providers and the universities; ensuring that students are able to find the right farm experience to suit their needs.

Working with regional teams, the NFU will soon be developing further resources for farmers who provide placement experiences, supporting positive experiences all round. This work is, of course, allied with the existing NFU initiatives of Being One NFU and the AgriFuture programme, which welcome individuals from all backgrounds.

For farmers who want to do their bit to encourage more people into farm animal medicine, they should look out for regional NFU events on supporting farm vet student placements in early 2026 and make use of the planned resources, which will be available through NFUonline and regional NFU teams.

Let’s be clear, this is not a quick fix to the sector’s training problems. As I said before, there are other factors at play. For instance, several recent government enquiries have highlighted the need to update the legislation that governs veterinary practise, making it more relevant to the present and future needs of animal keepers.

There will be considerations for how the profession can best serve farmers, and how the next generation of vets can be trained, recruited and retained. The NFU will stay closely involved in these efforts, when securing the future of the profession has never been more important.

The NFU will also continue to engage with industry on these issues. As the NFU’s Senior Veterinary Adviser, I’m involved in outreach activities with UK vet schools; greatly increasing the visibility of British farming and NFU activities in animal health and welfare policy.

The NFU will also continue work on areas of shared interest with the British Veterinary Association and its specialist divisions, and the RCVS, particularly on legislative reform and the impacts of recruitment and retention of vets on resilience to animal disease threats.

Supporting the next generation of vets

While work is being done in the classrooms and boardrooms, there is work to be done on farm.

Farmers play an often-unseen role in facilitating the training of vet students and therefore can support the next generation of farm vets. In turn, this supports the future of animal agriculture; at a time when exotic disease challenges, and the impact of health and welfare on sustainability and productivity are in sharp focus.

The veterinary profession, like agriculture, is under pressure to adapt to changing expectations. Fortuitously, the opportunity to work together to address challenges may bring about shared benefits, mutual understanding and better conditions for all.

1. RPA payments

Payments started to be issued on 1 December 2025 for Countryside Stewardship/HLS agreement claims.

• Respond to queries: If you have not received your Countryside Stewardship/HLS agreement claim payments, check your inbox or phone to see if the RPA has attempted to get in touch with you and respond to any queries.
• HLS payment rate changes: If you have any concerns about payments received for HLS agreements, visit: GOV.UK | Higher Level Stewardship: increased payment rates now available. Agreement holders will be able to use the tables published on the government's website to calculate how much each option in their agreement will increase by.
• Be aware of fraud: Christmas is a popular time of year for fraud and with agricultural payments landing this month it's important to make sure you are only opening trusted links and emails. Visit our fraud advice page for more information.

2. Applied for capital grants in 2025?

• Have you sent the RPA all the supporting documents that it needs? The RPA is waiting for information from a number of applicants and needs this to complete its outstanding work.
• The RPA needs maps showing all options, their location, and measurements and evidence for BN3, BN5, BN6, BN11, BN12, FG12, TE1, TE11A and TE11B which you can find on the capital grant finder tool. If the value of the applications are over £50,000, then an accountant’s letter is needed and for CSF (Catchment Sensitive Farming) support, endorsed before 1 August 2025.
• The RPA has only given 10 working days to send this information; after this time, the RPA may withdraw your application or remove unsupported items. Finally, remember that some agreements require SSSI (Sight of Special Scientific Interest) consent from Natural England before they can go live. If this applies to you, email protectedsites@naturalengland.org.uk as soon as possible. 

3. Business changes

You can read our article about how business changes, such as changes to the control and management of a business, as well as who holds occupation of the land and other assets, can impact on a range of scheme agreements.

For example, currently, SFI does not generally recognise or anticipate that significant business changes could happen during the three-year agreement period and does not allow the transfer of the agreement as a result.

4. Coming to the end of an SFI agreement year?

Whether you have an SFI23 or SFI24 expanded offer agreement, you need to complete the annual declarations in the final two months of your agreement year. If you have rotational SFI actions there is a further rotational annual declaration required which asks for information for the coming agreement year. It is important to follow the appropriate guidance for each declaration and refer back to the specific guidance from that scheme year, which can now all be found via the two links below:

• GOV.UK | Completing your SFI annual declaration.
• GOV.UK | Completing your SFI rotational actions declaration.

5. Farming Equipment and Technology Fund

• If you are having supply issues then you can tell the NFU by filling in our short survey. We cannot promise any changes to the midday 31 March 2026 claims deadline, but your responses will help keep us being informed of any issues you are having and allow us to raise them with the RPA.
• If you are yet to claim under this scheme, then read the following RPA support, focusing on what is needed to make a successful and timely claim: Read our 6 top tips for making a claim.

6. Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier rollover agreements

• Extensions: If you took up the extension to your agreement that is ending at the end of 2025, and your extended agreement has parcels within an SSSI, don’t forget you need to request SSSI consent from Natural England and send the consent onto the RPA. You could accept the extension before reaching out to Natural England, but you must not carry out any work on the SSSI until you have secured consent. Look out for any RPA communications. 
• Annual claim: Agreement holders will need to submit an annual claim in the normal way in 2026 to be paid for the extension year, so put a reminder on your 2026 calendar.
• Arable options flexibility: While the extended agreement offer included all the revenue options in the current agreement that could be extended by the RPA, and no agreement holder amendments were allowed at the time, there is some flexibility when it comes to arable options which you may not continue in 2026. The flexibility is set out in the guidance, which can be found at: GOV.UK | Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier: extensions for 2021 agreements.

7. Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications

• Invites: If you have been invited to start the pre-application process, then please respond if you have not already done so.
• Applying: Remember to make sure your mapping is up to date before you are invited to apply, which follows the pre-application process. More reminders can be found at: GOV.UK | CSHT application checklist.
• Waiting for an invite: The RPA continues to contact those to consider this scheme offer.

8. RPA use of remote monitoring technology

It is always good to understand how the RPA monitors environmental land management agreements such SFI or CS. The RPA's blog explains how this works.

9. Need help from the RPA or NFU?

You can contact the RPA helpline on 03000 200 301.

NFU CallFirst is also available for NFU members on 0370 845 8458.

10. If you want to speak to Defra in 2026

Defra recently published a blog that sets out a list of events the department is attending in 2026, including NFU Conference.

Ambitious proposals

BNG has proved particularly contentious for highly productive, but small-footprint farming and growing operations, such as glasshouses, where there is often no space to deliver the mandatory 10% increase in biodiversity on site. Visit our BNG consultation page for more information. 

New protections for agricultural land and support for rural diversifications, energy projects and on-farm reservoirs also featured in the consultation.

Taken together with wider proposals, the package would represent a significant rewrite of the National Planning Policy Framework published in December 2024.

The consultation closed on 10 March and the NFU will maintain the pressure for meaningful change as part of its long-running lobbying on planning issues, as the government considers its response.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw was “pleased the government is looking to streamline the planning process and has brought forward ambitious proposals to cut red tape and speed up applications to better support farm productivity and UK food security”.

Unnecessary barriers

As the NFU filed its consultation response, Tom added: “Under existing planning policy, two key growth sectors within our industry, horticulture and poultry, face unnecessary barriers to development and many farmers looking to upgrade existing infrastructure struggle to obtain permissions.

“We want to see changes to the framework that will incentivise farmers to invest in new buildings, allowing them to adopt improved technology, deliver higher welfare standards and reduce environmental impacts.

“We also have concerns about how policies will be interpreted at a local level, particularly alongside statutory environmental regulations. Plans can often be delayed or halted at this early stage.

“The NFU is urging government to ensure the planning system supports future growth and provides long-term business resilience and viability, so farmers can continue to produce food for the nation alongside their work in protecting and enhancing the environment.”

These two positions are skills-based and are in addition to the five representatives from the four NFU regions and Wales.  

What is the Legal Assistance Scheme

The LAS (Legal Assistance Scheme) is a discretionary benefits scheme established by the NFU in 1987. NFU Farmer and Grower members can elect to pay an additional annual subscription to join the scheme.

The LAS provides discretionary financial support to subscribers in the event of a dispute; this financial support covers a contribution to legal and professional costs. Other products the LAS supports include the Contract Checking scheme and Legal Health Check scheme, as well as the Tenants’ First Advice service.

What is the Legal Board?

The Legal Board is comprised of seven NFU members who have oversight of the Legal Assistance Scheme fund. Five members are elected (four from the NFU regions, plus NFU Cymru) and two members are appointed to the Board, based on their skills and expertise. 

The Board’s role is to:

• Consider applications to the scheme for funding support (over prescribed financial thresholds), applying the LAS criteria, guidelines and drawing on their farming expertise.    
• Set the strategic plan for the financial management of the fund, with professional advice from NFU staff and external fund managers.

When Hannah Buisman returned from university to her family farm in 2021, she became frustrated by the wariness within the cereal and arable sector, which she felt was stunting growth and ignoring opportunity.

“When I went back to the farm, I said to my dad, ‘let’s grow quinoa, let’s grow buckwheat, let’s grow something random’. His answer was always the same: ‘What if it doesn’t work and we lose all that potential income?’

“We’d gotten ourselves onto a hamster wheel, and it was scary to think about stepping off.”

That’s when the SFI came along, and Hannah saw a chance to use the funding to do something different. In 2022, the family planted the first of their vines and today, Hannah and fiancé Zack co-manage a 15-acre vineyard, growing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir Précose.

Planting a vineyard in England sounds unusual, but, as Hannah insists, the move into viticulture was rooted in both market demand and the soil itself. Lockley Farm’s southernly location in Welwyn, just outside of London, has proven to be a viable zone for grape cultivation. The family needed a crop better adapted to the changing environment, and so grapes seemed like a natural choice.

That’s not to say that moving into grapes from cereals has come naturally. Hannah acknowledges the hard work (and a bit of luck) that is involved in a project like this.

“If I had to, I would certainly do it again, but I would say to anyone interested in starting a vineyard – do not take it likely. It is not an easy project; there is a serious amount of manual labour involved and its very expensive,” she explains. 

“Do not assume that just because you grow a crop that you will know how to grow a vine, because we had no clue what we were doing and have leaned heavily on our consultants, who have shaped this vineyard.”

Not every farm that wants to grow a vineyard will be able to due to financial reasons or site restrictions, but Hannah says there are options out there for people who want to take the leap.

“With the right data and the right consultants behind you, I would absolutely recommend it for businesses in a similar situation, but what I would say is to do your research. Also, be sure to invest in knowledge elsewhere because it can be a very expensive mistake.”

Within the past 10 years, grape growing for wine production has grown by 123% in the UK, cementing itself as a new and booming sector. In an emerging market, it is to be expected that businesses will make mistakes – but in viticulture, when things go wrong, it can go very wrong, as Hannah found out.

She quite literally heard through the grapevine that another grower, who planted their vines seven years ago, was still not producing any grapes; and, because they didn’t invest early on in their venture, they had to dig up the whole vineyard and start again.

The risk of seeing no return on her investment came with significant challenges – and that's exactly where the SFI would come in handy.

“I really pushed for us to use the SFI,” Hannah says. “It has given us some time out and the vineyard is now at its expenditure dip, so it couldn’t be a better time for us to not have the inputs and volatility of arable. The SFI also allows us to rest our soil and gives us time to research what our next products are going to be.

“We’ve talked about growing barley for whiskey or beer, and my mum loves the idea of lavender fields. We’ve got a lot of ideas.”

Hannah says the vineyard has been one of the best things to have happened to the business: “It has given us a new vitality and energy, a realisation that we have so much potential in the arable side of our business too.”

Building a brand

A lot of the hard work to get the business to where it is today has not only come from organising the logistics, but also developing the Lokkelebery brand that the wine will sell under.

“The challenges we’ve faced haven’t just been with the vines,” Hannah says. “The whole venture has been an exercise in rebranding.

“Since we launched, we’ve taken on marketing staff and learned a lot of new skills. I’ve had to learn a lot about building a brand. I feel like some of it is intuitive though. We’re authentic, we’re not trying to be something we’re not and our audience thanks us for it. Social media has been massively important to the venture.

“Again, we’ve found working with consultants to be really beneficial. It means we don’t have any of the financial burdens of bringing this work in house. Using expertise that is already out there and dropping it where we need it has been essential for us.”

Bridging the gap

Since its launch, Lokkelebery Vineyard has been hosting tours and special events to help raise awareness of its produce amongst the local market. One of which is a ‘wine safari’ where visitors are invited to try wines from around the world through ‘the Lokkelebery lens’. The idea here is that customers get a hint or (quite literally) a flavour for what Hannah’s wine will taste like when it's ready for sale.

The other purpose of these events, for Hannah, is very much about ‘bridging the gap’ between local producers and consumers. Her plan, going forward, is to provide a springboard for producers to get their products in front of the vineyard’s audience.

“We’ve found that people are really intrigued by what we do,” Hannah explained. “We’ve run a range of events this summer that have been a great success, all championing local producers, and at these events we’ve provided local produce.

“We had a platter made up of charcuterie from a local pig processor, British cheese, rapeseed oil from Bedfordshire, balsamic vinegar from Devon – and the boards themselves were made from wood from the farm by my fiancé Zack. There wasn’t anything on that board that wasn’t produced in England, never mind the UK! We even had a chalkboard that stated the food miles, and people loved it.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg of what these events are going to be about, and we’re really excited to develop them further,” she added.

Part of Hannah’s ‘bridging the gap’ manifesto also involves making more direct-to-consumer products, which she plans to sell through the vineyard and its brand.

“One thing that I find absolutely crazy is that we grow barley, oats and beans, and yet I have to go to the supermarket to buy flour. I’ve never eaten any of my own products,” she says. “I want to get us to the point where we’re self-sufficient, so that we’re true advocates of our product because we’re eating it ourselves.

“That’s led me down the path of potentially milling our own wheat, and the idea that we can work on beverages. For example, we planted a number of small orchards because we found that we were buying in a lot of apple juice for our events. We saw the cost of buying it in and said ‘let’s just produce our own’. Eventually, the idea will be that anything that goes through the vineyard – whether that’s juice or cakes – most of their ingredients will be produced here.”

Supporting young farmers

In 2022, Hannah joined the NFU’s Student and Young Farmer Ambassador Programme, which she says helped her build confidence as a farmer at the helm of a new business venture.

When she joined the programme, she wasn’t long back into farming and was struggling to know where she fit into the family business. “What I loved about the ambassador programme was that I was surrounded by people who were going through the same experience as I was, trying to navigate the same challenges. 

“There was a feeling of community, and I really felt like I had found my people. Starting out in farming can be quite a lonely and isolating place, so it couldn’t have come at a better time for me.”

Hannah’s experience on the ambassadors’ programme has clearly influenced her business values, as she loves the prospect of creating a space for other young farmers or new entrants to the market to explore their business ideas. 

“I’d love to set up a micro dairy here,” she explains. “We don’t have any dairy experience, but there are many youngsters out there that want the opportunity, but don’t have the land or the space to make it happen – and it would be great to be involved in that.”

While it’s clear she has plenty of ideas to explore, Hannah’s focus for now is on the vineyard and the upcoming harvest. How is she feeling about it? It’s certainly nerve-wracking, but ultimately very exciting.

“It makes me very proud indeed to have stepped out of the hamster wheel that we’ve ended up in,” she says. “Some may say that what we’re doing is quite risky, but hopefully it will make the business more resilient. If anything goes wrong, it’s on us. We can’t blame it on difficult markets like we’re prone to doing. We’re taking our destiny into our own hands.” 

“As we continue to face huge and wide-ranging challenges from geopolitical uncertainty and trade deals that threaten to undermine our marketplace, to uncertainty around the future of environmental schemes, extreme weather events, continued price volatility and the unfair family farm tax, this report is right to recognise that reform is needed,” Tom Bradshaw said.

“Changes that will drive competitiveness and profitability, which are critical elements of thriving farming businesses, are also crucial to achieving the government’s own targets for economic growth.
 
“This is about enhancing the financial resilience and long-term sustainability of British farming – the bedrock of the nation’s largest manufacturing sector, food and drink, worth £153 billion to the economy and an industry that supports more than four million jobs.”

New Board to bring together industry and government

Prior to the report’s publication, the NFU made a submission to the review, setting out our key priorities which we believe are needed to provide stability and restore farmer confidence.

“It’s therefore encouraging that the five priority areas singled out by Defra are consistent with what the NFU has been calling on government to prioritise,” Tom said.

Defra has said these five priority areas are:

• The creation of a new Farming and Food Partnership Board.
• Planning reforms ‘to make food production a clearer priority in the planning system’.
• ‘Stepping up action on supply chain fairness’ to include scrutiny of unfair practices and considering changes to Groceries Code Adjudicator oversight.
• Tackling barriers to private finance.
• Supporting exports and new markets, ‘with ministers leading dedicated trade missions in 2026 to showcase British food and drink overseas’.

“A commitment to continue working on supply chain fairness is a top priority for all farming sectors, while delivering planning reforms will help underpin growth for the industry. Refocused efforts on growing our exports is also welcome and vital to adding value for domestic producers.
 
“And while private finance can play a big part in delivering new income streams and delivering for nature, we can’t hide from the fact that significant challenges remain to this beyond the pilot stage to a truly scalable market delivering financial opportunities for farmers.”

NFU stands ready to work with government

Former NFU President Baroness Batters thanked those who had responded to the review, adding that she was pleased the Defra Secretary recognised “the need to establish a new approach to growing the British brand at home and abroad”.

“Now is the time to deliver food security as national security,” she said.

The government has said its response to the farm profitability review will be set out through the new 25-year Farming Roadmap, which it plans to publish in the new year. 

“The ball is now in Defra’s court,” Tom said. “Ministers have to drive these priority areas forward. But alongside this, there are other immediate actions that are needed to boost British farming like providing much-needed clarity and certainty on the future of SFI and doing the right thing on the pernicious inheritance tax changes.
 
“Secretary of State Emma Reynolds recently said that farm profitability was vital to enable the UK agriculture sector to grow. We couldn’t agree more. The NFU stands ready to work with government to deliver our collective ambitions for economic growth delivered by a British agriculture sector that is set up to thrive.”

Life of late for farmer Jack Meadows has been one perpetual summer – but that’s not to say he’s had a holiday.

Early last year, Jack was scrolling on social media when he spotted a post from a recruitment agency looking for agricultural workers; and when he saw their employers were based in New Zealand, he knew this was the opportunity he’d been waiting for.

For years Jack had been telling his mates that he would “get out there” and see one of the ‘big three’ – America, Australia and New Zealand. So, after finishing up the harvest on his family farm near Stratford-upon-Avon, Jack jumped on a plane to the other side of the world and spent the latter months of the year doing contract work on arable farms, under the winter sun.

Speaking about his adventures, it’s clear the bright weather has rubbed off on him as he beams from ear to ear. “It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,” he says. “It was a real opportunity to go and see the world, and to see how they do things out there.”

Kiwi approach to crops

Jack’s partner farms were based on New Zealand’s North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui), which is renowned for its dairy, sheep and beef farming – as well as being home to an abundance of vineyards and fruit farms. Having worked with his father and grandfather on an 800-acre arable farm, mainly growing wheat, barley and oilseed rape, Jack was keen to learn the Kiwi approach to crops.

“I like the idea of having grass on the field that you can profit off, taking a cut for silage or hay or whatever you want, and then breaking it up and getting the oilseed rape in the ground for next year. It means, in theory, that we should have a better crop and we won’t need to leave the fields fallow, not producing any money.

“I’m yet to get Dad on board with the idea, so it might stay a plan for a while,” he laughs. “We’ll see how it ends up.”

Challenging harvest

While skies were blue down under, the UK experienced a particularly wet winter. Jack returned home in mid-April to find that some of their winter crops had stunted in their growth or died off altogether.

Spring and summer couldn’t provide any solace. Hot, dry weather – which led to drought and even wildfires for some parts of the UK – has had a significant impact on their latest harvest yields. Moisture in the ground from the wet winter months burnt off so quickly over the spring that, in Jack’s words, “it’s been a struggle to grow anything”.

When I spoke to Jack, he and his family had just finished up in the field for the season, and the outlook for this winter and next year remains uncertain.

“Grass crops that dairy need for sileage have been particularly affected,” Jack explains. “I’ve heard some businesses are about 30-40% down on what they should be at this time of year, which is quite substantial. How they are going to make up the difference for this winter… I don’t know.”

Their shed, Jack says, is also looking a little bare. “It’s a third full – and that includes the machinery parked in there,” he jokes with a grimace. Jack estimates that they are down 50% on straw yields and about 60% down on grain, compared to last year.

Many arable farmers across the UK have found themselves in a similar, tricky position. The latest data from AHDB suggests considerable variability in yields across the country, within regions and even farms. Commenting at the end of August, NFU Crops Board Chair Jamie Burrows said it had been “an extremely challenging harvest with some seeing better-than-expected yields, while others are facing significant drops, which will hit cashflows and put substantial financial pressure on their businesses”.

However, despite the challenges, it’s clear the bad weather hasn’t dampened Jack’s optimism, as he says, smiling: “We’ll plant the crops and hope that the weather comes right, as we always do.”

Passion for farming

Much of Jack’s confidence comes, he says, from his passion for farming. “I’ve never really thought of an alternative [to farming],” he explains.

“When I was younger, all I wanted to do was farm. To be honest, I still don’t want to do anything else. The hard times can be really challenging, but it’s all part of the process.

“I’m the youngest by quite a long way,” he says. “There’s me, my dad, my grandad and a farm worker – that’s our team. It means that I get to do a lot of different jobs and help where needed. It also means I’m the tech guy and they rely on me to keep up to date with what’s going on – particularly if there’s a new way to reduce costs.”

One of Jack’s latest projects involved using funding from the Sustainable Farming Incentive to get soil nutrient mapping technology set up on their tractors. Going forwards, the farm shouldn’t need to buy in as much fertiliser, which should, in theory, bring down costs and be better for the environment.

When it comes to future projects, Jack’s sights are set on another season abroad, but he insists that a permanent move there is off the table: “I’m going back to the same farms in New Zealand this winter to do another harvest, because it was so fantastic.

“If we decided as a family to sell up and get a farm out there, I’d move in a heartbeat; but I wouldn’t move there permanently myself. There’s so much for me here in the UK, it would be a lot to leave behind. I’ll stick to another summer out there for now.”

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However, without an unequivocal commitment to core standards, the NFU is concerned that the strategy appears to fail to adequately consider domestic food security and competitiveness by focusing on further raising standards for domestic animals. 

You can read the strategy in full at: GOV.UK | Animal welfare strategy for England.

Imports must not undermine British farmers

Responding to the publication of the strategy, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “Shoppers up and down the country rightly demand high-quality, affordable British food on supermarket shelves which is produced to some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world. Upholding those high animal welfare standards has always been of paramount importance to British farmers.

“The NFU will examine the government’s animal welfare strategy in detail now it has been published.

“If the government proposes raising domestic animal welfare standards further it must also take steps to ensure consumers are protected from imported food that could be produced to lower standards, and that British farmers are not asked to compete with imports produced at those lower standards which would be illegal for them to work to.

“We have long called for a set of core standards for food imported into the UK; it must meet the same production standards as asked of our farmers. It is what the British people expect and it’s time a system of core standards was properly established in UK law.”

As a first step towards achieving these core standards, the NFU is calling for a government-led working group to identify the relevant standards and potential methods of enforcement. 

What has Defra announced?

The strategy also includes support for the Animal Health and Welfare pathway – the NFU awaits further information on this and how it will help farmers following the roll-out of the Animal Health and Welfare review in 2024. We expect to see further details emerge on how the pathway can ensure that farmers do not carry the ultimate cost of government societal aspirations.

Elsewhere on food labelling, Defra has said it is committed to ensuring consumers have clear information on how their food is produced and will look to support this through working with stakeholders, including the farming industry, on how food labelling, including method-of-production labelling, could improve animal welfare. 

The NFU has made clear that while improved food labelling can help transparency, mandatory method-of-production labelling is not an effective or reliable way to communicate animal welfare outcomes. Mandatory labels based on production systems risk confusing consumers and place unreasonable burdens on businesses, as method-of-production is not necessarily an indication of the level of animal welfare. Instead, labelling should be clear, simple and unambiguous, with better country-of-origin information and assurance scheme recognition to help shoppers make informed choices, supported by easily accessible online information.

With the 2025/26 campaign ending in the next few months, NFU Sugar is urging all beet growers to complete British Sugar’s post-campaign survey.

The survey is a valuable feedback tool, enabling industry to benchmark the BDS (Beet Delivery Service), monitor levels of satisfaction and, ultimately, assess the value of the BDS to growers.

This year, it has been re-formatted, meaning it should take no longer than five minutes to complete.

Without your feedback, it is difficult to assess the quality of the BDS and to push for change where it’s needed on your behalf.

Once you have completed your contract for this campaign, please complete the survey. The survey closes on 30 April 2026.

Take the survey

The government’s proposals to change the rules for APR and BPR (agricultural property relief and business property relief) are due to come into force in April 2026 and would have seen an effective tax rate of 20% on agricultural assets valued over £1 million.
 
Today’s announcement sees that threshold raised to £2.5 million. This is on top of the change to the spousal transfer allowance, announced by the Chancellor at the most recent Autumn Budget, which will allow those farmers who are married, or have deceased spouses or civil partners, to transfer their inheritance tax allowance to one another if one of them dies having not used their allowance, meaning they will be able to pass on up to £5 million in qualifying agricultural or business assets between them. 

The change will be introduced through an amendment to the Finance Bill, with 50% relief continuing to apply to qualifying assets above the new threshold.

Government has listened

“Changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief announced in last year’s Budget came as a huge shock to the farming community,” Tom continued. “Until that moment, the best tax planning advice was to hold on to your farm until death and pass it on to the next generation who could continue to run a viable farming, food producing business.  
 
“The original changes to APR and BPR, contained within the Finance Bill, resulted in a pernicious and cruel tax, trapping the most elderly and vulnerable people and their families in the eye of the storm. The NFU and its members have stood strong for what we believed in. 
 
“I am thankful common sense has prevailed and government has listened. I have had two very constructive meetings with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and dozens of conversations with Defra Secretary of State Emma Reynolds. She has played a key role underlining the human impact of this tax.

“These conversations have led to today’s changes which were so desperately needed. From the start the government said it was trying to protect the family farm and the change announced today brings this much closer to reality for many. I’d like to thank the Prime Minister for recognising the policy needed amending and the Chancellor for bringing in the spousal transfer in the Budget. Combined, this is a significant change.”

Announcing the news, Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds said: “Farmers are at the heart of our food security and environmental stewardship, and I am determined to work with them to secure a profitable future for British farming.  
 
“We have listened closely to farmers across the country and we are making changes today to protect more ordinary family farms.” She added that it was “only right that larger estates contribute more”. 

Immensely proud

“While small in number, it was a significant and brave move for many,” Tom said. “We have spent the past year working with them and there’s no doubt their interventions behind the scenes have also played a huge role in securing today’s news. I would also like to thank all opposition parties for continuously raising the impacts of this proposed policy.”

Thank you to the public

“Finally, I would like to thank the public for supporting our campaign. More than 270,000 people supported our calls for change because they value British food and the working people of the countryside that produce it.

“It has been a very challenging year for many, but I hope we close 2025 with optimism for the future and an ability to work in partnership with all departments across government to see British farming thrive.” 

The NFU dairy team brought together farmer representatives and advocates from 18 milk pools across the country in December to discuss fair dealings and strengthening the voice of farmers in the supply chain. 

The last summit meeting was held in 2023, ahead of the implementation of the FDOM (Fair Dealing Obligations (Milk) Regulations), to discuss how they might impact upon producers and affect their contracts/relationship with their milk buyers. 

Following the implementation of the FDOM24 regulations, the second summit was a timely opportunity to discuss (under Chatham House Rules) how this process had gone for different milk pools, what had and hadn’t worked, and how the regulations could be used in the current market downturn to improve trust and transparency between processors and their suppliers.

NFU Dairy Board Chair Paul Tompkins said: “It was an absolute pleasure to host the second UK Dairy Farmer Representatives Summit.

“The NFU is committed to the continual professionalisation of representatives in the dairy sector because I believe that those farmers and milk buyers that work most closely together are the most resilient and best placed to meet their customers’ demands.” 

Producers fear retaliation

The adjudicator said that he had received a number of complaints, either directly or via his new in-confidence inbox, relating to processor behaviour.

In order for a complaint to go through the formal ASCA process, a producer must first use the dispute process stipulated in their milk contract.

The in-confidence inbox allows for more informal concerns to be raised, which help the adjudicator to build a bank of evidence regarding industry practices – even if these are not directly covered by the fair dealing regulations.

Professionalising farmer representation

The ADPO, alongside the NFU, stated that they would be happy to support the set up of such groups or organisations, but the initial commitment had to come from the farmers themselves.

ADPO Chair Rory Christie said: “The summit reaffirmed the importance of collaboration between producers, processors and policymakers to secure a fair and sustainable future for the UK dairy sector.

“Delegates left with a shared commitment to working together toward transparent contracts and stronger representation for dairy farmers nationwide.”

It is clear that the dairy industry is facing into some serious challenges over the winter and into the spring of 2026, and these challenges were reflected on the day.

However, this is the first time that the sector is experiencing a downturn under the oversight of an officially appointed adjudicator who has significant powers to act and penalise wrongdoing.

Farmers need to be aware of rights

It is important that farmers are aware of their rights under the new regulations and the industry acts to ensure compliance.

It is also important to note that the current regulations must by law be reviewed by 2029.

The NFU will continue to work with the adjudicator and farmer members to identify non-compliant behaviour or behaviour which is not ‘in the spirit’ of the regulations and which can be used to strengthen legislation in the future if necessary.

The NFU has been lobbying the government to ensure that the SRN (Shared Rural Network) delivers effective coverage across rural spaces and eliminates the total not-spots. We welcome the improvements to coverage through the SRN allowing for those in the most remote areas to utilise services that were previously not an option, especially for farm safety and mental health concerns. 

Poor connectivity holds back businesses

Responding to the news, NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos said: “Reliable mobile coverage is essential for running efficient, productive farming businesses and ensuring safety in some of the most isolated parts of the country. So, any initiative that helps improve mobile coverage in rural areas must be welcomed, particularly at Christmas when many people will feel alone.

“The NFU’s last digital access survey revealed that only 22% of our members have reliable mobile signal across their entire farm, while nearly one out of ten respondents have no 4G or 5G access.

“Although this latest push to upgrade mobile phone masts will make a real difference, we must remember those landowners who host mobile phone masts on farm. It’s important that they are fully consulted and fairly and sufficiently compensated.

“Poor connectivity has continued to hold back the full potential of British farming. Rural businesses, families and communities deserve the same opportunities as everyone else – and that starts with being properly connected.”

The NFU continues to call for the government to prioritise completing the Shared Rural Network to ensure all rural communities get a reliable mobile signal while fibre rollout continues. The programme is due to continue until 2027. 

For more information on the Shared Rural Network, visit: srn.org.uk.

Responding to the news, NFU Deputy President David Exwood said: “The great British countryside is more accessible than ever with over 200,000km of footpaths, bridleways and greenways. This allows the public to value and appreciate farmed landscapes, helps with wellbeing and connects people with rural areas they may never have visited before.

“Many popular rural tourist spots are working farmland, where farmers are producing food and working hard to maintain footpaths and public rights of way. We encourage everyone to observe the Countryside Code and not to cross over into damaging private property, food crops or disturbing livestock.

“We have consistently urged the government to focus on encouraging adaption and modernisation of our existing extensive network of footpaths. Despite a willingness from many farmers and land managers to be proactive on public access, this offer has never been taken up.  Any plans to improve riverbank access must be undertaken in partnership with the owners, occupiers and managers of the land.”

The NFU is urging Defra to prioritise rights of way reform.

2024 saw a Boxing Day announcement on recording historic rights of way, with the government once again scrapping the cut-off date for recording these on the definitive map, creating uncertainty for many farmers and landowners amid a backlog of existing claims.

Many of rights of way reforms are essential for farm businesses including the right to divert paths for safety or security reasons. The lack of progress causes backlogs for local authorities and landowners who can have claims blighting their land for years. The uncertainty created by removing the cut-off date also leaves legitimate claims from walkers are stuck in the backlog.

The NFU and BVA were among those calling for the school to be saved, with the NFU writing to the university before Christmas and raising the story in the media to set out its concerns.

In its letter to the Vice-chancellor, Professor Deborah Prentice, the NFU urged the council and general board to reconsider, given the school’s strategic role in veterinary education, research and safeguarding animal and human health.

At a meeting in February, the board agreed that the university would continue to admit students onto the course but there was a need for new leadership in the vet school to address the challenges it faced.

The board acknowledged “the strength of feeling in the community around Cambridge continuing to offer veterinary education”.

Concerns over vet shortages

NFU East Regional Policy Manager Charles Hesketh said: “We are very pleased to see that the University of Cambridge vet school will remain open.

“There is already a national shortage of farm vets, so there were major concerns over the proposals to close this.

“Animal health and welfare is always a top priority for farmers so this change in most welcome. The NFU wrote to the university over this issue, to highlight the impact this closure would have had, and we praise them for engaging with us, for listening and taking this decision.

“It’s vital that we keep that pipeline of skilled, high quality, vets going in the region. The University of Cambridge really is a leader in this sector so hopefully, now this decision has been made, this will continue to be the case for many years to come.”

Risk to flagship farm

In its letter, the NFU had warned that the proposed closure would jeopardise the university’s flagship farm, which is a hub for sustainable farming and practical training.

“Beyond higher education, the farm supports school-age learners as a LEAF demonstration site, fostering agricultural awareness in consumers,” the letter said.

“Its loss would significantly reduce opportunities for future veterinary professionals and undermine efforts to promote sustainability and public engagement in agriculture.”

The letter was signed by NFU East Regional Director Dr Zoe Leach, National Livestock Board Chair David Barton and National Dairy Board Chair Paul Tompkins.

What was agreed in the EPD?

• UK concessions:
  • New access for US beef: ringfenced 13,000t hormone-free beef – TRQ (tariff rate quota).
  • Better access for the existing 1,000t US beef quota: in-quota tariff reduced from 20% to 0%.
  • New access for US ethanol: 1.4 billion litres duty-free quota.
• US concessions:
  • Removal of 25% tariff on steel and aluminium.
  • Quota of 100,000 cars at a 10% duty.
  • Ringfenced access for UK beef: 13,000t with in-quota tariff of 4.4c per kg.

Remaining tariffs remain unchanged, and the additional US reciprocal tariffs of 10% still apply to all UK exports to the USA, as announced by President Trump in April.

President Trump stated that these were needed to rectify trade imbalances, such as duties, non-tariff barriers, and deficits.

Find out more

• Federal Register | Modification of the Allocation of the WTO Tariff-Rate Quota Volumes for Beef 
• Quota Bulletin 26-201 2026 Beef | U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Tailored growth plans

Importantly, Defra has immediately committed to the creation of a new Farming and Food Partnership Board with the creation of tailored growth plans for horticulture and poultry as a priority.  

The last government committed to writing a growth plan for horticulture but quickly backed away from it. If this government is true to its word, we now have an opportunity to help shape a new policy landscape for our sector.

Representation

Horticulture is a diverse sector needing detailed consideration, without which it has historically fallen out of scope for things like energy price support, or had limited opportunities accessing SFI.  

Many parts of the farm profitability review also seem more relevant to farmers than growers and it’s important that policymakers understand the difference. It is why a promise of ‘tailored’ plans for horticulture and poultry is so important.  

Even more so, it is important that horticulture is represented in any new Board or Body which is created on the back of this review. I would, of course, expect the Farming and Food Partnership Board to consult widely with our sector when considering what should be contained in a horticulture growth plan, but representation on the Board itself would seem to me as something that is critical.

Speed of action

We will take time to digest the report in detail but are ready to engage at the earliest opportunity and have well-established positions on all of the key policies which a future horticulture plan should contain. I was pleased that Defra was so quick to make some commitments immediately after the farm profitability review was published, and I hope this speed of action is a sign of things to come.

She lives on her farm with her husband and three children, two of whom work on the farm and one who is studying for a degree apprenticeship at Morrisons.

In recent years, she led in setting up the ‘School of Sustainable Food and Farming’ at Harper Adams University with Morrisons, the NFU and McDonalds, which helps shape research, training and innovative support to boost sustainable farming.

Strength in unity

Sophie said: “It is an honour and a privilege to have the opportunity to lead the NFU and take this great organisation forward with energy, commitment and a clear vision for its future.

“With our family farming back home in Yorkshire, my roots have always been in agriculture, and I know how important this period of change is for the sector. I am a great believer of strength in unity, something the NFU has at its core, and I’m looking forward to working with and listening to our members to help make a positive difference for farming in England and Wales.”

Sophie also spent 10 years in the veterinary sector, running research and training programmes.

Throughout her career, Sophie has also been:

• A non-exec director for Assured Food Standards (Red Tractor)
• A steering committee member for the FIIA (Food Industry Initiative on Antimicrobials)
• Part of Defra’s Animal Health and Welfare Pathway sub-group focusing on legislation.

‘Wealth of experience’

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “I’d like to welcome Sophie to the NFU and we are delighted with her appointment at this pivotal time for the farming industry. She brings with her a wealth of experience in the commercial and animal health sectors alongside a clear passion for farming and food production. I look forward to working with her to deliver a thriving, vibrant NFU that creates opportunities for our members.

“I’d also like to thank Terry Jones for his dedication to the NFU and its members over the past 10 years, and for leading the NFU through one of the most challenging periods for the sector.”

Sophie will be starting in the role on Tuesday 5 May 2026.

“It belongs to the thousands of farmers and their families who dug in deep and shared their deeply personal stories. It belongs to those who attended the NFU’s mass lobby in Westminster and our Farming Day of Unity events across the UK, and those who helped keep the story alive in the media.

“It belongs to everyone who took time away from the farm to meet their local MP or write them a letter, often multiple times, calling on them to stand up for their constituents and what they knew to be right.”

Our lobbying in numbers

From thousands of letters sent to MPs, to hundreds of MP meetings and names added to our petition – it was a combination of all this which led to the government making this change.

279,000 
signatures on the NFU petition to overturn the family farm tax

19,000 
pieces of media coverage on the family farm tax

10,000 
letters to MPs, asking them to speak up against the family farm tax

1,800
NFU members at the NFU's mass lobby

‘Big difference’

IHT left farmers questioning future

Looking ahead

“I am immensely proud of every single farmer and grower and those allied industries who have worked with the NFU and supported our campaign,” Tom writes. “We have stood as one when it really mattered to ensure farming’s voice was heard nationally and locally. But, recognising this policy is still far from perfect, at the next political opportunity, we will look for further change.”

The NFU stands ready to work in partnership with the government to deliver our shared ambition for growth.

From the recommendations outlined in the farm profitability review, the UK-EU SPS negotiations, the fairness in the crops supply chain consultation, to upcoming trade deals, AI vaccination schemes, farm safety and border security – there is much more work still to do, and the NFU will continue to champion its members interests on all these issues and more. 

This marks a delay from the initial plan to begin the public consultation on the strategy in autumn 2025.

The forthcoming strategy – which is now being called the ‘Circular Economy Growth Plan’ – will be based on the work of the Circular Economy Taskforce.

Circular Economy Taskforce

The Taskforce was established in December 2024 to design the first framework for England’s transition to a circular economy.

Chaired by Andrew Morlet, former Chief Executive of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the taskforce has spent the past year engaging with industry, local authorities and environmental groups to develop sector-specific ‘roadmaps’ for reforming material use and supply chains.

Agri-food roadmap

The taskforce identified five priority sectors where circular principles could deliver the most significant environmental and economic gains:

• textiles
• transport
• construction
• agri-food, and
• chemicals and plastics.

Each roadmap will include specific actions, timelines, and policy recommendations to drive circularity within the sector.

Moving away from a throwaway culture

In the announcement of the priority areas, former Defra Secretary Steve Reed said that the government had vowed to “end throwaway culture” and “make reuse and repair the norm”. Andrew Morlet, chair of the Circular Economy Taskforce, said at the time: “Transitioning to a circular economy is an ambitious but crucial goal as this government kickstarts economic growth and turns Britain into a clean energy superpower.

“I welcome the vision set out by the Environment Secretary at this critical juncture in our journey.

“Our taskforce will bring together industry, academic and policy experts with central and local government to ensure we maximise its potential fully by creating jobs, increasing resource efficiency and accelerating the path to net zero.”

Read their comments in full.

2026 consultation

Once launched, the NFU will be responding in full to the forthcoming consultation. 

“It’s encouraging to see the Defra Secretary of State’s real ambition for a thriving agriculture industry, demonstrated by her announcements made today, as well as her commitment to working collaboratively with farmers and growers,” said NFU President Tom Bradshaw.

In her speech at the Oxford Farming Conference (Thursday 8 January), Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds said the government’s vision is “to help farmers improve their productivity and profitability; and to collaborate on delivering positive environmental change together”.

First SFI application window to open in June

NFU Deputy President David Exwood said it was positive to hear the Defra Secretary talk about “much-needed plans to reform the SFI” and her commitment to work with farmers and growers, particularly those in the uplands and protected landscapes.

“But there remains a huge lack of detail that farmers and growers urgently need and this uncertainty continues to undermine farmers’ confidence, ability to invest and do the best for their business,” he warned.

What will the new SFI offer look like?

“There will be no more sudden, unexpected closures,” she added.  

“Once these changes are in place, the main design of SFI will be stabilised for the rest of this Parliament. So you know what to expect in the years to come.”

NFU Deputy President David Exwood responded: “We recognise that the farming budget is finite and that SFI has to be spread more evenly across the industry, with a particular focus on the coming 12 months. But for farming and growing businesses to deliver the public goods the scheme originally set out to achieve, it is vital that it is accessible and relevant to all food producing businesses, no matter the size. That is why if there has to be an SFI funding cap, we support a cap per hectare for SFI agreements on farm.

“There are 27,800 farmers in agri-environment schemes whose agreements are set to expire at the end of the 2026/2027 financial year. With that deadline on the horizon, it is essential that we get a clear understanding from Defra about the SFI budget for the two application windows to allow continuity of environmental delivery that already exists of farm.”

What else was announced?

The Defra Secretary also announced a new £30 million Farmer Collaboration Fund, to be invested across three years, which will support farmer groups in growing their businesses, building partnerships and sharing best practice. The NFU welcomes the fund’s focus on growing farming businesses. 

The FiPL (Farming in Protected Landscapes) programme which was due to expire in March 2026 will be extended for three years with £30m allocated for 2026/27. While we welcome that the programme is benefitting farms in these areas and delivering wider benefits, the NFU remains aware that this is a limited offer geographically and in how it can support farm profitability. 

The government has also committed to a programme of transformation for the uplands, beginning in Dartmoor and then Cumbria. A place-based approach will be developed to co-design solutions around local challenges. The work will explore how public, private and third-sector funding can be better aligned to create new income opportunities and build the skills and networks communities need to shape their own future. 

Detail and delivery

NFU President Tom Bradshaw responded: “Domestically, creating policies that support productivity and growth remain key and I am pleased to hear the Secretary of State talk about the much-needed clarity coming ahead of each payment windows for SFI. Farming is a long-term investment, measured in years, not months, and clarity is essential for confidence.

“Transparency around the farming budget is critical to this. Without transparency, farmers and growers are unable to plan for their businesses’ future.
 
“On a global scale, growing exports for British food abroad and ensuring imported products meet our productions standards will ensure our sector can compete on a level playing field.
 
“Important questions remain on the detail and delivery, from the 25-year Farming Roadmap to the roll out of the farming profitability review. We want to work with government to drive these policies forward to create confidence and profitability for farming and growing businesses and ensure 2026 sees British farming achieve all it is capable of.”

With more than 3,000 pieces of legislation to deal with, the NAO found that ‘an overly cautious and risk-averse culture in Defra and the regulators has developed, in part due to the potential for legal challenge’. This, it said had hampered efforts to innovate and embrace new approaches that would produce better outcomes or cut costs.

Practical and flexible

It added that, while Defra was working to improve its IT and had received a further £300m of targeted funding to 2029 in the Spending Review, the pace of change had been slow.

Sir Geoffrey, whose committee the NAO reports to, noted that “Defra does not have a single database or dataset for farms that can be used to share insight on risks across government”.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “Defra and the regulators are working to improve how they regulate, including in response to recent major reviews. Success will depend on taking a sufficiently strategic approach and sticking to the course set.”   

Responding, NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos said that the “government’s environmental regulation and ambitions must go hand-in-hand with policies that support profitable, productive, and resilient farm businesses”.

“Implementation of the regulatory framework must also be practical and flexible, but critically, innovation-led, evidence-based and proportionate to any risks posed, to minimise costs and burdens on our farmers and growers,” she added.

“The importance of investing in the future of British agriculture has never been more important, so the NFU will continue to work with Defra and its bodies to improve the regulatory landscape.”

Animal welfare ‘top priority’

Responding to the news, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “Animal welfare is a top priority for poultry producers and livestock farmers, who already go beyond the bare minimum and work to strict legal and assurance scheme standards to care for their animals. Britain’s reputation for high standards is something the public values and rightly expects.
 
“If the government wants to raise domestic animal welfare standards further by phasing out colony cage systems across the laying hen sector and tightening restrictions on practices such as lamb castration and tail docking, then it must take steps to ensure consumers are protected from imported food that could be produced to lower standards, and that British farmers are not asked to compete with imports produced at those lower standards which would be illegal here.
 
“The NFU has long called for a set of core standards for food imported into the UK; it must meet the same production standards as asked of our farmers. It is what the British people expect and it’s time a system of core standards was properly established in UK law. Otherwise, we simply offshore production to jurisdictions we have no control over and expose the resilience of our domestic food system while at the same time undermining farmers. 
 
“We will be discussing the details of these proposals with our members across all farming sectors to inform the NFU’s response and will be outlining the need for a full impact assessment on farm businesses, the wider supply chain and UK food security.”

Affected members will have the opportunity to feed into the NFU's response. Keep an eye on your sector pages on NFUonline for details on how you can have your say.

In no other sector are export opportunities so clearly demonstrated than Scotch whisky as Emily told the audience these make up one quarter of all UK food and drink exports.

“But we face challenges that are familiar to everyone in this room,” Emily said. “Geopolitical and trade volatility, reduced consumer confidence and spending power, and increased costs of doing business.”

Asked by the Chair of the Committee Liam Bryne – the Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge – what the trading relationship was like with the EU for NFU members, Tom highlighted that the volume of trade with the EU had fallen by 37.4% since 2019, as demand has dropped for British products in the European market due to friction at the border.

Gene editing advantage at risk

Tom noted the opportunity for increased trade with the EU but drew attention to the fact that the UK and the EU are no longer fully aligned in certain technological areas, including gene editing and plant protection products. 

Tom said it was important that we “seized” the opportunity to become a world leader in these areas, and don’t sacrifice our technological advantage in order to reach a deal with the EU.

The NFU is lobbying the government for an exception to be applied to our gene editing legislation to ensure it isn’t affected by any UK-EU SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) agreement. 

Without securing these carve-outs during initial negotiations, it would be unlikely we’d get them in the future, Tom warned.

Influence is ‘paramount’

Tom said it was essential that the UK was part of the decision-making process of the EU and that the UK had its best people working with the EU to influence its policy. 

“Now they will be held in limbo for at least another decade, possibly even two, before work on the new line even starts,” she said.

‘Scars from HS2’

The Department for Transport’s plans include a new rail route between Liverpool and Manchester, running via Manchester Airport and Warrington and improved connections across the Pennines between Manchester, Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield.

The first phase of the project will focus on upgrading rail connections across Yorkshire and progressing Leamside Line proposals to ensure services reach Newcastle. 

“Farming families along these routes will have lots of questions and plenty of concerns about how the projects will be delivered,” said NFU Vice-president Rachel Hallos.

“These are not developments that take a few months, they are years in the making. This means another generation of families will be hit, many of whose homes, land and livelihoods already bear the scars from HS2. Lessons need to be learned from that experience – farming families need to be treated better.

“The NFU will seek to engage with the delivery companies and urge them to work with farming families on these projects. It’s vital farm businesses are able to be productive and profitable throughout this process and remain focused on what they do best – producing food and caring for the great British countryside.”

The government said that ‘learning lessons from HS2’, it will work closely with local partners to ensure planning processes are carried out efficiently, and approvals are streamlined to reduce delays and prevent projects from going over budget.    

He said: “UK farmers stand in solidarity with our farming colleagues in Ukraine.

“However, we are extremely concerned that the extension of full liberalisation for poultry meat and eggs for another two years could further impact significantly on domestic producers.

“We have always said this is about striking the right balance to provide practical support to Ukrainian farmers while not damaging sensitive sectors here at home.”

Imports on the rise

Poultry meat and egg imports from Ukraine have increased dramatically in recent years, rising significantly above the pre-war Free Trade Agreement Quotas.

In the first ten months of 2025 the UK imported 11,901 tonnes of Ukrainian shell eggs and products, and 43,409 tonnes of poultry meat. The UK has not traditionally imported eggs from Ukraine, however imports began in September 2024 and have continued to increase in quantities since then. The Ukrainian Tariff Rate Quota for shell eggs, prior to 2022, was 409 tonnes a year.

“Even amid the war, Ukraine remains one of the world’s largest chicken exporters,” Will noted. “Since the initial deal was signed in 2022, UK imports of Ukrainian chicken have risen by almost 300%."

For eggs, the increase is even more dramatic, Will said, as the UK didn't routinely import Ukrainian eggs prior to 2022 which is when the UK Government first suspended tariffs on all goods from Ukraine. 

Poultry farmers under pressure

The news that poultry meat and eggs will continue to be imported tariff-free until 31 March 2028 is a shorter timeframe than the extension that has been applied to all other goods, which will run until 31 March 2029. However, pressure continues to mount upon British poultry producers, who have been grappling with increased costs of production, the effects of avian influenza and, more recently, new proposals under the government's Animal Welfare Strategy where a proposed ban on colony cages for laying hens could lead to an increase in imports of eggs.

NFU Poultry Board Chair Will Raw added: “UK farmers are proud to produce to high standards which the British public rightly values. We need the UK government to do what it said it would do to ensure British farming can compete on a level playing field and ensure that Ukrainian poultry imports meet our domestic animal welfare standards. Without this, we risk not only displacing British production through unsustainable volumes of imports, but with products that have been produced in ways that are illegal here.

“The monitoring of trade flows is vital and the UK government must be prepared to step in if poultry meat and egg imports continue to increase as it puts greater pressure on British producers at a time when they already face a number of challenges. It's imperative we find the right balance to ensure the success of both the Ukrainian and UK’s poultry meat and egg sectors now and in the future.”

Digital Editor at Farmer’s Guardian, Emily Ashworth, chaired the session on ‘Encouraging new people into farming: creating a diverse future’ and was joined in the discussion by panellists:

• Joshua Payne, Chief Education Manager at NFU Education.
• Holly Shearman, Head of Livestock and Farm of the Future Programmes at Innovation for Agriculture and the Royal Agricultural Society of England.
• Coco Jalloh, recently nominated for Farming Student of the Year at the British Farming Awards and featured in NFU Education’s live lessons: Festive Farming Quest.
• Harriet Cowan, beef and sheep farmer from Derbyshire, and star of Clarkson’s Farm.

Taking small steps to break down barriers

The inaugural cohort of AgriFuture scholars attended LAMMA that day, participating in tours and workshops to prepare them for a career or further study in agriculture.

He shared how working on the programme has shown him the importance of engaging with parents and local communities, as the vital support network to encourage young people into agriculture.

Practical, tangible solutions

The panel touched on representing farming in the National Curriculum, to further encourage young people to see it as a career option.

Josh highlighted the NFU’s Farmers for Schools programme and live lessons as practical, tangible solutions to represent farming in schools. By showcasing farming role models in assemblies and live lessons, supported by curriculum-based free resources for teachers, it’s a further step towards raising awareness and creating positive perceptions about the industry.

Accessibility for people from non-farming backgrounds

Coco highlighted apprenticeships as a great opportunity for those who are not from a farming background, like herself. She shared her story of wanting to pursue agriculture at school but was discouraged, as well as her journey of being diagnosed with autism and ADHD and her determination to change misperceptions around being neurodiverse.

Josh agreed that there is so much opportunity in this sector for new entrants who are neurodiverse and how much they can flourish, sharing his experiences of working with neurodiverse young people on NFU Education’s programmes.

Harriet agreed that new ideas can make things simpler and encourage progression. She gave LAMMA as a prime example of the value of in-person conversations, demonstrating innovation and how new skills can be developed on an established farm.

Josh encouraged attendees to offer work experience where they can, to give young people their initial start in the industry: “If you can’t get that first step, you can’t get into the industry.”

How can you get started?

Harriet recommended for new entrants to join young farmers clubs and take on work where they can, starting from the bottom and working up. She also highlighted the advantages of social media in showcasing careers in agriculture that people can thrive in, especially to those who may have not considered it before.

Harriet and Coco shared that while they have had a lot of positive support on social media, they have also received misconceptions on what a farmer looks like, referencing their gender and perceived ability. They said that there is still work to do to challenge misconceptions, to show that while they may not look like farmers, they are.

What piece of advice would you give?

Josh said: “Take every opportunity you get. If you don’t have an opportunity, introduce yourself and make opportunities for yourself.” 

Holly said: “There are so many options to have that initial conversation and take the next step. Join a young farmers club, get in touch with a farmer to ask about work opportunities, or contact an agricultural college. Go out there and find a farm.”

Coco said: “Always ask questions. It builds your knowledge and can open the door to future progression and opportunities.” 

Harriet: “Be confident and go out and meet people, find those opportunities.” 

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This followed significant lobbying from the NFU, where we were glad to see that agri-tech was recognised as a ‘frontier industry’.

Barriers not just regulatory

Responding to the news, NFU Deputy President David Exwood said: “We welcome the government’s recognition of agri-tech as a key driver of growth, and any steps that reduce duplication and support innovation are always positive to see. Better, smarter regulation has huge potential to unlock progress across our sector, and it’s good to see this direction of travel.

“We will continue engaging with the government on this work, while simultaneously pressing for a policy environment that gives farm businesses the stability they need to contribute fully to the UK’s growth ambitions.”

The NFU has reiterated to the Department for Business and Trade that the barriers to adoption of agri-tech and the potential opportunities that may arise from this stretch beyond the regulatory burden, with low profitability, limited access to capital, poor digital connectivity and a lack of confidence to invest all key factors. 

Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the government is “placing big bets on the industries where Britain can win, backing our innovators with real firepower, and cutting the red tape that holds them back”.

Dr Mitchell delivered a strong message to MPs on the need for clarity around Environmental Land Management schemes and the farming budget.

She said that farmers are ready and willing to deliver for nature but they need the confidence to invest and make long term commitments to schemes.

Environmental goals and food security

She stressed that targets for food production and food security need to be integrated alongside environmental goals in a comprehensive plan for farming. Dr Mitchell also highlighted the NFU’s principle of making land more multi-functional alongside food production, rather than taking land out of production altogether.

Farmers are a crucial part of the government’s plan to deliver on its legally-binding targets for nature restoration and a healthy environment. 

Coordination 

SFI and ELMs

Dr Mitchell welcomed Defra’s commitment to work with farmers on the details of the renewed SFI offer but made it clear that SFI must be accessible and relevant to all farm businesses.

She emphasised the importance of smooth transitions and co-ordination between the different Environmental Land Management schemes in allowing farmers to plan for their businesses.

She also highlighted the potential in private finance markets, particularly for biodiversity net gain and nutrient neutrality, but argued that maintaining demand required establishing clear regulatory frameworks.

Waste crime

Committee Chair Toby Perkins, Labour MP for Chesterfield, noted that waste crime is an increasingly prominent issue and asked about the impact on farmers’ quality of life.

Dr Mitchell said that fly-tipping, and rural crime more generally, is a major concern for farmers. She welcomed the EIP’s (Environmental Improvement Plan) commitments to cracking down on illegal waste sites, tracking waste, and reforming carriers and brokers legislation.

Dr Mitchell called for a single reporting mechanism for waste crime on farmers’ land, adding that farmers often “get passed from pillar to post” between the police, local authorities and the Environment Agency. She also emphasised the importance of effective intelligence-sharing between these organisations.

UK inflation rises above forecasts

According to the ONS (Office for National Statistics), the UK’s inflation rate rose by more than expected to 3.4% in December, above the 3.3% figure economists expected. Airfares and tobacco were also key factors in driving inflation upward, with the ONS pointing to tobacco duty increasing in November’s Autumn Budget, whereas in 2024 it was increased in October. 

Inflation in the UK remains higher than in the Eurozone, where it was 1.9% last month, and the 2.7% recorded in the US. The Bank of England has forecast that inflation will fall close to its 2% target in the second quarter of 2026.

Balwinder Dhoot, director of growth and sustainability at the Food and Drink Federation, said rising costs meant households were “feeling the squeeze, resulting in a subdued Christmas for the sector”.

“The low UK consumer confidence, coupled with the prospect of continued geopolitical volatility, is concerning for food and drink manufacturers who face rising costs and tighter budgets themselves.”

Growing up on a mixed sheep and arable farm, the rhythms of agriculture were a normal part of my life. I attended Young Farmers, visited Thrapston Market and enjoyed numerous farm walks.

However, I understand that for most young people, this is a world they may never experience. 

After studying at Harper Adams University, I chose a career in education and now teach geography and sport at Bedford Greenacre Independent School.

Geography allows me to cover topics including ecosystems, climate change, resource management and urban sprawl, all of which naturally tie into farming and food production. 

Yet despite these clear links, agriculture remains largely underrepresented in the national curriculum and that is something that needs to change.

Missed opportunity

We need to bridge that gap. Not by creating an entirely new subject, but by embedding agricultural knowledge throughout existing subjects in a meaningful and consistent way.

Curriculum potential

In geography, there are many opportunities to explore farming systems, global food production systems and the role of technology in modern agriculture. 

These topics could be introduced as early as Key Stage 3 or below, not just at GCSE or A Level.

Fieldwork could involve visits to local farms and students could subsequently use geographic information systems to analyse soil quality or land use, thus developing both practical skills and a real-world understanding of farming’s role in land management.

In food technology, lessons on food provenance could go beyond a brief mention of where ingredients come from.

Students should learn about seasonality, sustainable food chains and the farm to fork journey.

Agri-food careers should also be highlighted from robotics and vertical farming to supply chain logistics. This would help challenge outdated stereotypes of farming and show that agriculture is a forward-thinking and high-tech industry.

In biology, there is potential to discuss plant reproduction, improving crop yields, pest management and genetic engineering in more depth. Lessons could explore soil health, nutrient cycles and climate-resilient crops.

All of these topics relate directly to sustainability and the science behind modern agriculture. What is important is ensuring these connections are not occasional or optional but integrated into how these subjects are taught. 

Children keen to learn

Earlier this year, I took a group of Year 10 students to Cornwall for a residential trip.

When they visited the shops in the evening I was shocked by what they purchased. They would come out with punnets of raspberries, cartons of milk and packs of chicken. Ten years ago, I am sure my friends would have opted for sweets and chocolate.

This generation is different – they are health-conscious, environmentally aware and they genuinely want to make informed choices. 

What they need is accurate and engaging information to aid their understanding. They want to understand why milk is a good source of nutrition, why local British beef is sustainable and why eating seasonally makes sense. 

Passion for agricultural education

My own passion for agricultural education was sparked in part by the NFU’s Student and Young Farmer Ambassador Programme, which I joined in 2021.

It was a fantastic opportunity to meet other young people who shared my enthusiasm for making a difference. It also helped me see education as a powerful tool for advocacy and change.

One of my proudest moments was taking part in a Farmers for Schools assembly in London with fellow ambassador Hannah Buisman.

For many of the pupils, it was their first real exposure to farming. Some had never been to the countryside before, let alone seen a tractor. Yet their curiosity was incredible!

One student asked how grain is marketed and another wanted to know how much land is needed to rear livestock sustainably. These questions reminded me that children are inquisitive and more capable of understanding complex topics than we often give them credit for.

Looking ahead

Agriculture does not need to be a separate subject. However, it does need a more prominent and consistent presence in the curriculum.

That means strengthening existing subject content, making better use of industry expertise and ensuring teachers have the confidence and resources to talk about farming.

There is already excellent work happening through programmes such as Farmers for Schools, where farmers bring their stories into the classroom.

More links between schools and local farms are needed, including more farm visits and industry input into curriculum design.

Get involved

If you are passionate about agricultural education, there are practical ways that you can help.

You could speak to your local NFU county adviser, and they can help you connect with schools and other groups.

You could also join the Farmers for Schools programme and pass on your agricultural knowledge, tackle misconceptions and inspire the next generation.

Since Thomas’ article was published in September 2025, the UK government published its 2025 Curriculum Review, which set out recommendations that could shape the future of education across England, including changes to food education and qualifications and a stronger emphasis on sustainability, science, and digital literacy.

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However, some existing and emerging technologies could provide potential solutions, the report's writers suggest, citing examples such as plant pre-breeding and regenerative agriculture.

Vital resources

Responding to the report, NFU Deputy President David Exwood said: “Food production and environmental delivery have always gone hand in hand – we cannot have a resilient food system without healthy soils, thriving pollinators and access to clean water.

“These are vital resources and, as custodians of the land, farmers and growers have a responsibility and ambition to protect them. We now need the investment to enable it.

“Thousands of farmers are looking to the renewed Sustainable Farming Incentive to enable this work. After a stop-start approach to environmental schemes so far, farmers desperately need some certainty for the scheme this year and for the years ahead.

“With an increasingly volatile geopolitical and climactic situation, we cannot rely on imports to sustain us. Investing in our national food security has to be a priority, and that starts with investing in the land.”

Long-term plan needed

In some cases, the extensions have safeguarded decades of environmental work. 

NFU Deputy President David Exwood said securing the extension was a positive outcome for the NFU, giving “thousands of farmers much needed certainty for the year ahead”.

“It shows farmers remain committed to delivering for the environment, even at a time when there was limited information about the future of the SFI offer,” he added. “It’s also good to see that the RPA has now processed all applications, so applicants have clarity before submitting their scheme claims this spring."

Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said that it was “heartening” to see that most farmers offered an extension have accepted.

“With 27,800 farmers in agri-environment schemes due to see their agreements end in the 2026/27 financial year, it’s now crucial that Defra sets out a clear long-term plan for agri-environment policy, including further detail on the future of SFI,” David added.

At the Oxford Farming Conference at the start of the year, Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds outlined the government’s reforms to SFI, with two applications windows due to open this year in June and September. 

These officers will also benefit from a new training programme which has been piloted in 11 forces and is now being expanded across the country, designed to equip them with specialist skills. 

Rural areas targeted by criminals

Responding to the plans for reform, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said that “organised crime is a major threat to rural communities, with more than 22 gangs responsible for widespread thefts of machinery, vehicles, and GPS equipment, according to the National Rural Crime Network”.

“Relentless fly-tipping and the growing menace of hare coursing are also causing significant financial loss and deep emotional distress to farming families and their businesses and impacting food production across the country,” he said. 

NFU Mutual’s 2025 rural crime report found that quad bikes and ATVs remained top targets for thieves, with the estimated cost of tractor thefts seeing a rise of 17% as criminals sought out machines and their parts. The rural insurer warned that rural crime is becoming increasingly organised, but highlighted the coordinated efforts of farmers, police, the industry and insurers which led to a 16.5% reduction in the total cost of rural crime for 2024. 

Tom added: “Criminal gangs frequently operate across multiple police force areas to evade capture, and they target rural areas where policing is thinly stretched.

“As part of these reforms, announced by government, the funding must reflect rural needs, including remoteness, vulnerability, and seasonal population pressures.

“While the reorganisation of police forces takes place and as some policing functions transfer to elected mayors, we look forward to working with the Mayoral Strategic Authorities and future Policing and Crime Boards to ensure rural communities have a strong voice.”

Major reset

The Home Office recently announced that it plans to abolish police and crime commissioner positions, once their term is up in 2028, with these functions transferred to elected mayors and new governance structures. 

The new changes announced this week are detailed in a White Paper and have been described by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood as the biggest in the history of professional policing. 

She said the ‘reset’ would restore neighbourhood policing under a new structure, with the merging of forces delivering a less fragmented, more cost-effective service and the new NPS delivering centralised specialist services.

Our base for the first day was the BAB (British Agriculture Bureau) offices.

The BAB represents the 70,000 members of all four UK farming unions, championing UK agriculture in Europe, which remains vital work in the wake of the UK leaving the European Union.

We met with multiple European stakeholders, learning about the work they do for European producers, farmers and animals.

Copa and Cogeca

It was great to learn that their work stretches beyond EU borders and still includes representatives from the UK, too.

Voice of the European poultry meat sector

Walking across to the AVEC office made us realise that we were in the heart of European policy and decision making, as our journey took us past the European Parliament. AVEC is the voice of the European poultry meat sector, representing more than 95% of poultry meat production, defending the sector and facilitating discussion.

Hearing from Secretary General Birthe Steenberg was refreshingly positive, discussing the opportunities for growth in both the European and British poultry meat sectors.

Animal welfare standards

Our last discussion of the day was with Inês Grenho Ajuda from Eurogroup for Animals, who lobby to improve animal welfare standards. This is an area that often leads to lively debate, and this discussion was no exception, but it was interesting to hear about the lobbying work the organisation does alongside almost 110 NGOs (non-governmental organisations), to improve welfare for all animals, not just those that are farmed. 

While there were some differences of opinion, it was clear we were all deeply concerned about imports from lower welfare production systems.

The PIP 2024/25 cohort take a selfie on a coach as they embark on their trip to Europe

Hatchery visit a highlight

Day two started with a bus ride to L’Oeuf D’Or hatchery. Coming from a hatchery background, this was the highlight of the trip for me, as I love to gain insight into other systems and it was especially interesting learning about a modern European hatchery.

We began with a presentation from Nestborn General Manager Erik Hoeven about the Belgian broiler supply chain, Nestborn and the Yellow Bird hatchery group. The hatchery had a viewing corridor that we could use to see into the different parts of the process without actually entering the biosecure area.

Afterwards, we visited a double-decker Belgian broiler site, rearing Hubbard birds to the European Chicken Commitment (equivalent to the Better Chicken Commitment) standards.

They were using the Nestborn system and we got to see the chicks hatching inside the rearing shed, which was fascinating to experience first-hand.

KU Leuven University

The final visit before we ventured back to Brussels station was an insightful talk and tour at the TRANSFarm research facility at KU Leuven, Belgium’s oldest university.

The diversity of research carried out there was impressive, covering everything from gut health in chicks and positive indicators of animal welfare to methods of in-ovo sexing, and feed additives in broiler rations.

It was a fascinating ending to what had been the most incredible trip. I think I can safely say that the European trip was a massive highlight for me. A big thank you must once again go to the NFU and ABN for arranging the visit, and to Hubbard, Nestborn, KU Leuven and all of the European stakeholders that gave us such insight into the vital and varied work they do.

The government has also said existing agricultural water rules will be simplified.

The proposals build on commitments outlined in the latest version of the Environmental Improvement Plan as well as recommendations from the Independent Water Commission on reforming sewage sludge regulations and come off the back of the major reforms to the water sector outlined in the government’s recently published Water White Paper. 

Circular economy

Farmers currently utilise sludge as a valuable input over manufactured fertiliser and it also forms an important part of the circular economy.

Tom said he was pleased to see Defra had committed to collaborate with the industry on ways to reduce PFAS (Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) in its ‘first-ever PFAS plan’. 

“Farmers and growers are committed to caring for the environment, but regulatory change must not place additional cost burdens on farm businesses, many of which are struggling to be profitable.

“We will continue to engage with the water supply chain and Defra and will work with members to gather feedback on the consultation.”

The government reiterated that its approach to working with farmers on water pollution will focus on advice and partnership. 

View the consultation at: GOV.UK | Consultation on the regulatory framework for sludge applied to agriculture.

Since January 2021, four new pesticides have been approved in Great Britain that are not yet available in the EU. Immediate ‘cliff edge’ alignment, as set out in scenario one, with EU rules in June 2027 could lead to the sudden loss of access to these.

The only way to mitigate the potential impacts is to have a managed transitional period the report’s writers state, which is good regulatory practice and what the NFU has been calling for since last summer.

Transition period is vital

For many months, the NFU has held meetings with the Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds, senior officials in Defra and the Cabinet Office, and with UK and EU negotiators, raising concerns about the impact a poorly implemented agreement could have.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “This report confirms what we’ve already been outlining at the highest level within government – that there are significant risks to farm businesses and British food production which need to be very carefully managed within SPS negotiations. An SPS deal is about removing friction and unlocking trade with our largest trading partner, but we have to get it right. We are grateful for the open dialogue we’ve had with government so far.

“Implementing appropriate transition periods is absolutely vital to enable farm businesses to adapt. For plant protection products, the best option would be for British farmers to retain access to GB-approved plant protection products until the EU rules are next reviewed, rather than being pushed towards a cliff-edge because of an arbitrary deadline.

“I hope the government will use this opportunity to reassure growers that, in resetting the UK’s relationship with the EU, it will be negotiating hard to prevent the kinds of outcomes laid out in this report.”

Potential impact

The Andersons Centre report looks at the effect that the loss of certain PPPs and MRL changes could have for a range of arable and horticultural crops, potatoes and sugar beet. The impacts considered echo concerns the NFU has been raising; loss of new fungicide and herbicide actives for cereals; loss of other actives approved in GB (but no longer in the EU); changes in usage rules (eg, no pre-harvest use of glyphosate as a desiccant); and MRL changes.

The key, problematic effects of these losses modelled in the report include:

• Grassweeds (blackgrass and ryegrass) in combinable crops.
• Fungal diseases in combinable crops (Septoria and Fusarium).
• Desiccation in combinable crops.
• Weeds in maize and sugar beet crops.
• Weeds and fungal diseases in vegetable and root crops.
• Insect damage in vegetable and fruit crops.
• Added pressure on the development of resistance (though this isn’t modelled into the analysis).
• A basic lack of replacement actives (alternatives are taken into account in the analysis, if available).

The modelling also considers how the loss of PPPs affects rotations.

Loss of key crop protections ‘catastrophic’

The NFU has been gathering its own evidence and discussing the details on potential impacts with government officials, with the Andersons report now adding to this process. 

All this evidence makes clear any immediate ‘cliff edge’ approach to alignment will result in very significant damage to UK food production and farmer’ and growers’ businesses.

NFU Combinable Crops Board Chair Jamie Burrows said: “The arable sector is already under serious pressure. After one of the worst harvests in a generation and years of cereal prices being way below the cost of production, business confidence is at an all-time low. The prospect of losing access to such key crop protection tools, and hundreds of millions of pounds with them through loss of yield, would be catastrophic.

“Growing food takes long-term planning. Many growers will be making planting decisions now which will be impacted if complete alignment is implemented in June 2027 – there simply isn’t enough time to mitigate impacts or change practices.

“The UK government needs to prioritise the future of the thousands of arable and horticulture businesses that use these critical products to produce the nation’s food – we cannot afford to lose them overnight.”

Quick ways to take part

The wide-ranging consultation enables us to have our say, and covers aspects such as specifications, reasonable notice, transparency of prices, the ability to negotiate terms and more.

You are able to provide as much or as little information into the consultation as you like. The ‘quick’ approach is to focus on the simple tick boxes, starting with whether you believe the supply chain operates fairly, and whether government intervention is required. This will ensure the quantitative analysis of the consultation responses reflects your views.

If you only do this and do not complete the text boxes, this will only take you 5-10 minutes. Alternatively, you can provide examples to back up your answers and even consider other contractual clauses which could impact on the imbalance of power when selling your grain.

How can I take part?

Visit our consultation page for advice on quick, average and in-depth options for filling out Defra's consultation.

Read our guide, put together with the NFU Combinable Crops Board, which covers discussion points in relation to the questions Defra is asking.

Your chance to make a difference

We have some helpful information online to guide you through the consultation and to make it as straightforward as possible. And we will be holding our second webinar at 12pm on 2 February to discuss it further with you.

Please do respond to the consultation if you can. Defra has already acted to mitigate some of the worst practices in the dairy supply chain and is preparing to legislate in other farming sectors. This is our chance to secure a positive outcome for the sector.

Thank you, in advance, for your support on this important matter.

On the launch of the group, NFU Director General Terry Jones said: “We’re delighted to bring these firms together under The 1908 Group, providing NFU members with a great range of professional services at their fingertips.”

As part of the launch, each of Acorus, PWA and Woolf Bond will be adopting a common brand identity, embracing a fresh, modern look designed to reflect their forward-thinking approach while continuing to deliver the high quality service clients know and trust.

In addition, colours, typography and visuals across Acorus, PWA and Woolf Bond’s communications and websites will also be aligned.

Terry added: “The look is new, but clients can expect continuity where it matters most. From initial feasibility studies and architectural drawings to navigating planning policy and delivering successful outcomes, these consultancies will continue to provide trusted, market-leading advice and personal service, enhanced by the resources and capabilities of a substantial parent organisation.”

For horticulture and potato growers, this agreement could remove border bottlenecks and burdensome costs, increase access to new crop protection tools and improve supply security. 

But without a phased transition period, clear communication and robust mitigation measures, horticulture risks losing essential PPPs (plant protection products) and may face residue-related marketing barriers and heavy disposal costs.

Reduced border friction

For nurseries, protected edible growers and anyone reliant on high value live plants, removing routine EU border checks could be transformative. If well negotiated this could reduce the risk of cross-contamination when shipping highly susceptible young plants, and smoother logistics for plants for planting, seed and young material. 

We will lobby hard to ensure these benefits are secured.

Improving access to new PPPs

Dynamic alignment could open access to around 20 EU-approved active substances, most of them biologicals, which are not currently approved in the UK.

These include fungicides, nematicides and virus control agents with potential value in crops such as protected edibles, ornamentals and vineyards. For sectors facing chronically limited chemical options, ornamentals being a prime example, this could offer much needed new tools for disease and pest management.

These benefits are not guaranteed – usefulness needs to be demonstrated for UK crops, and the manufacturers and our regulator would need to support their introduction to the UK market. 

Alignment should enable the EU’s ‘level playing field’ mechanisms to be switched back on, such as potentially allowing UK growers access to PPPs already approved in EU countries for comparable crops to help tackle UK horticulture’s minor use challenges. Restoring full access to imported treated seed is also essential. 

Key concerns for horticulture

Loss of 17 existing GB actives

Yet, in turn we face some significant challenges. Our own analysis suggests a potential loss of 17 active substances permitted in GB but not in the EU. Many are fundamental to horticulture including:

• Dimethomorph – critical for downy mildew control.
• Spirotetramat – vital for aphid and midge control in leafy salads, brassicas and soft fruit.
• Metribuzin – essential herbicide for potatoes.
• Flufenacet – herbicide used in bush fruit and ornamentals. 

A lack of viable alternatives raises fears of lower yields and quality, and higher costs. The soft fruit sector estimates potential loss of yield and extra labour costs of up to £60m. Secondary to this, IPM programmes may also be impacted as alternative chemistry risks damage to beneficial biologicals.

Disposal of stocks

If there was a ‘hard stop’ to GB decisions in June 2027, growers might have to dispose of legally purchased PPPs.

Our own analysis suggests individual growers could face losses in the region of c. £60,000 in product and disposal costs. Mid-season cut-off dates are unworkable given horticulture’s long production cycles. 

MRL divergence and marketability risks

EU MRLs would apply to both exports and domestic marketing. If EU MRLs are lower, as is currently the case for several fruit and vegetable crops, growers could find legally treated UK crops to be suddenly unmarketable. 

This poses particular risks for perennial crops, stored produce and processed goods like wine or juices. Horticultural production cycles often run years ahead. With certain crops already planted, the NFU has relayed warnings from growers that a 2027 alignment date is already too soon to avoid financial and operational disruption.

Rushed transition brings great risks

The Andersons Centre report reinforces what many of us in the industry have long argued; sustainable domestic food production relies on a stable, predictable regulatory environment. Any future SPS agreement must recognise the distinct needs of horticulture and safeguard growers’ access to the tools they require to produce high quality, affordable food.

For growers, the message is clear – alignment could bring benefits, but rushed implementation will jeopardise horticulture's capacity to remain competitive, productive and resilient.

These were rapidly followed by the ability to have a single agreement where new actions can be added annually; the need for SFI to be compatible with other agreements; and the need to retain a comprehensive list of SFI actions to choose from.

There was strong feedback that SFI needs to focus on supporting farming activities.

Top among the barriers respondents identified to accessing SFI were insufficient payments, as well as the application process being too complex and time consuming.

Budget transparency is key

NFU Deputy President David Exwood said: “To ensure farmers and growers are able to continue delivering for the environment, transparency over the SFI budget is key. And while we understand budgets are finite, we are concerned about the business and environmental impacts of any capping.

“I met with banking representatives only this week to discuss the fact that we are now almost five years on from the initial SFI pilot and highlighted that 27,800 agri‑environment agreements are due to expire at the end of the 2026/27 financial year. This is having a huge impact on businesses confidence so it’s essential that farmers and growers receive clarity about the future of the scheme as soon as possible.”

SFI actions

When asked which actions under SFI should be kept, respondents favoured planning actions for soil, nutrients and IPM. 

For improving soil health, they welcomed herbal leys, cover crops and no-till being available. All IPM actions received good support covering insecticide-free, flower-rich grass margins and companion crops. The same could be said for the nutrient management actions of legume fallow and legume leys. 

Hedge management was well-received, with all the boundary actions proving popular. Ditch and pond management were favoured out of all the actions available to support waterbodies. 

The 4-12m and 12-24m buffer strips were favoured along with the 6-12m buffer strip next to watercourses.

The top three arable actions supporting farm wildlife were winter bird food, pollen and nectar mix and grassy field corners. These were closely followed by supplementary winter bird feeding and basic overwintered stubble. On grassland, these were low input grasslands, field corners and the haymaking supplement, quickly followed by species-rich grasslands. 

Organic, moorland, native breeds at risk and agro-forestry actions had an even response rate. On moorlands, the more challenging shepherding actions were least favoured (eg, UPL10 for shepherding and removing stock for at least 8 months).

The precision farming actions had a lower response rate, with the variable rate application of nutrients action gathering the most support.

However, support for traditional farm buildings remained high. 

Small farms definition

The first application window for SFI will open in June for ‘small farms’ and those not already in an ELM agreement, followed by a wider, second application window in September. During the Oxford Farming Conference, the Defra Secretary said the standard definition of a small farm is 50 hectares, but that Defra would clarify what it means by this before the first application window opens.

Responding to our survey, most members identified a small farm as being 100ha or less, or 200ha or less. There was support for small farms and written feedback highlighted the need to focus on farmers and the offer working as part of a productive farm. 

Agreement cap

An agreement cap was seen as a blunt instrument for managing budgets. If the cap is set too low, it will not reward those delivering public goods at scale. A payment per hectare was identified as the most acceptable approach if there is to be a restriction on the value of an SFI agreement. The tiered approach got mixed reviews with good suggestions for how this could shape up.

Budget management

This survey asked members about the different ways the budget for SFI could be managed. These are the types of tools Defra could consider, in isolation or in combination, for the reformed SFI offer. The variety of responses highlighted these were not simple choices, with no single solution being favoured.

Members’ views were:

• Able to accept increasing the number of actions limited to 25%, if it was limited to non-farming actions.
• Mixed response to limiting areas for individual actions. The comments received highlighted the variety of solutions from using the approach previously seen in Countryside Stewardship to area restrictions within a farm (eg, minimum and maximum plot sizes in a field for an option).
• Against removing rotational flexibility in the second and third year of agreements. There were calls for some rotational flexibility to reflect different field sizes across the farm.
• Against reducing payment rates for high uptake actions.
• Split on moving endorsed actions and SSSI land into CSHT (Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier).  

NFU position:

Following our member engagement work, the NFU is calling on the government to:

• Give greater transparency around the budget available for SFI.
• Maximise the SFI budget.
• Retain a flexible range of actions for all sectors and locations.
• If there needs to be budgetary controls, the NFU's preference is for a £/hectare limit.
• Make the SFI farming-focused.
• Provide continuity for expiring legacy agreements.

Our lobbying work on SFI:

27 March 2026

NFU joins national organisations in letter to Farming Minister on common land agreements

As the current IT system will not allow common land agreements to apply for SFI and CSHT, the NFU joins forces with national organisations in a letter to Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle, asking for a solution to be put in place. 

Read the letter in full.

18 February 2026

NFU outlines asks following member feedback

The NFU’s survey on the future of SFI sees more than 600 members express their views on SFI reform, building on announcements made by Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds at the Oxford Farming Conference.

4 February 2026

NFU calls for accessible offer during Efra Committee session

During a session on ELMs held at the NFU's Westminster office, we discussed the need for a comprehensive and accessible new SFI offer with MPs on the committee. 

 

NFU President Tom Bradshaw with Efra Committee Chair Alistair Carmichael

4 February 2026

NFU launches survey on what a future SFI should look like

We call on our members to take our survey and help shape our lobbying efforts on SFI.

8 January 2026

Defra unveils further details at the Oxford Farming Conference

Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds outlines the reforms to SFI during her speech at the Oxford Farming Conference. There will be two application windows this year. The first one will open in June and will prioritise ‘smaller farms’ and those without an existing ELMs agreement; the second round will open in September for a wider range of applications. 

NFU Deputy President David Exwood said it was positive to hear the Defra Secretary talk about “much-needed plans to reform the SFI” but warned that a huge lack of detail remains. 

 

Photograph: Oxford Farming Conference

12 December 2025

NFU calls for more clarity on SFI26

As the RPA announces its payment performance on Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship payments, the NFU continues to call for more clarity on the future of SFI. 

21 November 2025

NFU welcomes ‘encouraging signals’ from Defra Secretary on SFI

Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds says she's committed to delivering stability and would be looking at ways the SFI scheme could be altered to better support sustainable farming and drive growth.

NFU Deputy President David Exwood says the announcement that SFI will open in the first half of 2026 is welcome, but that further details "can't come soon enough". 

21 October 2025

Uplands groups present new report to MPs, with SFI marked as a top priority

The groups deliver the recent NFU report setting out the essential foundations of a resilient uplands area and the policies needed to enable this.

NFU members talked to their MPs about the particular challenges of managing these iconic landscapes, the crucial role farm businesses play in our rural communities and the urgent need to make the SFI work for our uplands.

15 October 2025

NFU secures Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier rollover for thousands of farmers

The NFU secures a one-year extension for CSMT, giving businesses certainty while the reformed SFI offer is still being developed. 

26 September 2025

Concerns highlighted to new Tenant Farming Commissioner

The NFU is the first to welcome new Tenant Farming Commissioner Alan Laidlaw into his role during a visit to Deputy President David Exwood's farm.

Key among the issues David raises with the Commissioner is the uncertainty around future environmental schemes, particular for those in the uplands. 

 

(L-R), David Exwood (NFU Deputy President), Martin Lines (CEO of Nature Friendly Farming Network), Gavin Lane (Deputy President of the CLA), Emma Reynolds (Secretary of State), George Dunn (TFA Chief Exec), Alan Laidlaw (Defra Tenant Farming Commissioner). Photograph: Crown Copyright.

8 September 2025

Uncertainty over agri-enivronment schemes raised with new Defra Secretary

Emma Reynolds, MP for Wycombe, is appointed as the new Defra Secretary of State following a Cabinet reshuffle.

NFU President Tom Bradshaw meets with her during her first day in post. The meeting covers a variety of issues including the continued uncertainty of agri-environment schemes. 

10 July 2025

NFU presses Farming Minister at Great Yorkshire Show

NFU President Tom Bradshaw meets with Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner alongside NFU members where they discuss the future of SFI, support for upland farmers and the importance of water for food production and abstraction.

4 July 2025

Defra commits to provide more details on reformed SFI offer

The NFU urges Defra to ensure that the updated SFI scheme works for all farmers after Defra Secretary Steve Reed said details on the reformed scheme would be available this summer during a speech at Groundswell. 

12 May 2025

SFI scheme reopens to 1000s of applicants after legal threats from NFU members

Defra is forced to reopen SFI24 to around 3,000 applicants after a group of NFU-backed farmers threatens litigation over its decision to close the scheme without notice.

16 April 2025

NFU presents member feedback to Defra

The NFU surveys its members on SFI. Feedback was subsequently presented to the both the Minister and officials. 

17 March 2025

NFU hosts roundtable with Farming Minister on SFI

A farming roundtable organised by the NFU meets with Food Security and Rural Affairs Minister Daniel Zeichner to explain the crushing impact of Defra’s decision to close SFI applications and raise the urgent need for transparency from the department.

NFU member case studies, gathered since the news of the closure, are presented to Mr Zeichner during the meeting, to demonstrate the direct impact this will have on businesses.

11 March 2025

NFU criticises sudden closure of SFI to new applicants

The NFU has branded Defra a “failing department” after it announced, without warning, that it is no longer accepting new applications for SFI24 as of today. 

Defra says the SFI24 budget has been allocated, and that it has therefore reached completion. 

NFU President Tom Bradshaw warns that this is “another shattering blow to English farms delivered, yet again, with no warning, no understand of the industry and a complete lack of compassion or care”.

Fly-tipping is a major issue for farmers and growers in Hertfordshire and the NFU has long called for a shake-up of how the crime is dealt with.

The county was in the national media last summer when more than 200 tonnes of waste were dumped on a farm in St Albans, leaving the farmer a bill of more than £40,000 in clear-up costs.

‘A national organised crime’

Government acknowledges change needed

Baroness Hayman, who is Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defra, said the government is committed to digital waste tracking and other “technology-based opportunities” to tackle waste crime.

Speaking after the debate, NFU member and Hertfordshire arable farmer Will Dickinson said: “I am pleased to see this issue being discussed in the House of Lords and getting this spotlight.”

Will supported the farmer lumped with more than £40,000 in clear-up costs at the large-scale fly-tipping incident in Hertfordshire, having dealt with multiple fly-tipping incidents on his own neighbouring farm.

He continued: “I fully agree that fly-tipping is out of control and it is promising to hear the government acknowledge that change is needed.

“We cannot continue to have criminal gangs causing such damage to the countryside, with impunity.”

Aerial shot of the 200-tonne fly-tipping incident in Hertfordshire

NFU asks

The NFU welcomes news that the government is committed to digital waste tracking, but say it is important that such schemes are affordable and widely available.

To better reflect the impact of the crime, the NFU is calling for all authorities with responsibility for tackling fly-tipping to work closely together to secure more arrests and convictions and for penalties to be more proportionate.

The NFU is also asking for a simple reporting mechanism to be developed so that farmers and land managers only have to report a fly-tipping incident once. Currently victims may have to report incidents to multiple authorities, which is time consuming, confusing and frustrating.

Raising awareness of householders’ responsibilities for their waste is another way the government and waste sector can do more, the NFU has highlighted. Too much householder waste falls into the hands of third parties who then fly-tip that material.

Victims and environment suffer

Will Dickinson, who farms near Harpenden, said: “Individual farmers here are having to pay tens of thousands of pounds to clear rubbish dumped on their land, despite being the victims of this crime.

“Nationally fly-tipping costs the farming industry tens of millions of pounds and the wider economy more than £1bn.

“The crime also damages the environment and impacts our ability to feed the nation.

“We are working well with local authorities here, but they do not currently have the resources to deal with this.

“The NFU will continue to engage and to push for change at a national level and here in Hertfordshire.”