The Rural Bulletin: 18th October 2018

Mad cow disease confirmed on Scottish farm

The Scottish Government has put movement restrictions on a farm in Aberdeenshire after a case of BSE was confirmed – the first in 10 years.

While the Government confirmed that the case had not entered the food chain, further investigations are being carried out to find the source of the outbreak.

“Following confirmation of a case of classical BSE in Aberdeenshire, I have activated the Scottish Government’s response plan to protect our valuable farming industry, including establishing a precautionary movement ban being placed on the farm,” said rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing.

“While it is important to stress that this is standard procedure until we have a clear understanding of the disease's origin, this is further proof that our surveillance system for detecting this type of disease is working.”

Equipment grant set to reopen in 2019

A second round of funding to enable farmers to purchase machinery and equipment will become available in 2019, according to Defra.

The £30m Countryside Productivity Small Grants Scheme (CPSGS) was launched in February this year to help farmers invest in new equipment that will help improve efficiency.

Funding of between £3,000 and £12,000 is available to cover up to 40% of the purchase price of new equipment from a prescribed list worth between £12,000 and £30,000.

Eligible kit includes: Handling systems, calving detectors, electric scrape systems and precision farming equipment.

Further details about when the funding will open are expected in early 2019.

“Fair funding” review announced by Gove

A review of funding for farmers post Brexit has been announced by Defra secretary Michael Gove.

An independent advisory panel will look at factors to determine the distribution of agricultural funding between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

They will consider each country’s individual circumstances and will include agricultural, environmental and socio-economic factors as well as farm sizes and numbers.

While the review will be informed by previous allocations, Defra says it will not revisit decisions or redistribute money that has already been committed. 

Results will be available before the English Government’s 2019 spending review.

NFU calls for an emergency meeting with Government to discuss future of British farming

The NFU is seeking an urgent meeting with the highest level of Government, after the lack of progress at the EU Council meeting last night.

NFU President Minette Batters said that the uncertainty now facing farmers and growers is hugely damaging, reminding Government that this is a sector that produces the raw ingredients for the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, food and drink. 

Mrs Batters said: “More than two years on from the EU referendum, farmers and growers are still faced with considerable uncertainty around what the future will look like for their businesses. 

“From a new EU trading relationship to how businesses will be able to recruit a competent and reliable workforce, the lack of clarity and current timescales are now seriously undermining farming’s ability to plan ahead.

“Understanding the trading environment you are operating in is vital to any business. For long-term businesses like farming, it is completely unacceptable. Farmers are having to plan now what they will produce and where it will be sold. To do this without any awareness of what the trading environment will be is impossible.”

Knight Frank Rural Asset Management