Understanding and improving farming regulation

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Stanbrook Abbey

Some farming and land management activities are regulated to safeguard our environment and to protect the health of animals, plants and people. We do this through around 150 pieces of legislation, comprising primary and secondary legislation. All of this legislation applies to agricultural activity, and collectively constitutes what is known as the ‘regulatory baseline for agriculture’. This is a complex legislative picture and is not easy to navigate – we intend to improve and evolve this baseline in future as part of our agricultural transition outside of the European Union (EU). 

The Farming Innovation Programme in 2022

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Payments for research and innovation
Cutting silage near wind farm Askham in Furness Cumbria

In October, we launched the first rounds of funding in our Farming Innovation Programme. As we've been processing the applications, we've seen a promising spread of ideas across the livestock, horticulture and broadacre sub-sectors. These ideas are coming in from across the whole of England. In this post, I'll share next steps and what to look out for this year.

Future Farming Podcast: Government-funded innovation

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In the seventh episode of the Future Farming podcast, Tim Mordan, Defra’s Head of Farming Innovation, Productivity and Science talks to Rui Andrês, CEO of Fieldwork Robotics, about their innovative raspberry robot picker.

Our priorities for the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway

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Mix breed cattle

Today, we published our initial priorities for the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway. They represent some of the best opportunities for improving animal health and welfare we have across each livestock sector. In this post, I’ll share those priorities. 

Slurry: making the best of it 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A view from the farm, Things we're doing, Things we've learned, Ways to get involved
Slurry spreading in fields, Shaftesbury

Slurry contains lots of nutrients including nitrates, phosphate and potash as well as a host of other things that can benefit soil health and support crop growth. It can, however, create significant pollution to our water and air. Through co-design, our team joined with a group of farmers, industry leaders and experts to explore the subject. In this post, we’ll share what we’ve learned and how we plan to support farmers so that nutrients from slurry aren’t lost, that any damage to our environment is reduced and farmers aren’t dependent on expensive artificial fertilisers.

How we’re developing slurry grants 

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Today, we've blogged about how we're working with farmers and others across the industry to use slurry to our advantage. Farmers told us that finance often stands in the way of improving their slurry and nutrient management systems. Investing in slurry equipment and infrastructure is expensive. Particularly when it comes to integrating new technologies, techniques and building infrastructure. In this post, we'll share how we've been developing slurry grants to better support farmers and what to expect later this year. 

Co-design in 2022: reflections, plans and principles

Posted by: , and , Posted on: - Categories: Future Farming and Countryside Programme
Three people in conversation at Dairy Day

More than 4,000 people from across the farming community in England are now working with us to design, pilot, test and trial new farming policies and schemes. In this post, we’ll explain how we’re working with the farming community. We'll also share the 7 co-design principles we’re encouraging groups to follow.

The Future Farming Resilience Fund: an opportunity for advice providers and a call for farmer feedback

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Cattle grazing fields with mute swans in ditch

One of the ways we’re supporting farmers is through the Future Farming Resilience Fund. Through the fund, independent advisers can provide free business advice to farmers in England. In this post, I’ll share 2 new pieces of information about the fund. The first is a new opportunity for advice providers. The second is a request for farmers to give us feedback on the advice they’ve received through the fund.  

Watch Episode 1: Land Management Plans and the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: A view from the farm, Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot

In the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot, we provided farmers with 3 different land management plan templates. In this video, find out how participants Liz and Bryan, used land management planning to prepare their farm business for the future.