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See the latest news on Brexit government policy affecting the farming and agricultural sectors. Keep up-to-date with the developments on the future of farm subsidies and payments and how Brexit will affect UK imports and exports of food and the availability of the farm labour workforce. Get advice on how to future proof your farm in preparation for the UK leaving the European Community and find out how other farmers are planning for the future.

Latest Brexit news

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NEWS

Milk production falls as labour crisis deepens

A chronic shortage of dairy farmworkers has hit milk production and pushed more than one in 10 farmers to the brink of quitting, a survey has revealed. The research was…

BUSINESS

Government NI Protocol plans are rash, says FUW

Government proposals to change the Northern Ireland Protocol risk plunging the UK into a trade war with Europe, the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) has warned in a strongly worded…

BREXIT

Staffing policy ‘crippling food sector’, say farm leaders

Food and farming industry leaders have blasted the government’s post-Brexit farm labour policy, which they claim is adding to the cost-of-living crisis and failing to ensure food security. A public…

Brexit impact calculator

This tool from the AHDB can be used to investigate the potential impact that Brexit will have on your farming business.
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Practical advice

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STAFF MANAGEMENT

Options for farmers to secure migrant labour from 2021

The government’s proposed points-based immigration system (PBS) looks like it could do little to help the agricultural and horticultural sectors, according to the most recent details. Due to take effect…

FINANCE

10 tips to build a Brexit cash reserve for dairy farmers

Dairy producers should consider trimming capital expenditure and fixing costs to build up a cash reserve ahead of potential shocks from a no-deal Brexit, a dairy farm consultant has said.…

TENANCIES AND RENTS

Expert advice on tendering for a farm tenancy ahead of Brexit

Scrutinising tenancy agreements, checking break clauses and taking on critical business planning are all key to submitting a tender amid the Brexit turmoil. Despite the uncertainties, there has been a…

BUSINESS CLINIC

Business Clinic: Using arable profits to prepare for Brexit

Whether you have a legal, tax, insurance, management or land issue, Farmers Weekly’s Business Clinic experts can help. Here, Mark Chatterton of accountant Duncan & Toplis advises on the tax…

BUSINESS

What are the prospects for the UK meat industry post-Brexit?

Brexit offers opportunities to exploit the potential of British red meat production. But overcoming trade barriers, investing in processing capacity and meeting market requirements will take time and a change…

Case studies

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ARABLE

Budget for Brexit in a brave new world of lower subsidies

In the second part of our series on planning for Brexit, we examine one of the biggest farming operations in the UK and how it is preparing for life outside…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How an award-winning arable farm is preparing for Brexit

Arable growers are likely to have a six-year breathing space to prepare for the ending of EU-style area-based subsidies, and for the brave new world of a UK farming support package…

BUSINESS

Farming without subsidy - New Zealand's experience

UK farmers must seize the opportunity of Brexit to ramp up productivity and become more competitive, industry leaders have been told. Former New Zealand agriculture minister Sir Lockwood Smith suggested…

ARABLE

Future of subsidies: Collaborate to cope with lower support

In the second of our series on coping with lower subsidies, David Jones talks to one arable farmer, who is also chairman of his local grain co-operative, about his long-term plans…

Insights

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FARM POLICY

New Welsh farm support scheme majors on tree planting

Farmers in Wales will need to have at least 10% of their land planted with trees if they want a baseline payment from the new Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS). Details…

FARM POLICY

Britain braced for food crisis as rising costs hammer farmers

Feed, fertiliser, fuel and labour costs have all risen dramatically in the past 12 months, squeezing margins from profit into loss. With some sectors forced to rein in inputs this…

FARM POLICY

NI farmers show approval as new support policy takes shape

Plans for a new post-Brexit support scheme for Northern Ireland, based on a gradual transition from direct aids and headage payments towards a new “farming for nature” package, have won…

SHEEP

Does the UK have too many sheep breeds?

Over the centuries a spectrum of breeds has evolved in Britain, from fast-growing, prolific lowland types to hardier, single-bearing ewes for the uplands. According to the National Sheep Association (NSA),…

FARM POLICY

Analysis: Rising input costs biggest worry for farmers

Farmers may have been upbeat about the health of most businesses during 2021, but prospects for the year ahead seem less buoyant, according to the latest Farmers Weekly Sentiment Survey.…

BUSINESS

Aussie trade deal: Opportunities and threats to UK farmers

The post-Brexit free trade agreement between Britain and Australia offers a mix of threats and opportunities for UK farmers, according to an AHDB report. The levy board’s Horizon Report is…

FARM POLICY

Analysis: Farm policy gathers pace in UK devolved regions

If the first six months outside the EU were marked by Defra announcements of post-Brexit policy plans for English farmers, the past three months have at last seen some signs…

FARM POLICY

Analysis: Why food production must remain central to policy

One of the key improvements to the Agriculture Bill as it progressed to become an Act of Parliament last year was a commitment by government to hold a regular review…

ENVIRONMENT

Government encouraged to relax rules on gene editing

Government plans to accelerate the use of genetic technology have received a boost, with the publication of a new report setting out ways to free up the approvals process. Produced…

FARM POLICY

Survey uncovers lack of detail on farm payment plans

Farmers are keen to deliver the government's vision for a greener countryside – but desperately need more details to do so successfully. The stark warning follows a Farmers Weekly survey…

FARM POLICY

Analysis: What's on offer for farmers as the SFI takes shape

Slowly but surely, the post-Brexit jigsaw seems to be taking shape, with a number of government announcements and consultations in recent months providing a bit more detail on the shape…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Analysis: How Brexit affects farmers' access to pesticides

Adequate resources and a more pragmatic, science-based approach by UK regulators will be crucial to growers gaining better access to crop-protection tools after Brexit. Over recent years, plenty of criticism…