Latest Agriculture

I can remember thinking that accountancy would be a boring career. Over 40-years later I found myself writing the introduction to our newsletter after a budget – aka ‘fiscal statement’ – which incensed the environmental lobby, attracted criticism on the world stage and plunged the pound to record lows against the dollar.   Now, it’s…

As VAT repayment traders, farmers have long enjoyed the privilege of being able to submit their VAT returns late with impunity. Beware. For VAT Returns for periods beginning after 1 January 2023 late submission will have consequences, even for those due a refund. Each late return will attract a point and, for traders submitting quarterly…

For most of my life sugar beet have represented a stable but unexciting crop. Sugar adjusted yields have seemed reasonably consistent from year to year and the price for which the commodity could be sold has been negotiated by the NFU and British Sugar before growing contracts have been agreed. I have just listened to…

With the reduction of BPS over the coming years and movement in Sustainable Farming Incentives, many farmers/growers are looking for alternatives to traditional crops. One crop that has come to my attention recently is Mustard.   Through a cooperative, English Mustard Growers Ltd, mustard is being sourced throughout Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. The benefits…

  As of Thursday last week the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) went live for applications.   With the continuing decline of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), DEFRA is hoping that the SFI will be popular among farmers and landowners, predicting that about 70% will put land into the scheme.   As the name suggests, the…

Back in March 2022, DEFRA quietly published new regulation affecting users of plant protection products (PPPs). All businesses, organisations or sole traders that use professional PPPs (sprays to you and I) need to register to comply with the new regulations by 22nd June 2022. This applies to all farmers, contractors, estates, landlords who use contractors,…

As farmers face being squeezed with price increases for inputs due to the situation in Ukraine and worldwide gas and energy prices, DEFRA have announced that the RPA will advance 50% of the value of BPS payments to farmers from the end of July 2022 with the balance to be paid from December as normal.…

The government have announced that they will be extending their plug-in van and truck grants for another two years to spring 2025, there will also be changes to the existing plug-in vehicle grants applicable for the funding of larger trucks.   From 1 April 2022, the threshold to claim the small truck grant of up…

It is premature to shout from the rooftops “The King is dead. Long live the King” but nevertheless the Single Farm Payment regime is in terminal decline and we begin to see the future in the form of the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Following trials this new scheme will be launched in 2022 with a 10…

The government is to increase the earliest age pension savers can access their pension pots from 55 to 57, wef 6 April 2028. Members of the firefighters, police and armed forces public service schemes will not be affected by this increase.