News

Due to the increasing demand for blank RLE1 forms, the RPA has agreed to make the blank RLE1 form available as a pdf on their website which can be printed off and completed. This pdf may only be used until 1st June 2010. Any such printed off forms received by the RPA after that date will be rejected. Please click here for the blank RLE1. Please note that the form shows the Newcastle address. If it is being posted it should be returned to the Sheffield address - RPA, PO Box 300, Sheffield, S95...

The Commission for Rural Communities has called for evidence of economic growth and recovery in rural areas, or obstacles to it, to add to its next report to Government on the issue. Further details can be found on the CRC website.

The Treasury has confirmed that Chancellor Alistair Darling willl present his pre-election Budget on Wednesday 24th March 2010 at 12.30 p.m. Further information is available on the HM Treasury website.

The Public and Commercial Services Union are planning industrial action on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th March. This will affect the services available from the RPA and BCMS. Further information is available on the RPA website.

DEFRA has announced that the EU Dairy Fund will be distributed to all dairy farmers who produced more than 50,000 litres in the year ending September 2009, at a rate of about 0.2 ppl. For further details, see the DEFRA website.

The remaining cypermethrin sheep dips have been permanently withdrawn from the UK market. Farmers with remaining stocks of cypermethrin dip can get advice on how to dispose of it safely from the Environment Agency.

Peter Kendall has been elected as NFU President for a third term, with Meurig Raymond re-elected as Deputy President and Gwyn Jones, dairy board chairman, as Vice President.

The Conservative Party has launched its agricultural policy paper at the NFU Conference. The paper, entitled A New Age of Agriculture, can be downloaded from the Conservative Party website.

A programme and booking form are now available for the 2010 Keele Conference, to be held at Keele University, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire on the 26th March. Please apply using the booking form available on the CAAV website click here

The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Christianne Glossop, has urged farmers in Wales to vaccinate early for Bluetongue and to remain vigilant for any signs of the disease. Further information is available on the Welsh Assembly Government website.

Please note that due to heavy snowfall experienced this morning in Coleford a reduced service is available at the CAAV Central office.

The EU Commission has created new Directorates-General for Energy and Climate Action. DG Energy will be headed by a Britain, Philip Lowe, whilst DG Climate Action will be headed by Jos Delbeke, a Belgian.

The new strand to Entry Level Stewardship, Uplands Entry Level Stewardship (Uplands ELS) has been officially launched on an uplands farm in the Peak District. Uplands ELS replaces funding available under the Hill Farm Allowance (HFA). Further information is available on the DEFRA website.

HMRC has issued a warning about a new e-mail scam. An e-mail purporting to be from HMRC Online Services invites readers to log on to their online account to read a message. This e-mail is not from HMRC and should be deleted. For further security information, visit the HMRC website.

Eight flood and coastal projects in Wales have been awarded a total of £6.1 million of European funding which will assist with reducing flood risk for homes and businesses in the indentified areas. Further information is available on the Welsh Assembly Government website.

The OFT has asked the European Commission to refer UK aspects of the proposed merger between Orange and T-mobile to the OFT, citing that it "threatens significantly to affect competition" in the mobile phone sector.

A Welsh farmer has been subject to criminal conviction after trying to falsify the results of a bovine TB test. Further details are available on the Welsh Assembly Government website.

Booking forms and overview are now available for the Spring Briefings at Kelham Hall, Newark and The Gables Hotel, South Gloucestershire.

The Scottish Government are considering offering support to farmers whose buildings have collapsed in the recent snow. Those affected are invited to complete and return a questionnaire so that more information can be gathered. The press release and questionnaire are both available on the Scottish Government website....

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has announced that it has accepted the Competition Commission's recommendation for a body to enforce the new Groceries Supply Code of Practice. A consultation on the matter is expected to be launched in February.

The Government has launched Food 2030 - a strategy for food and farming in the next 20 years. More details are available on the DEFRA website.