DEFRA have published statistics on UK Biodiversity Indicators which give a mixed picture of changes to biodiversity in the UK. Whilst some indicators showed both short and long term improvement, others showed declines. The press release with further detail can be found on the DEFRA website.
An agricultural contractor in Wiltshire has been fined £1,800 plus costs after being prosecuted by the Environment Agency for polluting a brook with slurry which had run off an adjacent field. The full story can be found on the Environment Agency website.
DEFRA have published the latest compensation tables for animals slaughtered for TB, BSE, brucellosis and EBL for April 2009. They can be found on the DEFRA website.
A new Grazing Exchange has been set up in East Anglia to match livestock owners in search of grazing land with landowners who have grass available. The Grazing Exchange is supported by Natural England, Easton College and the Eastern Region Grazing Forum. More information is available on the Eastern Region Grazing Forum website.
The Commission for Rural Communities has announced that £19 million of funding from the Bog Lottery Fund will be available to 55 villages to restore or build village halls. For further information, go to the CRC website.
CRC have produced the latest in thier series of Rural Recession Intelligence Reports, focussing on rural housing. This finds that despite a fall in rural house prices, affordability remains a problem and repossessions are on the increase. A summary of the report can be found on the CRC website.
DEFRA has published regional sustainable development indicator results for English Regions. These indicators are to support the UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy and it has been possible to produce regional versions for use by the Government Office Regions. It is hoped that these indicators will help to provide a better perspective of sustainable development within regions. Further information is available on the DEFRA website....
Hilary Benn, Environment Secretary, has today announced that the South Downs is to become England's ninth National Park. This will see an area of 627 square miles becoming designated with this new status. Further information is available on the DEFRA website.
Campaigners opposed to a proposed new eco-town in Warwickshire are taking their case to the Court of Appeal, according to a report on the Planning Portal website.
FWAG have launched the 2009 Silver Lapwing Awards and application forms can be downloaded from the FWAG website.
Welsh Rural Affairs Minister, Elin Jones, has today announced the next steps to be taken with the Welsh TB eradication programme. A badger cull is to be carried out within an Intensive Action Pilot Area (IAPA) which is to be located within Dyfed, with North Pembrokeshire being the preferred location. Further assessments are to now be carried out. Further information is available on the WAG website.
The Forestry Commission are inviting nominations for the Ian Forshaw Memorial Medal which recognises outstanding contributions to Welsh forestry. Further information is available on the Forestry Commission website and the closing date for nominations is 15th June 2009.
RIDBA have announced that a new edition of the Farm Buildings Handbook will be launched on April 7th. The book covers all aspects of farm building construction including legislation, planning, design and specification. It will be available direct from RIDBA or via Amazon or specialist retailers, priced at £12.
Farmers Weekly have published an article on IHT written by CAAV Secretary and Adviser, Jeremy Moody. To view the article, go to the Farmers Weekly website.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has announced today that an injectable bovine TB vaccine for badgers will begin to be used from 2010. Initially vaccination will be carried out in up to six areas where there is a high incidence of bovine TB and will continue for a minimum of five years. Further information is available on the DEFRA website.
English Heritage is launching the first national survey of England's 9,300 Conservation Areas in order to assess their condition. The survey will take the form of a questionnaire to local authorities and the results are expected to be announced in June. For further information, go to the English Heritage website.
It is understood from reports by the Farmers Guardian that the bovine TB compensation case (Partridge Farms) appeal which was heard in the Court of Appeal on 16th and 17th March has concluded and judgment has been reserved. Further information is available on the Farmers Guardian website.
Natural England have brought a case against a dog walker who allowed 3 dogs to roam off their leads in a Nature Reserve which was also a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The dog walker was prosecuted under the Wildlife and Countryside Act and fined £250 with £250 costs. The full press release can be found on the Natural England website.
A Suffolk farmer was fined £2,500 with £4,609 costs when he admitted causing pollution of a watercourse with pesticide. The pesticide had travelled through drains from the sprayer filling site to the stream, where it killed crayfish and invertebrates. The Environment Agency stated that the case showed the importance of siting pesticide handling areas well away from drainage systems. A more detailed report is available on the Environment Agency website....
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board has announced the statutory levy rates for 2009/10. Most are unchanged from last year with the exception of the levy on pig producers. The full press release can be seen on the DEFRA website.
Figures released today by the RPA show that they have met their second target of making 90 per cent of SPS 2008 full payments by value by 31st March 2009. The latest figures show that £1.47 billion has been paid which equates to 90.4% of the total estimated fund (£1.63 billion). Further information is available on the RPA website.
A farmer in Cumbria was taken to court by Natural England for causing 'severe damage' to a SSSI in Cumbria - Cropple How Mire - through overgrazing. The farmer has been fined £1,200 and ordered to pay £4,663 costs. Further information is available on the Natural England website.
Following a consultation process, the Soil Association has decided against allowing a 'holiday' from the organic standards required for animal feed given to organic stock as a result of the current economic climate. The proposal earlier this year was that organic stock could be fed non-organic feed to assist farmers affected by the falling demand for organic products. As a result of this decision, all Soil Association food will have to continue to be produced to full organic standards. Further...
DEFRA has confirmed that following further laboratory tests, the HN61 avian flu virus found on poultry premises in East Anglia is of low pathogenicity. As a result the restrictions imposed have been lifted. Further information is available on the DEFRA website.
The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee has voted to reduced interest rates to 0.5%. Further information is available on the Bank of England website.
The RPA has commenced making 2009 HFA payments. All successful claimants should receive a 75% partial payment, with the remaining 25% being paid once inspections and validation of claims is completed. Further information is available on the RPA website.
The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (formerly the Game Conservancy Trust) have launched a world record attempt to provide the largest bird feeder on their farm at Loddington in Leicestershire. The full story is available on the GWCT website.
Following veterinary investigations last week, DEFRA has confirmed that avian influeza (H6N1strain) has been found on two poultry premises in East Anglia. Further tests are being carried out with results not likely for some days. Restrictions remain in place at the affected premises. Further information is available on DEFRA's website.
Sport England will open a themed funding round on 1st April 2009 to invest in sport in rural communities. Funding opportunities will be available to organisations such as local sports clubs and community groups, with a minimum grant of £10,000. For further information, see the Sport England website.
The compulsory deadline for Bluetongue vaccination in Scotland has been extended from 30th April 2009 to 30th June 2009 for farmers who have livestock on uninhabited islands and remote hill sheep flocks located north of the Great Glen, the latter group will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and an application for the vacination extension will have to be submitted. This is as a result of welfare concerns. Further information is available on the Scottish Government website....
The Welsh Assembly will commence making 2009 Tir Mynydd (the Welsh equivalent of the Hill Farm Allowance Scheme in England) payments next week. The Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones, has also indicated that an announcement will be forthcoming soon with regard to the future of support in the Less Favoured Area following the review of Axis 2 agri-environment schemes. Further information is available on the Welsh Assembly website....
The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology has produced a report on wild deer in the UK which gives an overview of deer populations, the legislation surrounding deer and some of the impacts which an increasing deer population is having on the countryside. The report is available on the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technologywebsite.
The Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs outlined a number of initiatives for Scottish agriculture during a speech to the Scottish NFU Conference, including: * Expanding the new entrants measure * A new agriculture subsidy appeals procedure * Five 'Climate Change Actions' * Creation of a pilot project to reduce red tape * Publication of research into pigmeat labelling The full press release on the speech can be found on the Scottish Government website....
In response to a request under the Freedom of Information legislation, the RPA has released data on payments made between 2005 and 2007. The data includes the name, address and postcode of the recipients, plus the amount and date of the payment and the scheme it was under. For the full press release, visit the RPA website.
Reading University are conducting a confidential on-line consultation about the experience and incidence of TB in England since 1980. The survey is estimated to take between 15 and 20 minutes to complete on-line and can be accessed from the Reading University website.
The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales has written to all vets in Wales urging them to encourage farmers to take up vaccination of their livestock against bluetongue serotype 8. The full press release can be found on the WAG website.
DEFRA have established a new Task Group to develop a plan for increasing the uptake of anaerobic digestion technology as a source of renewable heat and power. For more information, go to the DEFRA website.
Hilary Benn, speaking at the NFU Conference, has announced that a voluntary approach will be one option up for consideration during a consultation on set aside mitigation measures. Mandatory and incentive-led options will also be considered during the consultation, which is expected this spring with a decision to be taken in the summer. For the full press release, go to the DEFRA website.
The Government has announced that the Budget will be presented to Parliament on 22nd April 2009.
The Welsh Assembly Government has announced a funding package worth £26 million to develop anaerobic digesters as an alternative to landfill across Wales. For the full press release, go to the WAG website.