News

Northern Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has announced that the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) has been lifted with effect from 2nd June 2023. The AIPZ, introduced on 17th October 2022, mandated biosecurity measures on poultry keepers. With the lifting of the AIPZ, poultry and bird gatherings are permitted. DAERA continues to encourage following the biosecurity measures set out in the AIPZ as good practice, and reminds keepers to be vigilant for signs...

This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 25th May 2023 The tenanted sector of agriculture is important. Around a third of England’s farmland is let while a larger fraction of land is farmed by those with some let land. As with other lines of business, it is a way to farm without carrying the capital cost of premises in the balance sheet, releasing funds for active business. It is a means of entry and equally important, for flexibility, progression and exit as a...

With increasing awareness and knowledge, and a changing climate, winemaking is a growing sector in England and Wales. Land suitable for vines in England is known to command upward of £25,00 per acre. Following Brexit, DEFRA is to review the regulation of the wine industry, proposing changes to better fit the UK context. A consultation on the new regulations was opened on 24th May, and runs until 21st July. More detail is available here: Smarter Regulation: Wine Reforms Consultation - Defra...

Yesterday’s CAAV Council approved this Report on the Association’s activities in 2022, alongside the financial accounts.

This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 18th May 2023 The bells striking for midnight on Monday marked the end of an era for farming in England. For 31 years, May 15th has been a key date in the farming calendar for a succession of area-based payment regimes, since the MacSharry reforms were implemented for 1993. The frantic scramble then to have the required mapping done in time foreshadowed later crises, as applications were prepared and made each year, despite...

This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 11th May 2023 1,050 years ago on 11th May 973 but without Handel or a gospel choir, Edgar was crowned king of all England in Bath Abbey. Edgar made commitments with essentially the same oaths as Charles III amid the ceremonial on Saturday: to uphold our laws and customs and govern with law, justice and in mercy, doubtless echoing earlier coronations. They frame the later, more specific commitments of Magna Carta, the Bill of...

Reminder: The deadline for applications to the Basic Payment Scheme in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is the close of Monday 15th May 2023. In England, a valid claim in 2023 is a key criteria to be eligible to receive the Delinked Payments in the coming years. For more information, see our website note of 2nd May....

This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 4th May 2023 Competition between a growing number of different uses of land is an increasing part of many of our major policy debates and poses as many challenges for environmentalists as anyone else. While there are synergies between overall goals there are also conflicts. Making progress on managing climate change, restoring nature, ensuring food and recovering control of energy involves significant, potentially rapid,...

The Government has updated the guidance to the EIA (Agriculture) Regulations. The update relates to the section that details when a screening decision - approving or preventing an action - is required from Natural England ahead of an intensification of agricultural use. Previously, item seven in the given list of proposed activities that required a screening decision stated:'increasing stock density that will result in improved vegetation from grazing' The edited guidance now...

This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 28th April 2023 Last Friday, the Suffolk Association of Agricultural Valuers marked its 175th anniversary with a breakfast at the Suffolk Food Hall hosting solicitors, accountants, tax advisers and other professionals for an event of both networking and briefing. The celebration was delayed by a year following the pandemic as the actual anniversary was last year. Suffolk is recorded as the oldest of the CAAV’s local...

The Rural Payments Agency will be opening the Customer Service Centre helpline between 8:30am and 5pm on the two weekends before the BPS scheme deadline of 15 May. Saturday 6 May / Sunday 7 May Saturday 13 May / Sunday 14 May In addition to this, they will also keep the helplines open until 7pm on Monday 15 May.

This article by Jeremy Moody first appeared in the CAAV e-Briefing of 20th April 2023 So many conversations now revolve on the difficulty, effort and time in getting things done, appearing simply to be a feature of modern life but frustrating progress and achievement. In part, we do not notice what works well but do feel the frustration as a piece of work moves from being glutinous to appearing impossible. More fundamentally, this denies our ability to make our future better. Some of this is...