News

New legislation to update and amend the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Regulations has been laid in Parliament by DEFRA. From 1st January 2009, the age that all cattle will be tested for BSE in the UK will increase to those over 48 months born in the UK or other EU15 Member States. 31st December 2008 will see the end of the DEFRA funded fallen cattle collection and disposal service for cattle aged 24-48 months that die after that date. From 12th January 2009, GB farmers will become...

The RPA has issued a reminder to producers claiming the Aid for Energy Crops that form ENC9 (which for 2008 must be signed by both the applicant and collector/first processor) should be returned to the RPA as soon as possible. Further information is available on the RPA website.

Following the opening of the 2008 SPS payment window on 1st December, the RPA has been carrying out trial runs of payments and has now commenced full payments with just over £700 million paid to approximately 21,000 claimants as at 16th December. Further information is available on the RPA website.

The 5th round of the Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme has been announced by DECC. Grants will be available to businesses, charities and community organisations to fund part of the cost of installing biomass fuelled heat, or combined heat and power units. The deadline for applications is 30th April 2009 and further information and application forms can be found at the Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme website.

DEFRA has published a revised contingency plan for Exotic Animal Diseases incorporating "lessons learned" from disease outbreaks in 2007 and 2008 as well as feedback from public consultation. Further information is available on DEFRA's website.

The Marine and Coastal Access Bill was published on Friday (5th). It was introduced in the House of Lords on 4th December and is due for its Second Reading there on 15th December. Further information about the Bill and its progress is available on the DEFRA website.

The Bank of England has today announced that it is cutting interest rates by a further 1 per cent from 3 per cent to 2 per cent. Please see the Bank of England website for further information.

Live testing of SPS 2008 payments is underway, with a small number of farmers having received payments. Further information is available on the RPA website.

FWi has reported that Elin Jones, Welsh Assembly Rural Affairs Minister, has decided to suspend Tir Cynnal (entry level agri-environment scheme) for two years as result of the high level of applications to their Organic Farming Scheme launched in November 2007 and a resultant need to adjust the budgets available to Axis 2 schemes over the next two financial years. Further information is available on the FWi website....

DEFRA has announced that the UK is officially free from Avian Influenza with effect from 20th November 2008, meeting criteria of the World Organisation for Animal Health. This will assist the poultry industry in re-opening export markets beyond the EU. Further information is available on the DEFRA website

Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has announced that £2 million funding to support nature conservation. A £750,000 campaign is being launched to encourage volunteering work and more than £1 million is for a new fund to improve local wildlife records in England to increase availability of information. Further details are available on the DEFRA website.

DEFRA has confirmed that further cases of Bluetongue (BTV8) have been found following post-import testing. Infection has been found in one imported sheep on premises in Gloucestershire and in a group of six imported cattle on premises in Dorset. The animals originated from France. Further information is available on DEFRA's website.

DEFRA has today (3rd) announced the formation of a new Bovine TB eradication group for England. This joint DEFRA/Industry group has been set up to advise the Secretary of State about bovine TB strategy in England. Membership of the group is yet to be finalised. Further information is available on DEFRA's website.

A new UK Export Certification Partnership (UKECP) has been launched today by DEFRA and the UK livestock export industry. UKECP is an informal industry working group which will initially be subject to a three year trial period. Further information is available on DEFRA's website.

A legal case has been launched this morning in the High Court backed by the NFU involving 14 farmers claiming damages following the 2007 Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak. Further information is available on the NFU website.

The Older Cattle Disposal Scheme (OCDS) is due to end on 31st December 2008 and the RPA had orginally announced that the OCDS slaughter booking system would close on 30th September. However, after further analysis by the RPA, it seems that there is further slaughter capacity available and the RPA is encouraging farmers to book as a matter of urgency. Further information is available on the RPA website. A website showing slaughter slot availability at abattoirs can be found by clicking here....

A case of the H5N1 strain of avian flu has been identified on a poultry farm in Saxony, Germany. Protection and Surveillance Zones are in place around the infected premises. This is the first outbreak of the H5N1 strain recorded on a poultry farm in Europe in 2008. Further information regarding this outbreak is available on the Europa website (the news item may be viewed by scrolling down on this link)....

The Scottish Government has confirmed that Scotland will become a Bluetongue Protection Zone from Monday 3rd November 2008, allowing free movement of livestock throughout the United Kingdom from that date. The window for compulsory vaccination for sheep and cattle will also open from that date for six months, with the Scottish Government meeting half the costs of the vaccine. Further information is available on the Scottish Government website....

Following Gordon Brown's Cabinet reshuffle last week which saw Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Hilary Benn remain in DEFRA, it is understood that Food and Farming Minister Jeff Rooker who has retired from Government has gone in addition to Phil Woolas, Jonathan Shaw and Joan Ruddock. The DEFRA website confirms former Financial Secretary Jane Kennedy and Lord Hunt of Kings Heath as Ministers of State, with former junior Welsh Minister Huw Irranca-Davies as the...

DEFRA has confirmed that the exemption from the cross compliance standard which prohibits the use of motorised vehicles and the carrying out of mechanical operations on waterlogged soils (GAEC 3) has been extended until 25th October 2008 (the original exemption announced on 10th September was due to end on 4th October). This is as a result of excessive rainfall which has prevented farmers from harvesting crops. This extension to the exemption will be kept under review by DEFRA. Further...

DEFRA has today announced that £300,000 is to be made available for pilot schemes which will be used to develop guidance for surface water management plans in anticipation of increased future rainfall. Organisations or partnerships that have the capacity to deliver a pilot will need to submit a proposal to DEFRA by 24th October 2008. Further information about the pilots, as well as eligibility and assessment criteria to be applied can be found on DEFRA's website....

CAAV Secretary and Adviser, Jeremy Moody, has been awarded the first ever honorary doctorate by Harper Adams University College, Shropshire. At the award ceremony, held on Friday 19th September at the college, Mr. Moody commented, "It is an honour and privilege to have been offered this honorary doctorate. I very much appreciate this award in the light of Harper Adams's position within agriculture and the rural economy. Harper Adams makes a strong contribution to the rural valuation profession...

The Scottish Government has confirmed today (16th September) that a compulsory vaccination programme for bluetongue will be launched this winter in Scotland. The programme is not to commence prior to the beginning of November and will be dependent upon the disease status at that point. Further information is available on the Scottish Government website.

The High Court has granted permission for a judicial review of the decision to site “Middle Quinton”, a new eco-town on a 600 acre site which was formerly owned by the Ministry of Defence, near Long Marsden, Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire. The application made by The Better Accessible Responsible Development campaign (BARD), a residents’ campaign group, was permitted by The Honourable Mr Justice Collins who stated in his Order, “I note there must be concern that the defendant [Ms...

DEFRA has indicated today (12th September) that there have been a further six imported cattle detected with Bluetongue on a premises near Worcester. These cattle originated from Germany. In addition, a cow on premises near Dorchester, Dorset.which was imported from France has also been detected with the disease. This adds to other imported cases found over the past few days, including one cattle on premises near Yeovil in Somerset which again orginated from the BTV8 restricted zone in France....

The regulations relating to the extension of England's Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ's) from 55% to around 70% have been published by DEFRA. The maps showing the newly affected areas are due to be available early next week. Farmers will have until 31st January 2009 to appeal where they believe the NVZ designation of land is incorrect. Further information is available on DEFRA's website and in Members' Documents on this website....

BBC News has reported that the Government is to increase the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) threshold for residential property from £125,000 to £175,000 with effect from 3rd September 2008 for a temporary period of one year. Further information is yet to be published.

The whole of Wales is now covered by a Bluetongue Protection Zone with effect from 00.01 today (1st September 2008). The Welsh Assembly Government is urging farmers to vaccinate stock. Further information is available on the Welsh Assembly's website.

Natural England’s Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund Grant Scheme will be open to applications until 15th September 2008. Work done under the scheme must be completed by 20th March 2009. Funding is available for projects which reduce the impact of aggregate extraction on the local community. For further details, please see Natural England’s website....

Defra has today (20th) confirmed that the extension of the Bluetongue Protection Zone (PZ) to incorporate the counties of Northumberland and Cumbria will not occur prior to 1st September 2008 unless there is a change in the disease status. This extension is intended to occur in a single stage alongside the scheduled provision of further vaccine and will see the whole of England forming the PZ. Further information is available on DEFRA's website....

Further to the announcement made by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) last week of its intention that the whole of Wales be declared as a Bluetongue Protection Zone (PZ), rather than a county by county approach as has been the case in England, WAG has now confirmed that the PZ declaration cannot be expected prior to Sunday 31st August 2008, with the exact date being subject to there being no further development in disease outbreaks and the availability of Bluetongue vaccine (vaccination may...

Defra has today (12th) announced that the export restrictions placed on UK livestock and livestock products by the Chinese government following the Foot and Mouth outbreak in the UK in August 2007 have been lifted. UK livestock products manufactured outside the exclusion window of 7th July 2007 to 7th August 2008 can now be exported to China, provided the agreed certification exists. The Defra press release containing further information can be found here....

The Bluetongue Protection Zone (PZ) is to be further extended from 00.01 on 11th August 2008 as a result of Defra reviewing the quantity of vaccine available in the supply chain. Vaccination may only take place within the PZ, and a process of extending the PZ is being implemented alongside the availability of vaccine. The PZ extension will cover the counties of Durham and Tyne and Wear (Metropolitan Boroughs of Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland) and...

The Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee has voted today (7th August) to hold interest rates at 5.0 per cent. Further information is available on the BBC website.

Defra announced today, 5th August, that from 7th August at 00.01 the Protection Zone (PZ) will be extended to cover those parts of Shropshire (District of Oswestry), Cheshire (Districts of Vale Royal, Chester and Ellesmere Port and Neston), Greater Manchester (Manchester Distric, Metropolitan Boroughs of Wigan, Bolton, Bury, Trafford and Salford) and North Yorkshire (Districts of Richmondshire and Craven) previously in the Free Area, and all of Merseyside (including the Metropolitan Boroughs of...

Following the High Court decision on 14th July, it has been reported that Defra has appealed against the decision that the use of average market values in the tabular system implemented in England for TB compensation purposes discriminated against higher value cattle. Further information is currently available on FWi.

Due to the computer system at CAAV Central, Coleford being in the process of being upgraded, it will not be possible to place any job advertisements on the CAAV website until this Wednesday (30th July). We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause

Following the final report from Sir Don Curry's High Level Group looking into set-aside, Hilary Benn has agreed that any set-aside mitigation system cannot be implemented in the 2008/9 year. The Group's preferred option would see arable farmers maintain a small percentage of land in environmental management, with proposed new "top-up" options available under Environmental Stewardship. Further information is available on Defra's website....

Defra has announced that, following the delivery of further supplies of vaccine, the Protection Zone is to be extended from 00.01 on Monday 28th July. The extension will cover Herefordshire, the unitary authority of Telford and Wrekin and the districts in Shropshire (North Shropshire, Shrewsbury and Atcham, South Shropshire and Bridgnorth) previously in the Surveillance Zone. Further information can be found here....

It is understood that a herd of approximately twenty goats in Carmarthenshire has been culled following the discovery of bovine TB (bTB) in the herd. This is a new species for the disease and is not one that is conventionally inspected for bTB. Further information is available on Farmers Weekly Interactive. Further confirmation is awaited from Welsh Assembly....

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling MP, today announced that he is postponing the 2 pence per litre increase in fuel duty that was expected to take place on 1 October 2008. Click here for the press release.

The BBC has reported that the Government has decided against a cull of badgers in England to control TB. It is reported by the BBC that an announcement will be made on Monday. Further details are not available.

The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn) has today (3rd July) issued a Written Ministerial Statement regarding the Single Payment Scheme and 2007 payments. As at 30th June, 98.7% of the total estimated fund had been paid (£1.431 billion), with "full payments" made to 103,485 (97% of 2007 SPS claimants). 30th June represents the end of the regulatory window by which time 2007 SPS payments have to be made. Payments for 2007 SPS made after this date will see...

Defra has announced that the Protection Zone, put in place due to the Avian Influenza outbreak in Oxfordshire, was lifted at 00:01 Sunday 29th June 2008, providing that no new suspect cases had been identified. Further details can be found on the Defra website.

Bluetongue vaccine has today, 27th June 2008, been released for use in South East Wales. Click here to read the Welsh Assembly Government's press release.

Defra has announced today that, following the delivery of 2 million doses of the vaccine, the Protection Zone will be extended to cover Cornwall, including the Isles of Scilly. The Welsh Assembly Government will also declare south-east Wales to be a Protection Zone. These extensions will take effect from 27th June at midday. The latest information on Bluetongue can be found on the Defra website....

Defra has confirmed that further to the delay of a batch of Bluetongue vaccine which was due to have been delivered during the week of 2nd June, Intervet's feedback on progress with this batch is positive and final testing is being carried out. As soon as the remaining checks are finalised, Defra will be making an announcement about the roll-out of vaccine. For further information, please see Defra's website. Further to the order Defra placed with Merial for a further 13 million doses (announced...

Further to the Ministerial Written Statement published on Monday (16th) in which Jonathan Shaw set out performance targets for the RPA for 2008/9, Hilary Benn as issued an amended Written Ministerial Statement which corrects Monday's Statement. In particular, the SPS 2008 payment target for 31st January 2009 has been revised from 80% by value to have been paid, to 75% by value to have been paid. To view the Written Ministerial Statement, please see Defra's website....

Defra today announced that it has ordered 13 million doses of Bluetongue serotype 8 vaccine from Merial, who expect to deliver the vaccine in regular batches over the summer. It is hoped that this will ensure that sufficient doses are available for vaccination to be rolled out across England & Wales by September. 8 million doses are for England & 5 million for Wales. The DEFRA press release can be found by clicking here....

The strain of Avian Influenza involved has been confirmed as the highly pathogenic H7N7. Please see Defra website for the latest update on the Protection and Surveillance Zones.

Defra has confirmed this afternoon (3rd June) that the intended extension to the Protection Zone this week into Cornwall and the Restricted Zone in Wales has been delayed due to further testing being required on the vaccine prior to its release. For furthre information, please see Defra's News Release.

For the full report, please click here.

Latest figures, published today, show that the total value of payments made under the 2007 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) is £1.312 billion which is 90.5% of the estimated total fund of £1.45 billion.A total of 99,437 customers have received a full SPS payment. This represents 93.2% of the estimated total claimant population of 106,700. www.rpa.gov.uk

The Bluetongue Protection Zone will be extended on the 19 May 2008, following the delivery of additional doses of Bluetongue vaccine. Please click here for more information.

Defra has confirmed that from Monday 12th May, the Bluetongue Protection Zones will be extended as a result of the delivery of further doses of the vaccine. This is due to the fact that vaccination may only take place within the Protection Zone. This will see the extension of the zones to include all of Hampshire and West Sussex. Lincolnshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire will also be incorporated within the extension of the Protection Zone. Livestock keepers within these new areas of the...

Hilary Benn, Environment Secretary, has today (30th April) announced that the first batch of one million doses of the vaccine for Bluetongue provided by Intervet is ready for distribution to the Protection Zones in England. This first batch is available as 20-dose bottles. It is expected that a further larger batch of up to two million doses (in 50-dose bottles) should be released in the next few days. Further information is available on Defra's website....

Defra has today (3rd) released details of how vaccination for Bluetongue will be rolled out across England. Further information is available on Defra's website.

A new Bluetongue Declaration has been made at 1pm today to extend Protection Zone 1 and Protection Zone 2. Please click here to view a copy of the declaration.

Declaration revoking Wild Bird restrictions in Dorset - please click here.

Please click here for the revised declaration which replaces yesterday's Declaration (with the SZ description adjusted slightly to clarify that Rochdale is included in the SZ).

The Bluetongue Protection and Surveillance Zones have been extended following additional cases in Lincolnshire & Hertfordshire, which have been confirmed as a result of pre-movement testing. Click here for more.

The UK has officially been declared by the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) Scientific Commission as having regained Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) free status following a three month period of no further occurence of the disease. This status can only be regained where vaccination is not used. Further information is available on Defra's website.

Further to last week's extensions of the Bluetongue Protection and Surveillance Zones, additional cases have been confirmed as a result of pre-movement testing. Please click here for further information.

Defra has today (7th February) announced that there is to be a six per cent increase in HFA payment rates for 2008. Payments are to commence this month. Further information is available on Defra's website.

As a recent website note forecast, the Chancellor is expected to make an announcement later today on his CGT changes. Press reports point to a new initial 9% rate on the first £750,000 of gains on business assets but offer no detail on any potentially important points of definition. It seems he will press ahead in removing indexation relief on inflation gains to 1998 so that new rates will apply to all gains since acquisition, 1982 or any earlier date that may be relevant in some cases. That...

Double tagging of sheep and goats takes effect from today (11th January) which sees a requirement for any animal born on or after 11th January needing to be tagged in accordance with the new rules as well as any animal not officially identified by this date. Animals with a single tag prior to 11th January can continue to be indentified with the single tag. Double tagging also only applies to sheep and goats which are not intended for slaughter in the UK within 12 months of birth. Sheep and goats...

Defra has today confirmed Avian Influenza in three dead wild mute swans in the Chesil Beach area in Dorset, following positive test results from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency for the highly pathogenic strain of H5N1. These birds were found and tested following our routine surveillance programme. Click here for further information from Defra.

The RPA has confirmed today (9th) that 60,000 customers should have received full SPS 2007 payments which amount to in excess of £600 million. A news release can be viewed on the RPA's website.