Weekly rural property and business update
The following is a brief round-up of some of the current issues relevant to rural property owners and businesses
2 minutes to read
Commodity markets
The Welsh lamb trade would be devastated if no trade deal can be agreed with the EU, according to NFU Cymru, which warns continental buyers will not be prepared to pay the extra import tariffs – 46% of value - that will be lobbied under a no-deal scenario.
Farmers, however, are hoping that an agreement will be reached and that a 10% drop in EU production and a slide in imports from New Zealand, which is servicing increased demand from China, will help to support prices.
Sheepdogs, meanwhile, are commanding premium prices, according to Farmers Weekly. A world record for a junior dog was set at Skipton market last week when a 10-month-old bitch sold for £12,000.
Forestry and woodland – new campaign launched
A new campaign – WoodC02tsless - backed by industry bodies such as Confor, has been launched to encourage greater use of wood.
Rural Report contributor and Minister for Forests, Lord Goldsmith, says better use of the UK’s timber resources will be required if the country is meet its 2050 carbon net zero target.
Find out more: https://woodforgood.com/CO2
Contact Edward Holloway if you would like advice on woodland opportunities for your farm or estate.
Planning – CLA calls for rural overhaul
According to the annual Knight Frank Rural Sentiment Survey planning issues are consistently considered one of the biggest barriers to growth by farms and estates.
Rural lobby group the CLA has just launched its own Rural Powerhouse manifesto for planning reform that it says will help boost the rural economy, potentially by billions of pounds.
The organisation is also asking rural landowners to share any planning issues they may have experience to help its campaign.
Please contact Roland Brass if Knight Frank can help with any planning issues that you may have
Discover more about the farms and estates that Knight Frank is selling.