The Rural Bulletin: 25th October 2018

Pilot forestry investment zone launches in Cumbria

A pilot forestry investment zone (FIZ) in Cumbria has been announced by the Government this week to encourage tree planting across the region. 

The scheme is set to run for two years before hopefully rolling it out around the country and is a step towards helping to meet the Government’s target of planting an additional 11m trees across England.

Financial support is available through the existing Countryside Stewardship and Woodland Carbon Fund grantsschemes, however, a FIZ officer will also be available to help with getting permission to plant trees.

Forestry minister David Rutley, said the project would help to bring economic and environmental benefits to the region. “This innovative new pilot project will not only help landowners realise the benefits of woodland creation.”

Farmers threaten to protest over fuel price hikes

Farmers and hauliers are threatening to protest at the increasing cost of fuel and the widening gap between crude oil and pump prices.

In a report this week, the Farmers For Action group said the increasing cost of diesel was having a “massive effect” on both the haulage and farming industry. 

FFA members held a meeting on Monday (22 October) where the possibilities of protesting were discussed, according to chairman David Handley. “The Government has frozen fuel duty again, but some FFA members think it could have cut it. Why is it when we see crude oil prices steady, or in some cases reduced, that we are seeing some companies like Shell massively increase their prices at the pump?”

MPs told future support must be linked to farming

Support for agriculture must be linked to land use and farmers post-Brexit, MPs have been told this week. 

The Government’s plans to get rid of direct payments in place of an environmental based scheme are being addressed by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee. 

In the latest hearing this week, the committee heard the views from industry representatives including the NFU, CLA and TFA regarding the Agriculture Bill.

NFU president Minette Batters said it was imperative that the Bill linked future support to land use. “If you look at it, there is nothing to stop those monies being used to refurbish Nelson’s Column if it was so decided.”

Tim Breitmeyer, president of the CLA agreed and said the Bill contained a number of serious issues. “Almost all of them revolve around the fact that agriculture does not feature enough. From our policy point of view, it has always been that profitable farming must be at the centre of it all.”

Scotch beef supplies under threat, say industry leaders

NFU Scotland, the Scottish Beef Association (SBA) and the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW) have written a joint letter to Cabinet Secretary Fergus Ewing, raising their concerns about the prospects for the Scottish suckler beef herd.

According to a report in the Scottish Herald, the number of finished cattle passing through Scottish abattoirs has declined from over 520,000 cattle in 2005 to under 400,000 in 2017, as part of what has been a long-term trend. The major factor in this reduction has been the challenge of profitability impacting the on-going viability of beef production.

NFUS Livestock Committee chairman Charlie Adam said: "Greater returns from the marketplace for beef in the future will be limited due to the fierce competitiveness of the food retail market.”

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