£14 million to unlock agricultural innovation
More than £14 million is to be made available to unlock innovation and develop solutions in the farming sector in two new research and feasibility competitions under the Farming Innovation Programme, Defra announced on Wednesday 2 August. It is part of the government’s delivery of its commitment to invest £600 million in innovation and […]
Delivering on the Environment Act: new targets announced and ambitious plans for nature recovery
Targets and Green Paper proposals will protect and enhance our natural world. New, long-term environmental targets have been announced by the government today. The proposed targets are a cornerstone of the government’s Environment Act which passed into law in November last year. They will drive action by successive governments to protect and enhance our natural world. The proposed targets […]
DEFRA’s open by default creates opportunities for new types of agri-tech application
3D visualisations of landscapes, real time data on water quality and levels, market data on stocks of cereals held on farms and usage of cereals by maltsters – these are just some of the diversity of data to be made available by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in June 2016 creating […]
£1.3 million in new research could mean a sweeter deal for Scottish berry producers
British berry lovers could get their favourite fruits all year round thanks to three new pioneering UK government funded research projects set to revolutionise Scottish berry production, Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said ahead of the Royal Highland Show. £1.3 million from the government’s £70 million Agri-Tech Catalyst has been awarded to projects led by the […]
Defra consultation muddies the water
Defra’s consultation on the Water Act 2003 contains proposals that could leave farmers without a licence to abstract water, and no right of compensation. In addition, the NFU believes that Defra has been unclear over what would constitute the ‘serious damage’ that would justify the withdrawal of an abstraction licence, and that not enough emphasis […]
