Huge public support for new action to fight rural crime
12 May 2021 |
Fly-tipping and livestock worrying are devastating farmers across the UK, the NFU says
Nearly 70,000 people have backed the NFU’s calls for urgent action to tackle rural crime, demonstrating the strength of feeling to create a safer countryside.
As newly elected Police and Crime Commissioners take up their posts, more than 50,000 people have signed the union s open letter.
It demands action to tackle fly-tipping, including working more closely with local authorities and landowners on prevention, clean-up and prosecution.
A further 19,000 have supported changes to legislation to prevent dog attacks on farm animals, including increasing fines and giving police more powers to seize dogs.
UK sky lantern approach significantly out of date , NFU warns
9 May 2021 |
Sky lanterns start wildfires and property fires, kill or injure livestock, as well as pollute the countryside
The NFU has written to the government as part of a coalition of 18 organisations to explain how its approach to sky lanterns is now significantly out of date .
The farming union is calling on Environment Minister Rebecca Pow to act now to make the use of sky lanterns illegal.
The letter details how in other countries the release of sky lanterns is considered a crime due to the harm they cause animals, habitats and the countryside.
NFU seeks full investigation after BBC s River Pollution Scandal
21 April 2021 |
The NFU says the issues raised in the Panorama programme are very concerning
The NFU is calling for an investigation to ensure agriculture has not been impacted or blamed for illegal sewage discharges following the issue being raised by BBC Panorama. River Pollution Scandal - aired on 12 April - appeared to show untreated sewage being illegally discharged into protected rivers in England and Wales.
The BBC programme analysed data that showed some water companies had regularly breached the conditions in their permits.
Investigators also found an incidence where a water company failed to report multiple discharges of untreated sewerage to the Environment Agency.
The NFU’s latest Confidence Survey reveals that more farmers than ever are planning to invest in energy efficiency and adopt other net zero measures on farms. This focus comes despite a backdrop of sustained low confidence and high levels of uncertainty within the farming industry1. Farmers’ intentions to invest in energy efficiency are at the highest level recorded, followed by plans to invest in diversification and skills and training. This signals just how important sustainability and efficient food production is for farm businesses, and, in the year the UK hosts COP26, how British farmers are best placed to deliver climate-friendly food both now and in the future.
NFU urges Red Tractor to end hypocrisy in arable sector
9 March 2021 |
Some growers fear an imbalance between their production standards and those required of imports
The NFU has called on Red Tractor to end the hypocrisy in the arable sector as growers raise concerns over the requirements they are expected to meet compared with foreign imports.
Red Tractor - the UK’s largest assurance scheme - announced in January that it was consulting the industry on significant changes to its standards.
The consultation looked at how Red Tractor s standards can remain fit for purpose and kept in line with current best practice.