In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown looks back at the top news stories of the week, including the Chancellor's Spring Statement, the Defra Secretary facing criticism for visiting only four farms since Labour's General Election win, concerns around the end of funding for Producer Organisations within the soft fruit sector, and King Charles and the Prince of Wales out and about supporting British farming. She also looks ahead to next week, when the Farming Minister will make his first appearance before the Efra Committee to answer questions on the SFI suspension and ongoing industry concerns
In the more than eight months since Labour won the election, the Defra Secretary has visited four farm businesses
Defra said the Food Strategy Advisory Board was the 'first step in a wider engagement strategy'
On today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown gives the latest on the first case of avian flu found in a single sheep in Yorkshire, the foot-and-mouth outbreak in Slovakia – where the disease has been found on three separate farms, and the Tenant Farmers Association's call on Defra to allow 'in-flight' SFI applications to be processed
Slovakia has joined Germany and Hungary in losing its foot-and-mouth free status
Labour has announced plans to launch its a Food Strategy Advisory Board next week with the aim of building a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food system in the UK
National Sheep Association (NSA) chief executive Phil Stocker shares his thoughts following a meeting on March 17 with Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner and other industry leaders to discuss the closure of SFI
Simon Britton, of Knight Frank, said struggling 'upland farmers' could benefit from a redesign of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme but arable and lowland livestock farms may need to 'reconsider expectations'
Patrick Holden, chief executive of the Sustainable Food Trust, has called for a ‘coalition of stakeholders' to reward farmers for ‘positive climate, nature and social outcomes' as part of a ‘Sustainable Markets Initiative'
Exmoor farmer Robin Milton said ‘trust and confidence in SFI had been wrecked' and it would take ‘some exceptionally good assurance' before many farmers would trust integrating it into their business again