Farming’s multi-million pound contribution to the region’s economy could be under threat if profitability doesn’t soon return to the industry, the NFU is warning ahead of this year’s Devon County Show.
Agriculture alone is worth around £1.1bn annually to the South West and about £319m to Devon. Around 60,000 people are directly employed in agriculture across the region, about 18,500 of them in Devon.
The union will be emphasising the crucial role economic role farming plays in the economy of the South West by arranging for many of the suppliers who work with Devon NFU...
Visiting a farm on Open Farm Sunday, Sunday 5th June, is a wonderful way to discover the world of farming.
Modern farming is incredibly diverse and impacts on all of us - from the food we eat, to clothing, medicine, fuel and manufacturing. Agriculture is vital to our future too – so come along and find out more!
Hundreds of farms across Britain will be opening their gates for LEAF’s (Linking Environment And Farming) Open Farm Sunday. It is a great day out for the whole family and a unique opportunity to discover what farmers do and the vital role they have in protecting and...
South West regional insurance company Cornish Mutual will host a Health and Safety Conference at this year’s Devon County Show in support of the Farming Community Network. The Health and Safety Conference will consist of a series of free 20 minute seminars which will take place throughout Thursday and Friday during the show. The conference will provide a unique opportunity for those in the industry to gain a wealth of up-to-date information. There will be a range of presentations on key health and safety issues currently affecting the agricultural industry, with the opportunity to chat...
Farming families and much of Devon and Cornwall’s rural communities have been abandoned by the police.
That was the view of retired senior police officer Bob Spencer after he visited communities on Dartmoor during his campaign to become the next police and crime commissioner for the region.
Cuts to funding have meant the closure of police stations and reductions in the number of officers which is leaving vast swathes of countryside without police cover.
Margaret and Mike Rogers, who keep 200 sheep near Widdecome on Dartmoor, say they no longer bother to report...
On Wednesday 20 April Mole Valley Farmers is holding a free ‘Make Milk Matter’ conference at the Westpoint Conference Centre, Exeter, with innovation in dairying being its key focus.
Given the current volatility in the sector, dairy farmers are constantly looking for new, innovative tools to enhance their business and optimise opportunities. This seminar will consider new research; share the experiences of successful European farmers and introduce new technology which can help progressive dairy farmers to fine tune their businesses as they seek the competitive edge.
Thanks to an ingenious initiative by Exeter based Chartered Surveyor, Kevin Bateman, the three Farming Help Charities: The Addington Fund, R.A.B.I and the Farming Community Network (FCN) have received a total of £20,405 to boost their funds.
As part of the move from the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) to the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), all entitlements had to be matched on a one to one hectare basis with the land on which farmers were making a claim. Kevin realised that many farmers had a miss-match between the two and whilst large blocks of entitlements could be traded economically in...
Paul Burrows, chief executive of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I), has been advanced to the Fellowship of the Royal Agricultural Societies for his outstanding contribution to UK agriculture.
Paul, who lives on Dartmoor, just outside Plymouth, attended an official reception at the House of Lords and was presented with his certificate by HRH Countess of Wessex. The reception was hosted by Baroness Byford.
The Fellowship of Royal Agricultural Societies is coordinated by CARAS (the Council for Awards of Royal Agricultural Societies). There are two...
The NFU in association with Foot Anstey solicitors and Francis Clark accountants are holding three seminars around Devon to help provide NFU members with guidance and support on how best to avoid potential pitfalls that exist in running your farming business.
This is a great opportunity for NFU members to gain a competitive advantage, interrogate the experts…. and get a free meal thrown in! The following topics will be covered:
This year’s Devon County Show on May 19th, 20th and 21st promises to be an ‘entertainment extravaganza’.
Show Secretary Ollie Allen said there will be an eclectic mix of stunning arena attractions livestock competitions and local food and drink.
“The fantastic Shetland Pony Grand National will be a massive attraction in the Mole Valley Farmers main arena and, back by popular demand, will be the Bolddog Lings motocross stunt team performing their amazing, aerial stunts.”
Titan the Robot will also be back entertaining crowds in the avenues while North Devon farmer...
The University of Exeter and the Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences (Cefas) are leading on a £1.97M BBSRC-Newton Fund project to develop and apply new molecular biology techniques to reduce the impact of major diseases in aquaculture for the improvement of the livelihood of small-scale farmers in India, Bangladesh and Malawi.
Aquaculture contributes significantly to global food security and poverty reduction. In Bangladesh and India the shrimp fishing industry sustains the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of poor people. Fish farming too is...
