Latest Blog Posts

Latest Blog Posts

Opportunites for planting woodland and hedgerows

MoreWoods Tree Planting and Hedge Grants & Opportunities For NFU Members To Plant Trees

Thursday, October 3, 2019 - 11:13

MoreWoods Tree Planting and Hedges Grants Now Open

MoreWoods from the Woodland Trust is open for applications for Tree and Hedge Planting Grants.

The criteria for the tree planting is a minimum area of 0.5ha (1.24ac) with a range of species which a Woodland Adviser will help with dependent on your geographical area. 

The hedge planting requires at least 100m of hedge to be planted with a mature tree planted every 6m, The hedge species should include, Field Maple, Crab Apple, Dogwood, Dog Rose, Blackthorn, Elder and Hawthorn.  The… Read More

Small Grant Scheme Released & Waste Exemption Renewal

Small Grant Scheme Released & Waste Exemption Renewal

Thursday, July 11, 2019 - 16:28

Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme - Round 2

A second round of the RDPE Countryside productivity small grant scheme has been released this week. Grants are available for between £3,000 and £12,000 for items identified to improve technical efficiency, animal health and welfare, resource efficiency and nutrient management.

Applications must be submitted before 3rd September. 

Items available include:

  • Mobile and fixed cattle handling systems
  • Badger proof feed troughs and lick holders
  • Auto cattle weighing and identifying equipment
  • Mobile and fixed sheep handling systems
  • Cameras… Read More
Countryside Stewardship, Farm Wildlife Packages and Key Dates

Snapshot & Key Dates of 2019 Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 - 10:14

The mid-tier Countryside Stewardship scheme offers capital items and management options to achieve simple but effective environmental benefits. Mid-tier grants can be accessed through 3 options:

1. Management Options & Capital Grants

These are very similar to previous years and allow farmers to choose from all available multi-year options and capital items to form an agreement which delivers local environmental benefits.

Capital grants are available for 2 main purposes: Management and maintain hedgerows and management water pollution and improve water quality.… Read More

Making Tax Digital - Explained

Making Tax Digital - Explained

Thursday, January 24, 2019 - 16:06

Making Tax Digital

The new making tax digital (MTD) requirements, which take effect from 1st April 2019, apply to all VAT registered businesses trading taxable supplies above the VAT threshold of £85,000. (taxable supplies are goods sold zero rated, reduced rated and standard rated. Exempt and outside the scope supplies do not count towards the threshold). Any businesses which has voluntarily registered for VAT and does not currently trade taxable supplies over £85,000 in a rolling 12-month period does not have to currently comply with MTD.    

 

Three key requirements of MTD:

·        … Read More

Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) – what we know so far

Wednesday, December 19, 2018 - 09:21

What is ELMS?

In September Michael Gove introduced the new Agriculture bill that is due to replace the current legislation which has held the UK under EU rules for nearly half a century. The new scheme (ELMS), which is due to replace the current Basic Payment Scheme, aims to incentivise farmers to achieve environmental enhancement and protection and restore and improve natural capital and rural heritage.

The Government has stated that the new scheme aims to keep bureaucracy to a minimum as well as eliminating principles from the current system that pay farmers for the amount of land they own rather than the outcomes they achieve.… Read More

AHDB Farmbench for Arable Farms

Thursday, November 22, 2018 - 11:21

AKC are working on behalf of AHDB to deliver farm benchmarking for arable farms across the south of England.

Farmbench is an easy to use online benchmarking tool that helps to identify where strengths and weaknesses lie within a farm business. By comparing results anonymously to farms with similar enterprises, Farmbench enables you to improve individual business performance and manage many of the challenges facing the sector, such as price volatility, Brexit, and economic uncertainty. This will ensure that your… Read More

By Phoebe Wreford-Glanvill

RDPE Countryside Productivity Scheme - Improving Farm Productivity

Tuesday, September 11, 2018 - 14:45

 

 

About the scheme

With the application deadline drawing near, the Countryside Productivity Scheme is offering its last chance for farmers who want to invest in innovative technology for their farm business, by offering grants between £35k to £1m under the Improving Farm Productivity Grant. Farmers from livestock, dairy, arable and horticultural sectors can apply for these grants which must aim to improve productivity through the following methods:

  1. The use of robotic equipment and systems that aid crop and livestock productions… Read More
Lorraine and Fiona

AKc @ Bath Expo !

Tuesday, March 27, 2018 - 11:17

We recently attended the Bath Expo at The Assembly Rooms in Bath, one of the finest Georgian buildings in the town.

A great opportunity to meet other businesses and clients !!

 

Parnella house image

AKC Payroll Year End Newsletter

Tuesday, March 27, 2018 - 10:58

The tax year 2018/19 sees the first rise in minimum contributions for Automatic Enrolment since it started.

 

There is also a rise in the minimum wage and the living wage. We have listed the changes below.

 

If you have any questions about any of the subjects in this newsletter please contact us either on the… Read More

New Farming Rules for Water - An Overview

New Farming Rules for Water - An Overview

Wednesday, January 24, 2018 - 14:34

 

From 2 April 2018 new rules for all farmers in England will be introduced to help protect water quality, by standardising good farm practices that many are already performing and offering a new approach to regulation.

There are eight rules, five about managing fertilisers and manures and three on managing soils.

The Environment Agency will roll out the rules through an advice led approach, working with farmers to meet the requirements before enforcement action is taken.

About the new rules… Read More