info@akcagric.co.uk | 01380 724 687
We wish you a Happy Christmas & a peaceful New Year from all the team at AKC
The office will be closed from 5pm 23rd December and will reopen 9am 2nd January.
Payroll will be working reduced hours between Christmas and New Year.
If you have an urgent enquiry please email your usual contact
This year we will be attending:
Groundswell Down to Earth Gillingham & Shaftesbury ShowWe look forward to seeing you there!
Government has announced new planning laws for England, allowing farmers greater freedom to grow and diversify their businesses.
The NFU vice president who brought forward these issues in the last consultation is pleased with the items included in the announcement – these include:
Expanding and extending the size of buildings that can be erected with permitted development, and Expanding the changes of use within buildings on farms.Following these changes, farmers now have scope to convert agricultural buildings and land into business opportunities, without the need for a planning application. This includes larger farm shops, outdoor sports facilities, farm training centres…
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Tackling endemic diseases in cattle and sheep – A New Support
DEFRA has announced a new support to help farmers tackle BVD and various health conditions in sheep. The Farm to Fork Summit saw the Prime announce this new support, which will be available from Summer 2024, to help livestock farmers with these ongoing issues.
Livestock farmers can receive a set fee for each animal species:
Sheep - £639Cattle with no BVD - £215Where BVD is present within beef and dairy herds, a higher rate will be offered from between £837 to £1733.
The support will initially be available for sheep and beef cattle, with dairy cattle added soon after.
The…
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Have you heard of Soil Benchmark?
A useful tool growing in popularity as it offers farmers (in England, Scotland and Wales) a cost-effective alternative for creating soil management plans that meet the requirements of DEFRA SFI Policy.
Frequently used by rural advisers and agronomists, Soil Benchmark allows farmers to quickly and easily meet all the requirements of the new SAM1 option in SFI. The use of data from the Environment Agency, Ordnance Survey, and British Geological Survey, means the system provides all the information needed for meeting DEFRA’s requirements when forming soil management plans.
The ‘Smart Proposals’ provided by Soil Benchmark, are…
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With wet weather causing havoc for many farmers across the country, DEFRA have introduced new temporary adjustments to support farmers who have experienced disruptions to their farming activities. In particular, those who are struggling to meet mandatory requirements for their agreements (such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Countryside Stewardship or Environmental Stewardship).
These adjustments will allow farmers more time to establish crops for their agreements, or to delay some activities to later in the year. This covers the period from 1 October 2023 to 31 July 2024, for live agreements. For more information about these adjustments, click here.
Parliament is forming new legislations to protect hedgerows in England, to address DEFRA’s recent consultation on how hedgerows should be protected in England.
If this new legislation is approved by parliament, then the Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024 will integrate baseline management practices into law. This aims to replicate the approach of previous cross compliance rules, which farmers are already familiar with.
The new rules will aim to:
Replicate the 2m requirement for buffer strips and not increase the required width Continue offering payment for buffer strips wider than 2m Allow the spot application of pesticides within… Read More
As part of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2024, the three Animal Health and Welfare Grants are designed to provide financial support to farmers purchasing new equipment and technology for their livestock businesses. There are over 230 items to choose from, with 54 new items since the last round.
A percentage of the cost of each item applied for, will be paid for by DEFRA.
For many items, the percentage of how much is paid, has increased since last year.
The Three Grants available:
Grant items that improve productivity Grant items for slurry management Grant items that improve animal health and… Read More
Payroll Updates 2024-25
For the 2024-5 tax year personal allowances will yet again remain the same at £12,570.00 per annum
New Minimum Wages Increases
April 2023 April 2024
Apprentice …
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The 2024 Revenue Claim window for Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship, is NOW OPEN, and you have until 11:59pm on Wednesday 15th May 2024 to submit your claim without reduction.
*Before submitting your claim, don’t forget to update your land use codes by signing into the Rural payments Service.
For more information about submitting your claim, click here.
