Episodes

  • Thousands of farmers protest against inheritance tax 'betrayal'
    Nov 20 2024

    Thousands of farmers gather in London to lobby MPs and protest against changes to inheritance tax rules.

    From April 2026, agricultural assets worth more than £1m will be liable for 20% inheritance tax – leaving many farmers fearing for their livelihoods.

    Some 15,000 farmers descended on Westminster to oppose the changes, worried that the autumn Budget decision will force them to leave the land.

    Join us as we report live from the event - speaking to protest organisers, politicians and farmers on the streets around parliament.

    Could a compromise be possible – allowing the government to achieve its goal while enabling farmers to continue farming?

    Or are both sides digging in for the long haul?

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and specialist arable farming journalist Louise Impey.

    To contact us, email podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also message us by texting the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

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    41 mins
  • Clarkson to join London farm tax protest, 100 rural MPs voice concern over Budget, advice on changes to farm support, NFU anger at human cost of measures
    Nov 18 2024

    In this episode, Jeremy Clarkson is set to join thousands of farmers protesting against the government’s decision to impose inheritance tax on farmland.

    The TV celebrity and star of Clarkson's Farm is expected to address farmers as they gather in London on Tuesday 19 November.

    Farm business consultants are continuing to wade through the government’s budget documents - looking at ways to mitigate their worst effects.

    We've a special interview with Richard Means, managing partner of Ceres Rural.

    And NFU president Tom Bradshaw says he understands farmers' anger at the Treasury for ignoring the "human cost" of the Budget.

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    38 mins
  • Budget uproar - call for peaceful protest, life insurance and inheritance tax, tax on farm pick-ups, basic payment phase-out, future for family farms
    Nov 8 2024

    In this episode, industry leaders urge farmers not to take direct action following the government’s decision to impose inheritance tax on farmland.

    Thousands of farmers are expected to descend on London after the Budget announcement sent shockwaves through the industry.

    The protest will coincide with what the NFU is describing as a ‘mass lobbying’ of MPs to get the government decision reversed.

    The inheritance tax facing farmers following the Budget has understandably grabbed all the headlines.

    But the Chancellor also unveiled many more measures affecting agriculture.

    They included company car tax on farm pick-ups, an increase in employers national insurance – and the faster phase out of direct payments.

    Life insurance could be one way of mitigating the impact of inheritance tax on farmland.

    But farmers are urged to take advice rather than making rash decisions.

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    39 mins
  • Budget bombshell: Inheritance tax - how to reduce your liability
    Nov 1 2024

    A special episode after an autumn Budget which promises huge changes to farm businesses – and indeed for farming families.

    The Budget saw Chancellor Rachel Reeves announce major changes to agricultural property relief and inheritance tax rules relating to farming.

    From April 2026, farmers will be subject to 20% inheritance tax on agricultural and business assets worth more than £1 million pounds.

    In this episode, four experts discuss ways farmers can reduce their liability.

    Our experts are:

    • Amy Cowdell, from solicitors Shakespeare Martineau
    • Robert Sullivan, from chartered surveyors GSC Grays
    • Jason Beedell, from farm business consultants Strutt & Parker
    • Sam Kirkham, from accountants Albert Goodman

    Topics discussed include gifting land and assets to family members; business structures, including limited companies; moving assets into a trust; succession planning; and life insurance.

    Thank you for listening to the Farmers Weekly Podcast. This episode was conceived, written, edited and produced by Johann Tasker.

    To contact us, email podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also message us by texting the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

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    26 mins
  • Budget preview, HedgeFest - payments fuel hedgerow revival, hill farming vital to upland future, & carbon-friendly fertiliser
    Oct 25 2024

    In this episode, as the government's Budget looms we ask three experts what farmers should expect in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement.

    We find out why the Sustainable Farming Incentive is fuelling interest in hedgerow management in England – and how farmers can obtain payments.

    We visit the Lake District, where upland farmers fear they are being left behind by the government's flagship environmental schemes.

    And we go under the North Sea where a carbon-friendly fertiliser is being mined to replenish sulphur levels on UK farms.

    Thank you for listening to the Farmers Weekly Podcast. This episode is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and Louise Impey.

    To contact us, email podcast@fwi.co.uk. In the UK, you can also message us by texting the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

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    41 mins
  • New Scientist Live, how to get into farming, flood recovery fund, abattoirs and bluetongue, latest harvest estimates, Cow Burp-o-meter & Vauxhall City Farm
    Oct 18 2024

    UK agriculture faces a huge skills gap – with lots of opportunities for people wanting to work in the sector or start their own agri-business.

    In this episode, we find out how UK farming is encouraging new entrants into the industry – and how to carve a career in agriculture.

    We visit the New Scientist Live festival of ideas at London's ExCel centre, where food and farming innovation is centre stage in front of 25,000 visitors.

    Agriculture is very much a Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) sector keen to attract more urban youngsters.

    We look at opportunities around industry apprenticeships in agricultural engineering, plant science and livestock technology.

    For more information about the career opportunities mentioned in this episode, please explore the links below:

    • The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture
    • Lantra
    • John Deere Apprentice Programme
    • KWS careers
    • Rothamsted Research
    • LEAF (Linking Environment & Farming)
    • We Are Land Based Engineering
    • London City Farms & Community Gardens Association

    To make a donation to Vauxhall City Farm 50th anniversary appeal, please visit https://vauxhallcityfarm.org/50th-anniversary-appeal/

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast was conceived, written, produced and hosted by Johann Tasker.

    Additional reporting by Philip Case, Charlie Reeve and Louise Impey.

    To contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk.

    In the UK, you can also message us by texting the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

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    41 mins
  • Payments for farmers to store flood water, government faces 'moment of truth' on farming, update on Basic Payment Scheme phase-out, & Rural Communities Mental Health Foundation
    Oct 11 2024

    In this episode, as the wet autumn continues, we look at flood management – and payments for farmers to protect communities by storing flood water.

    We have the latest on the NFU's campaign for a fair Autumn Budget for farming – and what is needed to deliver UK food security.

    We've an update on the phase-out of the Basic Payment Scheme in England – and take a look at Scotland's fledgling farm support system.

    And we talk to the two farming friends behind the Rural Communities Mental Health Foundation – promoting better wellbing in agriculture.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and specialist arable reporter Louise Impey.

    To contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk.

    In the UK, you can also message us by texting the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

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    34 mins
  • Who is to blame for Defra's £358m underspend on farming? Milk prices – has dairy finally turned the corner, gene-edited crops, landscape recovery schemes, & Farm Champion of the Year
    Oct 4 2024

    In this episode, we ask who is to blame for Defra's reported £358m underspend on farming – and can it really be justified?

    A better year ahead? After a challenging time, the latest forecasts suggest UK dairy has finally turned the corner.

    We get to grips with the latest developments on precision breeding – which could pave the way for UK farmers to grow gene-edited crops.

    We find out how blended finance is helping farmers fund nature recovery projects on a landscape scale.

    And we speak to the newly crowned Farm Champion of the Year.

    This episode of the Farmers Weekly Podcast is co-hosted by Johann Tasker and specialist arable reporter Louise Impey.

    To contact the Farmers Weekly Podcast, email podcast@fwi.co.uk.

    In the UK, you can also message us by texting the word FARM followed by your message to 88 44 0.

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    42 mins