Archive: Farming

Food waste measures fall short of law change

Pre-packed food requires best-before date by law

Ministers have shied away from changing the law when it comes to a review of food waste.

Farm payments 'master class in bad decisions'

Govt fails to set fair trade example

Miliband: No evidence of organic food healthiness

Govt fails to set fair trade example

Civil servants have been accused of not putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to their cups of tea and coffee.

Taxpayers 'fund the death of rainforest'

New research shows that £700 million is paid each year to fund the UK's failing farming system, which continuously strains the environment, a leading environmental group has claimed.

Four years on and hunting still rears its head

Today marks the fourth anniversary of the ban on fox hunting, but is the law even enforceable?

Footage of attack on hunt monitors released

Pro-hunt protestors outside the Labour party conference in 2004

The League Against Cruel Sports has released footage of one of its monitors being attacked by a foxhunter.

Govt: Pregnant women should avoid sheep

The government has issued advice calling on pregnant women to avoid close contact with sheep.

Rural communities 'marginalised'

Rural communities are being marginalised by the same government department set up to support them, MPs have found.

Double donations to WFP, MPs say

Donations to World Food Programme need to double

MPs have called on the international community to double the amount of money it donates to the World Food Programme (WFP).

Relaxed attitude to bovine TB shocks MPs

Badgers saved from cull, but MPs still not happy

The government's optimism on bovine TB has frustrated a committee of MPs worried by the "serious nature of the disease".

Pig protest hits Westminster

Pig farmers complain of falling pork prices

Farmers led by a seasoned activist pig will march on Westminster today to protest against falling pork prices.

Govt doing 'everything' to contain bird flu

Three swans found dead of bird flu in Devon

The government will do "everything we can" to contain the spread of bird flu, the prime minister said today.

Govt wins 'fair' UK fisheries deal

The government has secured an increase in EU fish quotas after fishermen complained they were forced to throw more than half of healthy catches back into the sea.

Defra denies failure to contain FMD

The government's claim to have swiftly contained the first outbreak of foot and mouth disease has been cast into doubt.

Lords uphold fox hunting ban

Fox hunting ban upheld in the House of Lords

The Law Lords have upheld the government's ban on fox hunting after ruling it is not a human right.

"Probable" new outbreak of foot and mouth

There has been a "probable" new leak of the foot and mouth virus at the government-owned Pirbright site in Surrey.

Minister to push for new fishing quota

Fishermen claim majority of fish being thrown back

The government will lobby the EU to increase fishing quotas in a bid to reduce the number of healthy fish being thrown back into the school.

Second bird flu outbreak confirmed

Bird Flu: 28,600 birds have now been culled

A second outbreak of the potentially fatal H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found on the Suffolk/Norfolk borders.

Govt confirms bird flu outbreak is H5N1

Turkeys culled on Suffolk farm after bird flu outbreak

The outbreak of bird flu in Suffolk is the virulent H5N1 strain of the virus, the government has said.

Second farm tests positive for FMD

The farming industry grinds to a standstill as the rural risis continues.

The government has confirmed a second farm in Egham has tested positive for foot and mouth disease.

Foot and mouth confirmed

Further foot and mouth outbreak suspected

A further case of foot and mouth disease has been confirmed at a farm in Surrey - 30 miles from the Pirbright site linked to the outbreak last month.

Farm payments 'master class in bad decisions'

MPs have singled out two senior officials over the government's failure to pay subsidies to English farmers on time.

Vote of confidence in UK meat

The European Union has lifted a ban on UK exports of animal products after efforts to contain foot and mouth disease appeared to have been successful.