News in brief:
October 2025

With favourable conditions for crop establishment, the patchwork of the countryside has taken on a green tinge as plants emerge in search of sunlight. These green shoots provide certainty to farmers that their drilling plans have paid off.

Away from the fields and the soil, there is no such certainty for rural businesses. As pre-budget speculation mounts, and the absence of clarity over the future of stewardship schemes continues, we take a look at some of the top stories from agriculture over the past month.

Treasury ‘isn’t going to move’ on IHT

Dame Angela Eagle put a stop to mounting speculation that the government may soften the forthcoming inheritance tax hike in the forthcoming Budget, insisting that the Treasury has no plans to move away from Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plans. Speaking on BBC’s Farming Today on Friday 17 October, Eagle said: “I’m afraid there aren’t going to be any changes with respect to the announcement that were made previously about inheritance tax, in this instance. We have been in discussions, the Treasury have made their announcements and they aren’t going to move." Since the change was announced last October, farming groups have protested and spoken out against the government’s plans, which will see agricultural property relief (APR) capped at £1 million, with anything above facing a 50% liability.

Countryside Stewardship extension

After months of uncertainty, a one-year extension for Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreements has been granted for thousands of farmers. The extension will ensure 5,000 farmers will be able to continue delivering environmental benefits beyond the end of this year, providing much-needed certainty while the reformed Sustainable Farming Incentive offer is being developed. NFU Deputy President David Exwood says: “We’re really pleased that Defra has listened and given certainty to so many farmers about the future of their environmental work for the year ahead. It recognises the valuable environmental work they have been delivering for many years.” Carter Jonas Partner James Bradley reacted to this news with this statement >

Food prices continue to rise

Food inflation shows no signs of easing anytime soon, and new analysis suggests extreme weather is partly to blame. According to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), the price of everyday staples such as butter, beef, milk, coffee and chocolate has risen by an average of 16.5% over the past year. The ECIU analysis disputes claims that wage rises or taxes are the main cause. “After the warmest spring and summer and the driest spring in over 100 years, England had its second worst harvest on record this year,” says Chris Jaccarini, food and farming analyst at the ECIU. “This follows last year’s poor harvest, which came after incredibly heavy rainfall, made worse by climate change. We have now seen three of the five worst harvests on record this decade driven by extreme weather, telling a story of escalating climate impacts that farmers are struggling to cope with."

Farmers urged to prioritise safety

To date, 20 people, including two children, have died since 1 April in the farming industry. Agriculture has a persistently high fatality rate, and the UK farming industry is seeing a troubling rise in workplace facilities. In response to the high number of deaths so far this year, the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC) has expanded its safety campaign, launching bold stickers to remind farmers that safety must always come first. “It is all too easy when under pressure to think that health and safety is all about paperwork and hassle. However, the number of fatal and serious accidents in farming continues to remain stubbornly high and the NAAC wants to visually remind everyone to protect themselves and their colleagues. We urge everyone to use these stickers as a heads up to take that extra time to make sure a job is done safety and get everyone home to their families at the end of the day,” says Jill Hewitt, the NAAC’s CEO.

Public confidence in British agriculture hits record high

Research conducted by AHDB shows that 71% of UK consumers feel positive towards agriculture – the highest level since the annual study began seven years ago. The study found that 77% of UK adults consider farming a ‘trustworthy profession’, ranking second only to doctors (80%) and ahead of scientists, teachers, and nutritionists. “Consumers not only feel more positive about UK agriculture, but they also trust farming as a profession and feel that farmers align with some of their key values,” says Steven Evans, AHDB’s lead consumer insight manager. "This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of British farmers and growers in providing food for our nation.” Interest in farming and food production is also on the rise. Nearly half of consumers (48%) now say they have a strong interest or specialist knowledge in the subject, up from 44% in 2024. This enthusiasm is strongest among younger adults — 58% of 18–24-year-olds and 78% of 25–34-year-olds express strong engagement with farming and food issues.