Labour Shadow
Jim McMahon has been replaced as Shadow Secretary of State at Defra in a reshuffle of Labour’s top team. He resigned after a tenure that was not seen as successful, whilst the new incumbent is Steve Reed, MP for Croydon North. A surprise choice, Mr Reed represents an urban constituency and was leader of Lambeth Council before his election in 2012. In his more than ten years in the House of Commons, he has shown little interest in farming or the environment.
Lower Yields for Regenerative Farming
A major study carried out by Rothamsted Research has shown that cereal yields initially fall when regenerative practices are carried out. Reduced tillage rather than ploughing cut yields by 0.6 to 0.9 tonnes per hectare. However, scientists believe that, as soil structure and fertility improve, yields will benefit in the longer term.
Nutrient Neutrality
The Government has abolished the nutrient neutrality regulations designed to ensure that no new development increases the pollution of watercourses. It is claimed that the measure is preventing the building of at least 100,000 new homes at a time when house building is lagging well behind targets. The Government claims that other measures will achieve the same objective whilst allowing the homes to be built. But the move comes as a blow to farmers who stood to gain millions of pounds in offsetting projects.
Curlew Conservation
A new project has been launched to protect the curlew population in Wales. Since the 1990s, Wales has lost over 80% of its breeding population to an estimated 400 pairs and is still declining at 6% per year. However, this comes at a time when humane cable restraints have been banned in Wales, which is likely to lead to an increase in the fox population. One ecologist has even suggested that, as a result of the ban, curlew will become extinct in Wales within a relatively short time frame.
