In today's Farming in Five, Farmers Guardian head of news and business Alex Black discusses the latest episodes of Clarkson's Farm, the news AHDB chief executive Graham Wilkinson will step down towards the end of the year, warnings over melanoma and sun burn and an update on Mona Dairy

Your daily update from Farmers Guardian

This is your Farming in Five daily news update from Farmers Guardian.

Today's episode focuses on Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner who says he needs security detail when visiting farms, the Supreme Court dismissing farmers' attempts to stop wild camping on Dartmoor, Janet Hughes to step down from Defra, and a farm is fined £20,000 after a worker got his leg trapped in a potato harvester

Your daily update from Farmers Guardian

Defra Secretary Steve Reed goes before Efra Committee, telling them an IHT rethink would mean NHS services will be cut and reveals a new redrawn SFI will be coming early next year. Animal health is on the agenda as a single case of BSE is recorded in Essex. Meanwhile there is good news as Gen Z say farmers are the champions of the British countryside and the latest weather forecast says rain is on the way.

Your daily update from Farmers Guardian

This is your farming in week daily news update from Farmers guardian. Today, we focus on Clarkson’s Farm and Inheritance Tax, Reuben Owen's new farming show returns for a second series, and vegans use drones to spy on farmers.

Your daily update from Farmers Guardian

In today's Farming in Five, head of news and business Alex Black discusses the Efra Committee's call for changes to Inheritance Tax to be delayed for 12 months, a call from the Environment Agency for farmers to see inspections as an 'opportunity' rather than a 'hindrance', Farmers Guardian's next webinar on dairy contract legislation and news that Morrisons will sponsor Prime Video's Clarkson's Farm, with the new series landing this week.

Your daily update from Farmers Guardian

In today's Farming in Five, head of news and business Alex Black discusses the warnings from the dairy sector to not let the opportunities offered by new contract legislation pass them by, Aldi pledges to maintain standards despite new trade deals and a look ahead to the new series of Clarkson's Farm.

Your daily update from Farmers Guardian

This is your Farming in Five daily news update, from Farmers Guardian.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Government Ministers have been implored to 'open their eyes' to the realities of Inheritance Tax changes and its impact on the health and well-being of farmers.

Conservative MP Victoria Atkins told Defra Secretary Steve Reed in Parliament last week that farmers had taken their own lives due to the 'worry' they felt regarding impending changes to Inheritance Tax announced in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Autumn Budget.

The Shadow Defra Secretary said she was told of the news that 'several more' farmers had taken their own lives last week due to proposed taxation reforms to inherited agricultural assets in 2026.

Ms Atkins had previously addressed the issue back in December when she told Parliament a farmer had taken his life just weeks before Christmas because he did not want to be a 'financial burden' to his family by leaving an Inheritance Tax bill.

Inheritance Tax concerns have been raised since the General Election 2024, with former Farming Minister Mark Spencer having previously said the issue could 'devastate' family farm businesses and warned that Labour would seek to make amendments if they won the General Election, which was later proved to be correct.

Yorkshire beef and sheep farmer Jonathan Charlesworth said changes to Inheritance Tax were the 'last straw' for his father, John Charlesworth, who had taken his own life at Broad Close Farm in Barnsley on October 29, a day before the Autumn Budget was announced.

Mr Charlesworth said his father had been seeking tax advice prior to the Autumn Budget due to concerns he had about passing on the farm to the next generation.

"18 months is not a long time to put anything in place," he added.

"I think Inheritance Tax is divisive, not only in agriculture. The value of the land is insignificant to us. We are just looking after it for the next generation.

"It got really bad in the last few weeks; we had been talking about the implications [of Inheritance Tax] and trying to get round it.

"The night before, we were talking about it – but I never thought he would do that [take his life]. He was proving a point – he was not prepared to risk it.

"I think he thought: ‘I am not prepared to have the taxman take the farm."

Last week, arable farmer Olly Harrison launched a petition urging the Chancellor to show 'humanity and compassion' by introducing a 12-month amnesty for elderly and ill-health farmers who have been placed in a seemingly 'impossible position' in which they were choosing between life and death to save their families the 'burden' of a tax bill.

Ms Atkins had questioned the Defra Secretary on whether he would tell the Prime Minister about the impact Inheritance Tax changes were having on farmers' mental health, and if not, whether he would resign from his ministerial position in Government.

However, the Defra Secretary rejected the claims put forward by Ms Atkins, and instead argued she was 'weaponising' and 'politicising' Inheritance Tax.

However, Ms Atkins said she was simply confronting the Defra Secretary on the 'realities' of the Government's policy on farmers' health and wellbeing.

And that was your farming in five update. You can find more stories and features like this one by subscribing to Farmers Guardian. Visit: FarmersGuardian.com to find out more.

Thanks for listening, look after each other, and goodbye.

#inheritancetax #familyfarmtax #autumnbudget #rachelreeves #mentalhealth #britishfarming #stevereed #victoriaatkins #ollyharrison

Your daily update from Farmers Guardian

In today's Farming in Five, we hear from US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins who says the US has failed to dispel the 'myth' of chlorinated chicken, as she seeks to defend her country's farming practices. Concerns have also been raised over zero tariffs on US bioethanol which domestic businesses say threatens to wipe out UK production. Arable farmers are being urged to be vigilant in the face of a new yellow rust strain but there is good news for poultry farmers as housing measure are relaxed and finally, NFU president Tom Bradshaw pays tribute to director general Terry Jones as he announces he is stepping down after a decade.

Your daily update from Farmers Guardian