News
Hugh Townsend has for 25 years been the country's "go-to" commentator on farm quotas and rural surveying issues affecting farmers. Having become the country's leading and most innovative quota agent he was broadcast to 3.8 million listeners on Radio 4's PM programme interviewed by Eddie Mayer on the 1st April 2015 – the Dawning of Europe without Milk Quotas, click here. More recently BBC1 interviewed Hugh Townsend on the future of farming following the Referendum, click here.
Hugh Townsend has over the years developed the most creative arrangements to promote an efficient market in farm quotas, in the early eighties developing leasing milk quota without land before the Milk Marketing Board introduced leasing for a part of the milk year.
He represented clients in leading legal cases defending transfers of milk quota and developed the new system of second TQ1 forms protecting the transfer of quotas with land.
In 1991, with Farmers Weekly he produced the first sale price index countrywide and started to publish farm quota sales and leasing graphs which are still published by Farmers Weekly and other publications and can be seen on our Milk Quota & Entitlements pages.
On BBC television he has defended dairy farmers who have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous inpiduals in the farm quota market and was again on television to comment on the "footballers buy milk quota" rumpus.
He regularly writes for Farmers Guardian and the South West's Western Morning News and our experienced team is sought after for their comments on farm quotas.
19.02.2020 – Western Morning News – Claims need not be complicated
The application period is now open for agreements to start on the 31st January 2021. These must be submitted by the 31st July 2020. Last week we discussed the variety of options available under the Countryside Stewardship scheme, which offers public money for environmentally beneficial land management. However, there is a complex administrative process behind…
Read More 12.02.2020 – Western Morning News – Stewardship agreements can bring a variety of benefits
The application window for 2021 CSS agreements opened on the 11th February. In her speech to the Oxford Farming Conference on the 8th January, DEFRA secretary Theresa Villiers guaranteed that anyone accepting a 2021 agreement will be able to exit without penalty if they move into the New Environmental Land Management Scheme (NELMS) once it…
Read More 15.01.2020 – Western Morning News – Number of factors may influence 2020 entitlement values
Entitlements allow farmers/landowners to claim a payment under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS). For each entitlement they own a farmer may claim BPS subsidy for one hectare of eligible land they farm, with the minimum claim being 5 hectares in England. Applications for the BPS can be made online or on paper using a BPS…
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09.01.2020 – JANUARY 2020 NEWSLETTER
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Read More 11.12.2019 – Western Morning News – Manage hedgerows to unlock support payments
Hedges have received legal protection in some form since the Enclosure Acts dating back to the early 17th century. Since then, rules surrounding hedges have gathered increasing complexity. With the current political focus on environmental concerns – especially discussion surrounding “natural capital” – this trend appears likely to continue, and hedgerows properly managed may be…
Read More 06.11.2019 – Western Morning News – Get to grips with water abstraction
There are a variety of reasons why businesses and individuals might need access to water outside of the mains system. Vegetable growers need to irrigate their crops; factories use water for a variety of industrial purposes from cleaning to use as a solvent; utility providers such as power stations require water for cooling; livestock farmers…
Read More 09.10.2019 – Western Morning News – Staying in the know on greening
To download/view article click here What is Greening? In England, there are a number of rules that must be followed to claim BPS. For some, these include a set of three rules intended to promote sustainability and environmental preservation. These are known as the “greening” rules, and are outlined below. Crop Diversification This rule states…
Read More 18.09.2019 – Western Morning News – Class Q Development
Download or view article Class Q is governed primarily by Part 3, Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015. This use Class allows the conversion of agricultural buildings to residential dwellings with some limitations. The limitations, amendments and case law surrounding Class Q are varied and sometimes quite…
Read More 29.05.2019 – Western Morning News – BPS CLAIMS – NOT TOO LATE TO MAKE A CLAIM AND CORRECT ERRORS
It is not regularly discussed but you can still make a 2019 BP claim up to the 10th June, and also correct errors on submitted claims. There is a 1% penalty per day on any parcel where an error is notified after the 31st May, but this is not applied to the whole claim. And…
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09.04.19 – 2019 UK BPS ENTITLEMENT TRADING UPDATE
ENGLISH ENTITLEMENTS – TRADING UPDATE English Non-SDAThe market currently is still not in full flow however there is steady trade at £125-140 plus VAT, depending on lot size. Non-VAT sales, if you have a non-VAT buyer, can achieve say 10% more. Therefore sellers who are still expecting to achieve sales at the £150-160 level are…
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