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.
Western Morning News – 04.03.15 – The death of renewables?
The recent drop in the price of oil suddenly seems to question the future of renewables. As we know, fracking in America has dramatically reduced worldwide oil prices, exaggerated by the Middle East’s unusual reaction of maintaining high levels of production in the hope of keeping prices low in order to force out competitors. Whilst…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 18.02.15 – Submitting farm tenders that stand out
As is common in the agricultural rented sector most farms are let by tender and to ensure you are in with a good chance of being invited for interview it is vital to consider your proposal at an early stage, often well before the viewing day. It is also important to consider what you can…
Read More14.02.15 – FEBRUARY 2015 – ENTITLEMENTS UPDATE – 2015 TRADE BEGINS
After the brisk entitlement trading up to the 21st October 2014 we are now seeing the market come alive once more for the second window of trade for the 2015 Scheme Year. October saw the price for Non-SDA entitlements drop to £220 per unit, and with the continuing surplus of Non-SDA prices remain low at £140 per…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 04.02.15 – Landowner’s responsibility for actions of workers and employees
A recent case in Scotland has highlighted the care needing to be taken by landowners to avoid being held “vicariously liable” for the actions of workers and employees on their land, and the heavy penalties that can be imposed – by removal or reduction of farm subsidy payments. This is an extreme example that shows…
Read MoreFarm Facts 2015
The 2015 edition of our handy pocket sized Farm Facts leaflet is now available. If you would like a free hard copy of the leaflet to be posted to you, please telephone us on 01392 823935 or email us at office@townsendcharteredsurveyors.co.uk with your postal details. Alternatively, if you would like to view or download Farm Facts 2015, please…
Read More06.01.15 – CAP NEWS UPDATE
Active Farmer Test The latest CAP update confirms that all farmers in England with at least 36 hectares of eligible land will qualify as an active farmer. We were already aware that farmers who received more than €5,000 (£3,886.50) in 2014 and who operate a ‘negative list’ activity which includes airports, railway services, waterworks, real…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 14.01.15 – Young and New Farmers under BPS
Slowly but surely farmers are being invited to register on the new online rural payments service and for those farmers with a computer and email address the procedure should be reasonably straightforward, however many have experienced complications. The service is currently very limited, so those who have managed to register can, at the moment, do…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 31.12.14 – CAP reforms in detail
The latest CAP update confirms that all farmers in England with at least 36 hectares of eligible land will qualify as an active farmer. We were already aware that farmers who received more than €5,000 (£3,886.50) in 2014 and who operate a ‘negative list’ activity which includes airports, railway services, waterworks, real estate services or…
Read MoreFarmers Guardian – 24.12.14 – Land prices upswing looks set to continue
After the manic rush as always leading up to Christmas, spurred on by Black Friday and Cyber Monday, thoughts traditionally now turn to looking back over the year and forward to 2015. Setting ones thoughts in the framework of agriculture which dramatically improved from 2008 onwards following a 16 year recession, and we are looking…
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