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.
TCS newsletter – 20.12.13 – December Entitlement Trading Update – What To Do With Less Than 5ha – DEFRA CAP Consultation Responses – Crop Diversification – Naked Acres & Hosting – Milk Quota
DECEMBER ENTITLEMENT TRADING UPDATE December trade for Non-SDA entitlements has been strong, up approximately 59% on the same period in 2012, with many purchasers utilising their 2013 SPS payments to top-up their entitlements in preparation for the new scheme starting in 2015. As usual we have seen additional purchasers come onto the market, newly ‘cashed…
Read MoreFarmers Weekly – 13.12.13 – Entitlement Trade boosted by CAP Progress
https://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/13/12/2013/142450/entitlement-trade-boosted-by-cap-progress.htm
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TCS newsletter – 13.12.13 – Two New Fact Sheets – TB Movement Control & Cattle Movement Restrictions
Stricter penalties for missed or late TB tests DEFRA has announced that from 1st January 2014 farmers will start to receive significant financial penalties if they are found to be late on their regular interval TB tests. The announcement comes on the back of a new agreement between the Animal Health & Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA)…
Read MoreFarmers Guardian – 06.12.13 – Future of Farming set to be Unveiled by MPs
With the consultation period now over, having closed for comments on the 28th November, all that is left for us to do is wait for more details of the direction that the Government will send farming in the UK until 2020. News on these decisions has been promised before Parliament breaks for Christmas on 19th December. We…
Read MoreTCS newsletter – 06.12.13 – December Entitlement Trading & CAP Reform Update
Both demand and supply for Non-SDA entitlements continues to be very strong, particularly for this time of year, with Non-SDA trade up 59% on the same trading period in 2012. Some vendors are slightly reluctant to sell so early after confirmation of the roll-over, possibly waiting for prices to fully bed in and maybe increase…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 04.12.13 – Five Hectare Rule for Farm Subsidies will rule out Grant Aid for Pony Paddocks
With the consultation period now over, having closed on 28th November, all that is left for us to do is wait for more details of the direction that the Government will send farming in the UK until 2020. News on these decisions has been promised before Parliament breaks for Christmas on 19th December. We already know…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 16.10.13 – TB Testing
Unfortunately in the South West living with TB has become a way of life. The resistance to the pilot badger cull suggests this will remain the case for some time. Talk of a vaccine becoming available in the UK does not however raise ones hopes as this would be contrary to current EU legislation and…
Read MoreTCS newsletter 11.10.13 – 2014 Entitlement Trading – 2014 Transitional Rules – Future Cap Policy Update – RPA Dispute Resolution & Recovery of Professional Fees – Milk Quota Update
OUR 2014 ENTITLEMENT & MILK QUOTA AGENCY TEAM Ashley Taylor BSc.(Hons), MRICS FAAV ACIArb. James Clack BSc.(Hons) Charles Gregory BSc.(Hons) Julia Clark BA(Hons) Our 2014 entitlements and naked acres letting/hosting team is Ashley Taylor, Charles Gregory and James Clack. Ashley once again is handling English Non-SDA entitlements and naked acre letting/hosting, Charles Gregory is dealing with…
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