News
For over 38 years, Hugh Townsend has been the country's "go-to" commentator on farm quotas and intangible assets sold off-farm. 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.In 2016, BBC1 interviewed Hugh Townsend on the future of farming following the Referendum, click here. In 2021 he published the first book of its type “the UK Environmental Credits User Guide” , and more recently in 2024 ITV filmed at one of our BNG Habitat Banks which was broadcast on Monday 3rd June (click here) To view the uncut footage of the interview click here
Hugh Townsend developed the most creative arrangements to promote an efficient market in farm quotas, in the early eighties, including leasing milk quota without land, before the Milk Marketing Board introduced leasing for a part of the milk year. He has represented clients in leading court and arbitration cases successfully defending transfers of milk quota, and developed the new system of second TQ1 forms protecting the transfer of quotas with land.
In 1991, Farmers Weekly published the first sale price index from Hugh Townsend, countrywide, and started to publish farm quota sales and leasing graphs, which can be seen on our Milk Quota & Entitlements pages. Prices for intangible assets are still published weekly from this UK leading Brokerage House.
On BBC television, he has defended dairy farmers who have been taken advantage of by unscrupulous individuals in the farm quota market, and was again on television to comment on the "footballers buy milk quota" rumpus.
In 1990, the firm held the first auction of sheep and beef quota making the market in these new intangible assets and is still the leading BPS entitlement broker in the UK regions following England abolishing their scheme in 2023.
The firm also now sells Biodiversity Net Gain and Nutrient Neutrality units, Woodland and Peatland Carbon, in addition to Water Abstraction Licenses, and holds National Sales by tender every six weeks.
Western Morning News – 23.1.19 – Countryside Stewardship may alleviate Brexit fears
As we enter 2019 many agents will be looking to 2020 and beyond, with the imminent opening of the application window for Countryside Stewardship (CSS) agreements beginning on the 1st January 2020, expected sometime this Spring. These more than ever with the confused uncertainty of Brexit are worth having a look at. There are four…
Read More
23.1.19 – BPS PAYMENTS – HOW THEY WORK – SCOTLAND
The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) was introduced in 2015 to replace the previous Single Payment Scheme as part an EU-wide update following the 2013 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This latest set of CAP rules are set to last until the next reforms in 2020 (at which point the UK should have left…
Read More
Western Morning News – 24.10.18 – Environmental Land Management Schemes
Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) Background The new Agriculture Bill passed its second reading in Parliament on the 10th October 2018 and is now going before a Public Bill Committee on 23.10.18 before moving on to the Report Stage and a final reading in the Commons, before it then goes before the House of Lords…
Read More 01.11.2018 – Autumn 2018 Newsletter
You may download/view our latest newsletter here.
Read More
Farmers Weekly – 20.09.18 – Agriculture Bill could lift entitlement values
Please download/view here comment in Farmers Weekly.
Read More19.09.18 – Entitlement Market Update
The 2018 market kicked off on the 16th September last year at £150 for English Non-SDA. We are expecting the 2019 trade to start any day at the same level, having had offers in at £140 prior to the publication of the Agriculture Bill. Whilst confirming that BPS may come to an end by 2027, confidence…
Read MoreThe Agriculture Bill 2018
For the first time in 45 years a UK government presented its own agricultural legislation to Parliament on the 12th September for its first reading. The Agriculture Bill 2018 is the biggest overhaul of farm policy since the end of the Second World War, and the first time in centuries that a legislative framework is…
Read MoreAGRICULTURE BILL 2018 BRIEFING – BOOST TO THE VALUE OF 2019 BPS ENTITLEMENTS
The UK Government’s “Agriculture Bill to deliver a Green Brexit” is to be introduced to Parliament today (12th September). The House of Commons has released a 91 page briefing paper summarising the consultations that have taken place, and setting out how it envisages farmers and land managers in England (and to some extent Scotland, Wales…
Read More Western Morning News – 22.08.18 – Countryside Stewardship applications – final checks
The deadline to submit a Mid Tier / Wildlife Offer Countryside Stewardship application is only 7 working days away. With this in mind there are a number of matters that all applicants should consider before posting their application to Natural England. Reading the Guidance It is important when submitting a CS application that one has…
Read More Western Morning News – 01.08.18 – Profitable reasons to get your Countryside Stewardship application in
The Countryside Stewardship (CSS) application period is upon us, and with the deadline having been extended from the 31st July to the 31st August, applicants now have more time to consider which agreement to apply for, and options to select. One of the main factors behind applicants undertaking a CSS application, besides the environmental benefits…
Read More