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 – 01.02.2017 – Using an agent for 2017 BPS claim
The RPA has recently confirmed that 93% of 2016 BPS claimants have been paid their Basic Payment Scheme payment. This figure surpasses the target of 91%, which was set before the payment window opened in December 2016. With large sums of money being paid out to farmers it is important to focus on the remaining…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 11.01.16 – Exciting times ahead in agriculture…
It is difficult to comment on the land market, entitlement market or anything else without referring to Brexit. For me personally the Referendum became a frustratingly boring debate with extreme claims made by either side trying to scare the electorate, or sell a vision of something better. Now however it could become one of the…
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Read MoreWestern Morning News – 21.12.16 – Common land rights and BPS claims
We are now seeing an increase in BPS claimants, who have handled their own claims to date, asking us to help them with the RPA over their still unresolved 2015 claims. The fear is that once another year’s payment is made it will become increasingly difficult to “unpick” errors in the RPA computer systems. Now…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 16.11.16 – Reflections on Brexit and US election
The country still seems divided by the views people had when voting at the Referendum, with those thinking that Brexit is a good thing being optimistic, debating with those who remain pessimistic who think it will be bad for the country. Efforts are being made through the courts and Parliament to stall or have the…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 26.10.16 – Rises and falls forecast as trading begins for 2017 entitlements
There has been a focus in the recent national and farming press on the level of CAP subsidy received by some of the UK’s largest farms and farming businesses, some of which are owned by wealthy and, some would say, unworthy, recipients who have received millions of pounds of payments from the Single Payment Scheme…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 28.09.16 – King’s case outcome highlights the need for knowledgeable agents
In 2005 the Single Payment Scheme rules allowed the permanent transfer of entitlements with or without land, but a lease (temporary transfer) could only be done with land. UK farmers had become used to the flexibility of leasing quota when needed (as they had with milk quota and other subsidies), and there was immediately demand…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 21.09.16 – Established nursery is a growth proposition
An unusual opportunity to rent an established garden nursery business on the edge of a quiet rural village with excellent transport links and connections to local markets. The nursery is 2 miles from the A30, 3 miles from Exeter and 5.5 miles from M5 junction 31 and is being offered on a five-year Farm Business…
Read MoreWestern Morning News – 07.09.16 – Encouraging forecast for Non-SDA entitlements
As yet there have been no open market sales although we remain of the opinion that the market is likely to kick off at £200 per hectare as it did last year. We have vendors who are already prepared to sell at £200. The market this year, however, could well be more bullish than last…
Read More08.08.16 – SUMMER 2016 NEWSLETTER
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