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 – 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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