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 – 12.02.14 – Trade in milk quota still strong, despite its demise

The New Year is now fully underway and this is the busy paperwork season for us with milk quota, with this year’s deadline on the 31st March.  I will resist commenting on the misquotes, misrepresentations and then further misquotes from these misquotes, in respect to the sudden increase in milk quota trading.  Perhaps one needs…

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Farmers Guardian – 07.02.14 – Great shake causing a flurry in milk quota

The New Year is now fully underway and this is the busy paperwork season for us with milk quota, with this year’s deadline on the 31st March. I will resist commenting on the misquotes, misrepresentations and then further misquotes from these misquotes, in respect to the sudden increase in milk quota trading. Perhaps one needs…

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Western Morning News – 05.02.14 – Do your trading well before the April deadline

Following strong trading up to the end of 2013, January has continued to see a lot of activity in the market.  Non-SDA entitlement trade remained at £300 per hectare to mid-January following the announcement of the roll-over of English entitlements at the end of October.  This however led to an oversupply of vendors, which subsequently…

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Western Morning News – 22.01.14 – Vital drop-in centres for Rural Payments Agency forms axed

After several months of correspondence with the RPA explaining the difficulties their decision to close the drop-in centres will cause, we now have confirmation that they will not consider running their drop-in centres for RLE1 forms in the week leading up to the entitlement transfer deadline on the 2nd April.  This now puts pressure on both…

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TCS newsletter – 21.01.14 – 2014 Entitlement Trading Update

The end of 2013 saw strong trade for Non-SDA entitlements, with some purchasers achieving good rates before the English roll-over was confirmed.  Prices continued fairly steadily in the first half of January 2014 at their post roll-over rate of £300 per unit plus VAT for Non-SDA, with Non-VATable entitlements making up to £340 per unit,…

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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…

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Farmers 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)…

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Farmers 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…

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