Rural Business
Succession Planning: Taking the Next Step for your Farm or Croft
Succession planning can look different to everyone and is an important consideration for Scottish farmers and crofters looking to secure their business’s future. Whether you plan to pass the business to the next generation, bring in a new partner, step back gradually or explore opportunities with a new entrant, starting the conversation early helps create…
Rural Roundup – Bluetongue, Cost of Production & Feed Budgeting
Welcome back to the Rural Round-up. On today’s episode George Chalmers and Tiffany Stephenson are joined by practice vet and SRUC veterinary investigation officer Andrew Robinson to discuss Bluetongue, along with any key updates and reminders for September. Resources Bluetongue Latest updates can be found here: Gov.uk latest BTV updates Bluetongue Clinical signs in…
Business and Policy News Audio September 2026: Policy, cereal, beef, sheep and milk updates and a spotlight on Greening changes for 2027 and changes to muirburn legislation
Along with our regular monthly updates on policy, cereals, beef, sheep and milk, in this edition we also have a spotlight on Greening changes for 2027 and changes to muirburn legislation. Timestamps: 00:48 News in Brief 06:07 Policy Briefs – Bluetongue update, Future Farming Investment Scheme, BSE in Scotland, Organic farming sector continues to…
Rural Roundup – Planning for Autumn
Welcome back to the Rural Round-up. On today’s episode George Chalmers and Tiffany Stephenson discuss Bluetongue, updates to greening guidance for 2027 and updates to the Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS), as well as other key considerations for Autumn 2026. Timestamps How are things in the borders? 00:27 Bluetongue 03:30 Greening guidance for 2027…
Agri Culture – Livestock FarmHER Creating Content: Nicola Wordie
You are listening to Agri Culture, a podcast that aims to explore the stories of the people that make up our agricultural industry and culture of farming, in Scotland and beyond. In this episode, Mary-Jane Lawrie is joined by Nicola Wordie an award-winning livestock farmer and social media creator from Aberdeenshire. She farms in partnership…
Business & Policy News Audio August 2026: Policy, cereal, beef, sheep and milk updates and a spotlight on the pig sector
Along with our regular monthly updates on policy, cereals, beef, sheep and milk, in this edition we also have a spotlight on the pig sector. Show Notes: 00:34 News in Brief 06:09 Policy Briefs – Scottish Pig Producers Support Scheme, New calls to boost Scotland’s wildfire response, Scotland bans glue traps, Cracks appear over…
Business and Policy News Audio July 2026: Policy, cereal, beef, sheep and milk updates and a spotlight on potato markets and optical grading technology
Along with our regular monthly updates on policy, cereals, beef, sheep and milk, in this edition we also have a spotlight on potato markets and optical grading technology. Timestamps 00:45 News in Brief 06:50 Policy Briefs – New EU rules on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs). Fair Dealing Obligations (Pigs) Regulations 2025. Growing Consumer Awareness…
Business and Policy July 2026 – Policy Update
New EU rules on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs) The EU recently (17th June 2026) agreed and adopted new rules on New Genomic Techniques (NGTs), including gene-editing technologies, which allow plant breeders to make precise changes to a plant’s DNA without necessarily introducing genes from unrelated species. Under the new framework, NGT plants are split into two categories: NGT-1 plants will…
Business and Policy April 2026 – Policy Brief
Food and Drink Processing Scheme As part of a £9 million investment by the Scottish Government to drive efficiency, productivity, innovation and investment in the Scottish Food and Drink sector, applications have opened for the Food and Drink Processing Scheme. The Food and Drink Processing Scheme offers grants of up to £400,000 to cover up to 40% of a project’s eligible costs. Eligible costs include: Buildings and Fixed Infrastructure – including…
Business and Policy April 2026 – Digital Dairy Chain – Maker Spaces
Are you making the most of the resources you have available or making the best margin you can on your farm or croft produce? With part of the focus of future agricultural policy agricultural policy under the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 being for the production of high quality food and to enable rural…