14/05/21 Tackling rural isolation, tax relief for on farm research, vertical farming, flytipping

Farming Today

• Episode: 14/05/21 Tackling rural isolation, tax relief for on farm research, vertical farming, flytipping
• Website: Farming Today
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj8q/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:13:41
• Published: 2021-05-14 07:00

Lockdown has been tough for everyone but the restrictions on auction marts and big events in the agricultural calendar have only added to the problems of rural isolation. For many older and retired farmers in particular these gatherings are an integral part of their social life. North Yorkshire young farmers have been drafted in to help tackle loneliness. Farmers taking part in research and development may be able to offset the costs against tax. All this week we’ve been hearing about trials on farms and as Julie Butler at accountancy firm Butler & Co explains, taking part can help financially. A partnership between Harper Adams University and an indoor farming company Lettus Grow are running a trial which aims to find the best growing methods by trialing different systems from greenhouses and vertical farms. The National Farmers Union is sending an open letter, signed by 50,000 people, to newly elected police and crime commissioners urging them to tackle the problem as a priority to prevent the countryside being turned into a rubbish bin. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.