Rural Business Category
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Cleaner, greener future for Yorkshire power station
Britain’s largest coal-fired power station is set to become one of Europe’s biggest renewable electricity generators. Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Edward Davey, opened the £700 million Drax coal-to-biomass conversion plant today, meaning that in the future, the Yorkshire-based power station will burn wood pellets rather than coal, reducing carbon emissions by 80%. Mr Davey said: “Our coal industry has powered Britain for more than a century, and today we’re seeing a clear roadmap for its future ...
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Investment in skills and infrastructure top SMEs’ wish list
As the Chancellor prepares to deliver his Autumn Statement tomorrow, the one measure that the UK’s SMEs want to see is a commitment to more spending on road and rail infrastructure, according to a poll by KPMG. The survey of 228 small and medium-sized enterprises found that around a third (31%) felt that increased spending in hard infrastructure would be the single one measure they want to see. When asked what would help with their growth agendas, ...
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Leap in Scottish farmland prices
According to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the cost of farmland in Scotland jumped to £4,438 per acre during the first six months of 2013, with growth in prices driven by sustained demand from farmers and investors alike. As prices look set to continue the upward trend, the RICS warns that it is imperative that industry professionals get to grips with the region's new approaches to the Land Use Strategy and are aware of ...
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22% rise in wheat area for harvest for 2014
A new survey from HGCA (the cereals and oilseeds division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board) claims there will be a sharp rise in the total area of wheat and winter barley for harvest 2014, compared to a year earlier. A team of agronomists assessing 280,000ha of arable land have forecast that the total wheat area, including spring wheat, will increase by 22% to 1.98m hectares at the UK level. Winter barley is also set to ...
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New online weather info for farmers
Farming Minister, George Eustice, is promoting a range of measures to help farmers increase their resilience to severe weather. These range from encouraging local groups of farmers to share information, to developing tailored weather forecasts and information specifically for farmers, including a Met Office-hosted Get Reading for Winter webpage. the new webpage should give farmers accurate and up-to-date information on the weather coming their way to help them to protect their crops and livestock. Mr Eustice comments: "The ...
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Fera to seek commercial partners
The Government is considering a new business model for the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) that could turn it into a joint venture with private sector partners. Currently 75% of Fera’s revenue comes from central government but with the level of government support expected to fall over the next few years, ministers are considering whether to bring in a partner or partners who will commit a financial stake in Fera’s future. However, in any new structure, ...
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Larger loads could boost farming production
Regulations could be cut to help farmers transport goods more efficiently and boost agricultural output, Roads Minister, Robert Goodwill, has announced. A consultation launched today seeks views on increasing the weight limit for agricultural vehicles, with a separate consultation also seeking views on allowing conventional tractors to travel faster. The current highest speed allowed for most conventional tractors is 20mph but under the proposals this could be increased to 25mph. At the same time, ...
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Record improvement in bathing waters
Water quality around England’s coasts has dramatically improved since last year, according to Defra. New figures show that almost 99% of English bathing waters now meet the minimum European water quality standard, with over 82% meeting even tighter guidelines. Environment Minister, Dan Rogerson, says: "Having quality bathing water and beaches is not only good for the environment but also boosts tourism and creates a stronger local economy." However, from 2015 the water quality at Britain’s beaches will be ...
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CMM supports Enviro-Entrepreneur Bootcamp
CMM managing director, Graham Allen, is listed among the "high calibre" speakers at this year's Enviro-Entrepreneur's Bootcamp which runs from 13th to 15th November at Nottingham's CleanTech Centre. The Bootcamp brings together a line-up of speakers spanning seasoned entrepreneurs, active investors and expert advisers - and its not too late to sign up and hear their pearls of wisdom! This year’s central theme is accessing funding and finance. The Nottingham CleanTech Centre is a home for individuals, start-ups ...
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CBI: UK on a steady growth path through 2015 and beyond
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has raised its growth forecasts for 2013 and 2014 and expects growth to gather pace in 2015 as the recovery continues to build. Business investment and net trade are also expected to provide increasing support to growth over the coming years. Unveiling its latest economic forecast, the business group is expecting GDP growth of 1.4% in 2013, up from 1.2% in its August forecast. The prediction follows signs of a pick-up in ...
