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Cutting Farmers’ Red Tape
Agriculture and Food Minister Jim Paice has set out how the new Task Force on Farming Regulation will work to reduce the bureaucratic burdens that English farmers and food producers face.

The Task Force has been asked to identify ways to reduce the regulatory burden on farmers and food processors by reviewing regulations and their implementation. They will advise how best to achieve a risk-based system of enforcement whilst maintaining high environmental, welfare and safety standards. Their work will cover:

  • farming (including horticulture);
  • food issues as they apply on farm;
  • food processing where farmer and processor interests overlap; and
  • processing of farmed produce.

The group will focus on identifying and making recommendations on:

  • unnecessary measures, which might be revoked or, if EU-based, re-negotiated;
  • alternative approaches that could reduce the burden of existing regulations – removing ‘gold-plating’; and
  • disproportionate or overly complex implementation and enforcement that could be made more simple, empathetic, risk-based and outcome driven.

The members of the Task Force are: Richard Macdonald (Chair), Judith Donovan, William Goodwin, John Healey, Heather Jenkins, Richard Percy, Marion Regan, Andy Robertson, and Steve Tapper.

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

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News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.