Technical advice line: 03000 200 301 | Email: advice@farmingadviceservice.org.uk

Rules & Regulations

The Farming Advice Service helps farmers understand the legal requirements in English law which they must follow to protect people, livestock and the environment.

On this page you will find FAS content on the rules and regulations set by Defra which include legislation regarding:

  • Keeping livestock (animal health and welfare and protecting the environment)
  • Land management (including protection of landscape features)
  • Use of pest control products
  • Product application onto land
  • Production of plant and seed varieties
  • Management of trees and water
  • Waste disposal
  • Production of compost, biogas, fertiliser and animal feed
FAS website front page

Useful Links:

Technical Articles

Newsletters

  • November 2025 Front Page

    Issue 117

    • FAS Webinars
    • Budget 2025 update on agricultural property relief
    • RPA to start making Countryside Stewardship (CS), Environmental Stewardship (ES) and Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payments from December
    • News from the CSF Team: How a Dorset dairy farm improved its slurry storage capacity
    • Meet the EA's Agricultural Remote Sensing Team
    • Will there be a drought next year? Environment Agency publishes Winter Refill Prospects report including forward-look to Spring 2026.
    • Tree on Farm - Forestry commission CSHT webinars
    • Rural Payments Agency Guidance
    • - SFI Annual Declaration
    • - SFI Rotational Actions Declaration
    • - Get ready for your farm visit with RPA's video guides
    • - Beware of fraud
    • Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements
  • FAS Newsletter October 2025 Front Page

    Issue 116

    • Book now: Farming Advice Service Webinar - Improving Water Resilience on Farm
    • Animal Movement Rules - a Reminder
    • Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements extended to support sustainable farming and nature recovery
    • Simplifying Payments with GOV.UK Pay
    • EA Case Study: SSAFO improvements at a large Lincolnshire beef unit
    • Summer Water Abstraction Returns
    • Water Abstraction Alerts
    • Have your say in reforming reservoir regulation
    • Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements
  • FAS Newsletter September 2025

    Issue 115

    • How to contact your local Catchment Sensitive Farming Team
    • How a Somerset dairy farm tackled challenges with slurry storage and silage clamp issues
    • An update on Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) and the Farming and Countryside Programme’s (FCP) annual report
    • Celebrating Young Farmers Week 6-10 October
    • New restrictions for burning on all England upland peat deeper than 30cm, unless subject to a license
    • £12 million to turn brilliant ideas into farm technology
    • Improved TB mapping tool ibTB gives farmers more certainty about disease risks when purchasing cattle
    • Innovate UK BridgeAI: free in-person workshops and online webinars
    • Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements
  • FAS Newsletter August 2025

    Issue 114

    • Environment Agency urges farmers to start preparations for winter slurry storage
    • New Technical Article - Water Quality and Farming
    • RPA blog: Getting the most from herbal leys within improved grassland systems
    • Sustainable Farming Incentive Expanded Offer for 2024 (SFI 2024): understanding the annual declaration
    • How a North Yorkshire a dairy farm addressed issues with its silage clamps
    • How Cambridgeshire Farmers Are Fighting Fires
    • Trees on farm: New video series “Stages of woodland management”
    • Continued Dry Weather – An Opportunity for Reservoir Inspection and Maintenance?
    • Constructing A Large Raise Reservoir
    • Updates from the Farming blog and industry announcements

Podcast

  • FAS podcast logo

    podcast

    Episode 7

    Nutrient Management with Mel Holloway

    16 mins
  • FAS podcast logo

    podcast

    Episode 5

    Meet the Farming Advice Service Helpline Team

    21 mins
  • FAS podcast logo

    podcast

    Episode 4

    Livestock movement and ID, with Laura Harpham and Ian Cairns

    25 mins

Upcoming Events

  • CSF

    Farming roadshow: support and resilience - Petersfield

    Join Catchment Sensitive Farming, the Forestry Commission and Natural England for a free workshop.

    4th Dec 2025
    09:00 - 14:00 (GMT)
    Whitewool Farm, Whitewool Farm, East Meon, Petersfield GU32 1HW

    Book your free place here

  • CSF

    CSF East Midlands - Water as a Resource: Now and in the future-North Lincolnshire

    Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) invites farmers and land managers to join us for an informative session f...

    5th Dec 2025
    10:00 - 14:00 (GMT)
    Hilbaldstowe Village Hall Station Road Hibaldstow DN20 9PY

    Book your free place here

  • CSF

    CSF North Anglia - Cover Crops - Farm Walk for Farmers

    Cover Crops: Sustainable Solutions for Soil and Water Join Crisp Malt and Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF...

    9th Dec 2025
    09:30 - 14:00 (GMT)
    Hole Farm, Hempstead, Holt, NR25 6TT

    Book your free place here

Webinar Recordings

Sign up to receive key date reminders and the FAS newsletter

Get notified of upcoming key dates to help you meet your regulatory requirements and stay updated with the latest farming industry news on regulations, SFI and other grant schemes, the agricultural transition and more.

For information regarding how we store and use your data, please read our privacy policy.