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FAS technical advice line: 03000 200 301
- Key dates to be aware of
- Upcoming Events
- Farming Advice Service webinar; AI in agriculture: practical tools for farmers and advisers
- Catch up on the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) funding webinar recording
- Backing England's farmers to meet growing demand for organic food
- A reminder from the Environment Agency to make your application no less than THREE months before the expiry date
- Forestry Commission upcoming agroforestry webinars
- Looking after yourself during challenging times
- Wye and Usk, UK: Water roadmap collective action project
- Interested in the role of herbal leys on your farm?
- Support with safety measures from the Environment Agency Reservoir Regulation Team
- Summer water abstraction returns
- Long duration licence evidence changes
- Environment Agency winter reservoir refill prospects 2026/27
- Trees: A powerful tool for tackling diffuse agricultural pollution
- Updates from the Defra Farming blog and industry announcements
- Rural Payments Agency: Updates and guidance
- How can we help you?
- Stay up to date with us
If you hold a summer water abstraction licence (authorising abstraction wholly within the months of April to October), the Environment Agency will make actual abstraction return forms available to you from 31 October. You then have 28 days to send your readings to the Environment Agency. GOV.UK
You can burn heather, rough grass, bracken, gorse or vaccinium on land other than in upland areas from this date.
The burning season for land in upland areas began on 1 October. GOV.UK
The Healthy Soils and Water for a Sustainable Environment funding competition opens. UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £28 million for soil, water and environmental management. This funding is from Farming Futures R&D Fund.
The next FAS Webinar is AI in Agriculture; Practical Tools for Farmers and Advisers, join us 12:00-13:00 or catch up with the recording after.
In case you missed them
For any land located in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ), this is the start of the closed period for applying organic manure with a high readily available nitrogen content (for example, slurry, poultry manures or liquid digested sewage sludge) to tillage land on soils which are not shallow or sandy. (GOV.UK)
You can burn heather, rough grass, bracken, gorse or vaccinium on land in upland areas (not including peat deeper than 30 cm) from this date. GOV.UK
For any land located in a NVZ, this is the start of the closed period for applying organic manure with a high readily available nitrogen content (for example, slurry, poultry manures or liquid digested sewage sludge) to grassland on soils which are not shallow or sandy. (GOV.UK)
Upcoming Events
Join us on Thursday 19 November, 12:00-13:00, for our next webinar, AI in agriculture: Practical tools for farmers and advisers
Joined by guest speaker Emmanuel Ewah from Innovate UK, and colleagues from WSP, we will discuss Why is AI important for agriculture? and AI in agriculture: practical use cases.
There will time at the end for questions and discussions.
Register to join us HERE
Catch up on the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) funding webinar recording
On 22 October 2026, the ADOPT Support Hub hosted a webinar to help farmers, growers and foresters decide whether ADOPT is right for their business.
ADOPT funding is available to support farmers, growers and foresters to develop and complete practical trials that test new ideas in real commercial conditions. The webinar covered the latest funding rounds, the types of ideas ADOPT can support, what makes a strong application and how the ADOPT Support Hub can help develop a project.
The Organic Action Plan for England (OAPE), published on Wednesday 14th October, sets out how government and the organic sector will work together to help farmers in England meet rising consumer demand for organic food.
Developed jointly by Defra and the English Organic Forum, the plan responds to a clear opportunity: organic food sales in the UK are now worth more than £3.9 billion a year and rising, yet much of this demand is still being met by imports. The plan aims to change that, helping English farmers' homegrown produce to capture a greater share of this market.
Organic farming takes a whole-farm approach that helps reduce exposure to input costs like artificial fertilisers and pesticides, while supporting healthier soil, cleaner water and more wildlife. The plan sets an ambition to grow the share of English agricultural land farmed organically from around 3.4% today towards 10%.
This builds on the government's commitment in the Farming Roadmap 2050, giving farmers greater clarity and confidence to invest, whether they are already producing organic food or considering making the switch.
Find out more
Read more about the Organic Action Plan announcement and stories from organic farms themselves in this Defra Farming Blog post.
You can also read the Organic Action Plan for England published on GOV.UK.
If you hold an abstraction licence where the whole licence, or one or more conditions within the licence is approaching expiration, and you want to be able to continue abstracting after the expiry date, then you will need to apply to renew your licence.
Applications to renew a licence must be received by the Environment Agency no less than three months before the expiry date of your existing licence, or licence conditions. However, to provide sufficient time to process your application, it is recommended that you apply now, or as soon as possible.
How to apply to renew your licence with exactly the same terms
Please complete this online form for each licence: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-renew-a-water-abstraction-licence.
How to apply to renew your licence with different terms
If you want to change any of the terms of your current licence at renewal, you need to submit a new licence application form. The application forms can be found on our website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/water-management-apply-for-a-water-abstraction-or-impoundment-licence
This Forestry Commission webinar provides support on applications for agroforestry grants within the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) grants. This will cover the capital items available to fund design, creation and establishment of agroforestry systems, and the different forms of annual payments. Learn which grants are available, who’s eligible and how to apply.
PA4 Agroforestry plans explained Tickets, Tuesday, November 17 • 7 PM - 8:30 PM GMT+0 | Eventbrite
Join this Forestry Commission webinar for support in applying for, or completing a PA4 Agroforestry plan. This grant provides a one-off payment for landowners to produce a plan which supports the healthy establishment and management of an in-field agroforestry system.
Farming can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also bring significant pressure. Uncertainty, changing circumstances and difficult business decisions can all take their toll, making it important to look after your own wellbeing as well as your farm. No one should feel they have to face these challenges alone, and support is available from family, friends, advisers and specialist farming organisations.
One way to reduce uncertainty is through good forward planning. The Farming Advice Service's Farm Continuity Planning page provides practical resources to help farm businesses prepare for unexpected events, strengthen resilience and feel more in control of the future.
Next month marks the start of a new regular wellbeing feature in the newsletter. Each edition will highlight sources of support, practical advice and ways to look after yourself and those around you. Organisations that can support farming families include Yellow Wellies, RABI, the Farming Community Network (FCN) and its FarmWell initiative, and The Royal Countryside Fund.
If you're struggling, please remember: asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Wye and Usk, UK: Water roadmap collective action project
Protecting food supply chains by restoring ecological health with producers, food and drink businesses and NGOs.
The Wye & Usk Foundation is seeking views from across the agricultural supply chain to explore how businesses can better support farmers in adopting practical measures that benefit both farm performance and the environment. This work forms part of a wider initiative funded through the UK Food and Drink Pact's Water Roadmap.
At the heart of the project are the Recommended Key Practices (RKPs), a set of sector-specific recommendations developed for key agricultural industries in the Wye and Usk catchments. These practices highlight achievable actions that can significantly improve river water quality while remaining practical for farm businesses.
The RKPs are designed to promote a more consistent approach across supply chains, helping farmers receive clear, aligned messages from advisers, processors, retailers and other industry partners. This joined-up approach aims to make it easier for farmers to implement positive environmental changes.
Engagement has already exceeded expectations, with 21 businesses across six agricultural sectors contributing to the project, surpassing the original target of 15. Their insights are helping to shape a national survey, launching in November, which will gather views from organisations and individuals who influence on-farm decision-making.
The findings will help identify the opportunities, challenges and practical actions needed to increase uptake of the Recommended Key Practices. For more information, visit the Wye & Usk Foundation website or contact surveys@wyeuskfoundation.org.
A new Catchment Sensitive Farming resource explores the results of herbal ley trials and what they can tell us about productivity, resilience and environmental performance.
Drawing on real-world trial data, the page shares practical lessons for farmers looking to diversify grassland swards and improve the long-term sustainability of their farming systems. Take a look and see what insights could benefit your farm: Herbal Ley Trials | Farming Advice Service
The Environment Agency have officers dedicated to helping reservoir owners comply with safety measures, known under the Reservoirs Act 1975 as Measures in the Interest of Safety (MIOS).
If you have a high-risk, large, raised reservoir, it needs to be inspected at least once every 10 years. Following this, the engineer’s report may include MIOS. Where this occurs you will be assigned a case officer from the Reservoir Regulation Compliance and Monitoring team who will liaise with you throughout. They can provide useful information and will regularly request updates from you and/or your engineers. This is to help ensure work starts promptly, remains on track for completion and any issues preventing that are identified early.
It is important that you appoint an All Reservoirs Panel Engineer early on to act as your QCE (Qualified Civil Engineer) to oversee the works and provide sign-off once completed.
You should aim to start works sooner rather than later to allow time for any planning or permitting processes that are required and for any unforeseen circumstances, such as weather-related delays that could impact the programme of work.
The Environment Agency wants to have open, collaborative conversations to support you in completing the MIOS on time so the sooner they are aware of any issues or delays, the more opportunity they have to support you and help keep the work on track.
More information on the relevant laws and regulations can be found here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/reservoirs-how-to-manage-your-large-raised-reservoir and they are also available on reservoirs@environment-agency.gov.uk
If you hold an abstraction licence which authorises abstraction during summer period (the authorised period of abstraction falls wholly between 1 April to 31 October) you may need to report your water abstraction return for the 12-month reporting period, 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026.
If you need to report a return you will receive a notification from the Environment Agency at the end of October/beginning of November 2026.
You will be asked to report your return by 28 November 2026.
In readiness for reporting your return. You can report your return online by registering with the Environment Agency’s online digital Service at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/manage-your-water-abstraction-or-impoundment-licences-online.
If you already have an online account and have applied for and received a new licence, including a renewal of a licence which previously expired, since you last submitted a return you will need to link the new licence to your account. You can do this by accessing your account and selecting the ‘add licence’ option.
If you had a licence which expired during the period 1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026 (inclusive) a return may still be requested. To report the return you will need to request a paper return form from the Environment Agency rather than using your online account. You can contact the Agency on 03708 506 506 or at enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
If you have a Two Part Tariff (TPT) annual charge arrangement and do not submit a return your second part annual charge will be calculated using the authorised quantity specified by your licence and the full annual charge will be payable even if you didn’t abstract any water (a nil return can be reported to the Environment Agency). A TPT Charge Arrangement can, subject to agreement by the Environment Agency, be applied to licences authorising abstraction for spray or trickle irrigation. If you are unsure whether you have a TPT charge arrangement please contact the Environment Agency, quoting your licence number in all correspondence, at WR_Systems_Team@environment-agency.gov.uk.
The Environment Agency has simplified the evidence that it needs to support long duration abstraction licence applications, making it easier for abstractors to apply for licences that support long-term investment, such as water storage reservoirs.
Anyone applying for a long duration abstraction licence must provide a business plan, details of any finance agreements, and a summary explaining how the proposal contributes to sustainable development.
Applicants are no longer required to provide a long-term assessment of environmental and economic sustainability. Instead, the Environment Agency will include a condition in any long duration licence granted that allows licence volumes to be reduced if the abstraction becomes unsustainable. The condition will specify volumes calculated using climate change projections for the relevant waterbody.
Licence volumes will only be reduced where necessary to protect the environment. In most cases, the Environment Agency expects that the conditions included when the licence is granted will be sufficient and no reductions will be necessary. No changes will be made to a licence for the first 12 years, and at least 6 years’ notice will be given before any reductions take effect. This gives licence holders time to plan for changes and secure alternative water sources where needed.
Apply for a water abstraction or impounding licence provides information on accessing pre-application advice and applying for a long duration licence.
The Environment Agency have published their winter reservoir refill prospects report for the agriculture sector (at the end of October), ahead of the start of the winter refill season.
The report has provided an update on the latest drought and water resources position across England and EA area-based assessments of the likelihood of winter storage reservoirs refilling during winter 2026/27 under a range of long-term average winter rainfall scenarios. It will also outline the support available to help farmers and growers improve both short-term resilience to drought and longer-term water resource resilience.
Read our new resource Trees: A powerful tool for tackling diffuse agricultural pollution includes What is diffuse agricultural pollution?, Why trees matter for water quality and How trees help reduce pollution.
Take a look at the resource here for examples, signposting for support and advice, and ways to look forward.
Defra regularly updates the Farming blog. Please subscribe to the blog to ensure you receive all the latest news.
Fertiliser storage for the coming season
As we enter the autumn, actions for farmers include ordering and then storing fertiliser in preparation for the coming season. It is timely to prepare yourself for the deliveries, and consider carefully where you will store your fertiliser, so that is safe, secure and so that it will not degrade before you have chance to apply it.
The guidance, best practice and regulations related to handling and storage of fertiliser will be very well known to you already, and AIC and NFU have frequently provided reminders and links to these over the years. The action you need to take depends on the type and quantities of fertiliser you will order and then store.
For convenience links are provided below to information and guidance so that you can safely store your supply:
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax: preparing for April 2027
Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax is now legally required for sole traders and landlords with qualifying income above £50,000. MTD will then be rolled out to individuals with qualifying income above £30,000 from April 2027, and above £20,000 from April 2028.
If your qualifying income from self-employment and property is above £30,000, you may need to use MTD for Income Tax from April 2027. Although this may feel some time away, preparing early can help make the move to MTD smoother and give you more time to choose software, understand the new process, and get used to keeping digital records.
What can you do now?
If you think you may be legally required to use it from April 2027, there are some simple steps you can take now:
- Check if MTD for Income Tax will apply to you - Your qualifying income is based on your total turnover from self-employment and property. This means your income before expenses are deducted.
- Understand the key dates - MTD for Income Tax is already in place for those with turnover above £50,000. It will apply to those with turnover above £30,000 from April 2027, and above £20,000 from April 2028.
- Think about software early - You will need to use MTD compatible software to keep digital records and send quarterly updates to HMRC.
- Start building good record-keeping habits - Keeping records up to date throughout the year can make it easier to send quarterly updates when they are due.
- Speak to your agent - If you use an accountant, bookkeeper or tax agent, speak to them about what MTD for Income Tax means for you and how they can support you.
- Use HMRC guidance and support - GOV.UK has step-by-step guidance, videos and webinars to help you understand what you need to do and when.
The earlier you start preparing, the more time you'll have to understand your legal requirements, explore software options and make the transition at a pace that works for you.
For more information, visit Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
You can also read the full press release here: Sole traders and landlords earning more than £30,000 urged to act now - GOV.UK
Put Trees to Work on your Farm
Trees can play a practical role on a working farm. Providing shelter for livestock, making use of less productive land, and helping farms become more resilient to extreme weather and drought.
Livestock farmer Lee runs Tawell Farm near Lostwithiel in Cornwall. Much of the farm is exposed to the elements, and Lee is planting trees to create natural shelter and help protect his livestock from harsh weather.
The farm has been in his wife’s family for generations and is now passing to Lee and his wife. For Lee, planting trees is about making them part of a productive family farm, with benefits for his children and generations to come.
Government tree planting grants provide funding and expert support to help farmers work out what is right for their land and business. The grants offer an average of £19,000 per hectare for planting and establishment. *
For Lee, the process was more straightforward than he expected. An adviser worked closely with him on his plans and helped make changes along the way.
Read more about Lee’s experience and find out what tree planting grants and support could be available for your farm: gov.uk/tree-planting-grants
*The amount you will receive is subject to the specifics of your grant application.
An update on how the RPA use remote monitoring to support environmental land management agreements
Since the last blog in November 2025 on How RPA uses remote monitoring technology to monitor environmental land management (ELM) agreements, the RPA team have continued to develop and improve this work.
You can read the full update on the blog here; An update on how we use remote monitoring to support environmental land management agreements – Rural payments
Sheep and goat tagging for keepers in England
If you keep sheep or goats in England, you need to correctly tag your animals and record their movements.
Watch the new RPA video below for an overview of the correct tags to use, the process for tagging your animals, and replacing any lost or damaged tags:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gmpDHZwQGI&feature=youtu.be
We recommend that you also watch the video What to expect from a sheep and goat visit.
Rural Payments Agency Blog
To stay up to date with the latest information and updates from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), sign up to the RPA Blog.
You can also listen to the RPA Podcast, which has been launched to help farmers, landowners and rural communities keep up to date with the latest news from the RPA. You can also follow the RPA on social media:
- X @ruralpay
- Facebook: facebook.com/RuralPaymentsAgency
- YouTube: Rural Payments Agency
- Instagram: ruralpay.
Stay up to date with the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) blog posts here.
The Rural Payments Agency has launched a series of 'How to' videos to help farmers prepare for a farm visit and meet your regulatory requirements.
The video series of practical guides covers everything from identification visits to getting set up online.
Free and confidential advice
The FAS is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). We provide free, confidential advice to help farmers and land managers in England understand and meet the legal requirements in English law around certain farming activities to protect people, livestock and the environment. We update the farming sector on relevant government farming policy that is applicable in England and on the actions that can be taken to help farmers comply with the relevant regulations. Our newsletter also provides articles on topics that are complementary to farming regulation, such as practices that benefit the wider environment and wellbeing support.
Our website hosts our previous newsletters, as well as technical articles and webinars that cover various topics in more detail.
Contacting the advice line: Farmers requiring telephone advice can contact the FAS technical advice line on 03000 200 301, Monday to Friday, between 08:30 and 17:00. The Rural Services Helpline provides a single number for all FAS, Rural Payments Agency (RPA), Animal and Plant Health Agency, Natural England and Forestry enquiries.
You can also email enquiries to advice@farmingadviceservice.org.uk. Our helpline team aims to respond to all telephone and email enquiries within one working day.