Briefings

The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC) has elected Ronan Hughes of Origin Enterprises plc as Chair of its Board of Directors, succeeding Jonathan Lane of ADM Agriculture Ltd following the organisation's Annual General Meeting.

In this episode of ⁠⁠The AIC Podcast⁠⁠,  AIC Chief Executive Robert Sheasby and Head of Policy and External Affairs Ed Barker reflect on the key themes from across the UK’s political party conferences and what they could mean for agriculture and agricultural supply businesses.

AIC is participating in Defra workshops on the design and delivery of SFI27, ensuring the experience of AIC Members working directly with farmers is represented as the scheme develops.

The Government has published a significant package of new and updated UK CBAM guidance, giving fertiliser businesses further detail ahead of implementation on 1 January 2027.

Thank you to everyone who responded. Member feedback gives us practical examples to bring into discussions with Government and highlight the real-world impacts of high fuel costs and the prospect of shortages across the wider supply chain.

Dairy UK has asked AIC to share an invitation with Members and Feed Scheme Participants to attend an in-person meeting on 6 November to discuss supply chain activity and expectations on deforestation and conversion-free feed, including the recently launched Dairy UK position which takes effect on 30 December 2026

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is reminding farmers to plan ahead for safe and secure fertiliser storage this autumn, while signposting AIC guidance to support good practice ahead of the coming season.

AIC is hosting a Members-only webinar on Friday 27 November at 09:30 to provide Members with an update on the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement between the UK and EU, following the UK-EU Summit on 20 November.

UK CBAM is moving closer to implementation, but important detail affecting fertiliser businesses, particularly the calculation methodology and potential costs, is still outstanding.

As the UK-EU relationship continues to evolve and SPS negotiations remain a key priority for AIC and its Members, AIC Head of Crop Protection and Agronomy Ellie Vinnicombe ad AIC Head of Policy and External Affairs Ed Barker travelled to Brussels to contribute to discussions on the future regulation of crop protection products, MRLs and agricultural trade.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has launched a new barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) tool developed using decades of research into aphid biology, virus epidemiology and computer modelling.