All Defra articles
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NewsAshford Port highlights importance of vigilant checks at the border
Ashford Port Health Authority has highlighted the continued importance of strong border controls following the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ announcement that it intends to remove routine EU border checks by June 2027.
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NewsAshford Port responds to announcement of future border check removal
Ashford Port Health Authority has responded to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ announcement that detailed the intended removal of checks at the border.
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NewsDefra says SPS deal will “remove costs” for producers
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds has set out how Government believes UK exporters and importers will be affected by the new sanitary and phytosanitary agreement.
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NewsIncreasing illegal imports a “disaster waiting to happen”, says EFRA
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has highlighted that a “significant number” of meat imports have passed through Dover Port without being checked at the Border Control Post for dangerous diseases.
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NewsTariff-free UK beef now on US shelves
The first tariff-free shipment of British beef has arrived in the US, as Government unveils the UK’s first agri-food trade mission to Washington DC.
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NewsMorrisons pledges £1.6bn to British food producers
UK supermarket Morrisons has revealed it will invest £1.6 billion in British food production and agriculture in 2026.
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NewsDefra commissions new Data Sharing Infrastructure
A project commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will centre on digital innovation with the aim of supporting a more transparent, resilient and sustainable UK food system.
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NewsLamb welfare measures will be an “added cost” to supply chain, says NFU
The National Farmers’ Union has warned that, if introduced, proposed measures on lamb tail docking and castration practices could have “substantial implications” for livestock markets, abattoirs and meat processors.
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NewsPending SPS agreement delays pig and poultry protein in feed
Defra and Welsh Government have confirmed changes to livestock feed controls to allow pig and poultry protein into animal feed, but has delayed implementation as Government works towards a new SPS agreement.
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NewsDefra proposes restrictions to boost lamb welfare
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has revealed proposals for tighter restrictions on sheep castration and tail docking.
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NewsNPA urges Government to provide clarity on ASF regionalisation position
The National Pig Association is seeking clarity from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs on the UK Government’s approach to African swine fever regionalisation agreements, after Spain was able to “rapidly implement” agreements following an outbreak.
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NewsGovernment urged to ensure “robust” import controls after Spain ASF outbreak
Spain has confirmed its first case of African swine fever since 1994, as the National Pig Association urges Government to protect the UK pig sector.
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NewsUK beef inflation hits “record” 27.4%
According to global consultancy Inverto, the UK’s 27.4% increase in beef prices over the past year has challenged food producers, retailers and consumers alike to keep meals “as affordable as possible”.
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NewsReport finds Defra and APHA “not prepared” for disease outbreak
A report from the Public Accounts Committee has looked at the UK’s resilience to animal diseases such as bird flu, which it says pose a “significant threat” to the UK’s health, communities, wildlife, economy, trade and agriculture.
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NewsHousing order to cover England as avian influenza cases rise
The UK Chief Veterinary Officer has ordered a mandatory housing order to cover the whole of England from Thursday 6th November 2025, following the escalating number of confirmations of avian influenza in kept and wild birds.
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NewsDemand for cheap meat is “fuelling illegal imports” finds EFRA
The EFRA Committee has published its new report, ‘Biosecurity at the Border: Britain’s Illegal Meat Crisis’, which has warned that Defra’s approach to personal meat imports has been “unnecessarily lax”.
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NewsEmma Reynolds appointed as Defra Minister
Following a cabinet reshuffle, Emma Reynolds MP has been appointed Minister of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
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NewsGovernment cancels extra border checks to make meat trade “cheaper and easier”
Government has suspended the introduction of extra border checks on live animal imports from the EU and on specific animal and plant goods from Ireland ahead of its new SPS deal with the EU.
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NewsNew regulations aim to provide “greater certainty” to pig farmers
As of Wednesday 13th August, the Fair Dealing Obligations (Pigs) Regulations 2025 came into force, with the National Pig Association welcoming the regulations.
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NewsUK firms secure pork export opportunities in Mexico
Defra has announced that 12 businesses in England and Northern Ireland have gained approval to export pork products to Mexico in a deal worth £19m.
