A tied US trade panel leaves Trump to decide on new tariffs for Australian lamb

The stories

13 on this beat today.

Every story told the same way: what happened, who is involved, why it matters, how it works, the truth and the good news.

1. 01

   A tied US trade panel leaves Trump to decide on new tariffs for Australian lamb

   100,000 tonnes

   of Australian lamb sold to the US last year

   worth more than $1 billion [1]

   12.5%

   US tariff Australian lamb already pays

   Australia says it breaks their free trade deal [1]

   11 January

   when the panel's report reaches Trump

   after a public hearing on remedies on 1 December [1]

   What happened

   • A US trade panel could not agree whether Australian lamb imports have hurt American sheep farmers. [1]
   • The tied vote at the US International Trade Commission leaves the choice of tariffs to President Trump. [1]
   • Australia sent more than 100,000 tonnes of lamb to the US last year, worth over $1 billion. [1]
   • A tie means Trump "can decide which vote" wins, says Jennifer Hillman, a former commissioner. [1]
   • Hillman expects him to treat the tie as a yes and impose tariffs. [1]
   • US sheep farmers blamed "surging low-priced imports" from Australia and New Zealand. [1]
   • Dozens of Republicans in the US Congress backed their campaign in a letter in January. [1]
   • The American Sheep Industry Association called the result "an important step" toward trade relief. [1]
   • Australia's ambassador, Greg Moriarty, told the commission that limits would raise costs for US shoppers. [1]
   • Australian lamb already pays a 12.5% US tariff. [1] Australia says that breaks the two countries' free trade deal. [1]
   • Trump has not publicly commented on the lamb case. [1]
   • He recently angered US cattle farmers by backing more beef imports to bring prices down. [1]
   • Alan Wolff, once deputy head of the World Trade Organization, says "tariff decisions are always political decisions in part". [1]

   Who is involved

   The commission was asked whether the imports had hurt the American sheep industry. [1]

   Jamieson Greer, the US trade ambassador and a leading backer of Trump's tariffs, requested the probe. [1] It began in July. [1]

   • Jamieson Greer the US trade ambassador and a backer of Trump's tariffs; he asked for the probe
   • American Sheep Industry Association the US sheep farmers' group; it called the result a step toward relief
   • US International Trade Commission the US panel that judges whether imports hurt American industries; it split evenly on lamb
   • Donald Trump the US president; the tie leaves the tariff decision to him
   • Greg Moriarty Australia's ambassador to the US; he argued limits would raise US prices

   How it unfolded

   1. January dozens of Republicans back the sheep farmers in a letter [1]
   2. July the commission opens its lamb investigation [1]
   3. This week the commission's vote ties [1]
   4. 1 December public hearing on tariffs or other limits [1]
   5. 11 January report goes to Trump [1]

   Why it matters

   A tariff would push up lamb prices for US families, Australia argues. [1]

   Australian and New Zealand farmers supply most of the lamb the US imports. [1]

   Think it through

   1. 1

      Who wanted this investigation?

      Jamieson Greer asked for it after years of campaigning by US sheep farmers. [1]

      Years of farm campaigning→Greer asks in July→Panel investigates
   2. 2

      What do the US farmers say went wrong?

      Their backers in the US Congress say Australia and New Zealand used low barriers to undercut US lamb. [1]

      Imported lamblow-priced

      vsvs

      US sheep farmersundercut
   3. 3

      Who would pay if a tariff came?

      US lamb-eaters would pay, through higher prices, Australia warns. [1]

      Tariff on lamb→Dearer lamb→US shoppers pay
   4. 4

      Does Trump always side with farmers on imports?

      No: he backed more beef imports to cut prices, angering US cattle farmers. [1]

      Beef prices high→Trump backs imports→Cattle farmers angry
   5. 5

      So what happens next, and when?

      A public hearing on remedies is set for 1 December. [1] The commission's report reaches Trump by 11 January. [1]

   6. 6

      So who holds the power here?

      Trump does: the tie lets him pick the winning vote. [1] Hillman expects him to choose tariffs because US farmers are struggling. [1]

   How it works

   Trade lawyers call this a safeguard case: limits on imports that seriously hurt a home industry, with no cheating needed.

   The panel's question was whether lamb imports had hurt US sheep farmers. [1] It split evenly. [1]

   Seen it before

   A school team can ask for more pitch time because a rival keeps winning, even though nobody cheated.

   The truth

   • What is really going on A tied US panel handed Trump the choice on tariffs for Australian lamb. [1]
   • Wolff says Trump likes tariffs and does not shrink from them on allies. [1] He still calls the outcome "a pretty open question". [1]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Trump will put new tariffs on Australian lamb.

     The tie leaves the choice to him, and he has not commented on the case. [1]

1. 02

   Tasmania shuts lobster waters over salmon drugs

   What happened

   • Tasmania has closed parts of its south-east to commercial rock lobster fishing. [4] The closure runs from 15 November to 14 February. [4]
   • The cause is an antibiotic, oxytetracycline, that salmon company Tassal used in nearby pens. [4]
   • Some countries that buy the state's seafood accept no antibiotic at all in wild catch. [5] A trace could trigger an export ban. [4]

   How it unfolded

   Disease killed masses of farmed salmon over the past two summers. [4]

   1,907 tonnes of farmed salmon died in Macquarie Harbour in 15 months to December 2025. [6] The records do not say what killed them. [6]

   1. 15 November lobster waters close
   2. 14 February due to reopen
   3. March florfenicol permit revoked
   4. This month ruling on a new permit

   Why it matters

   Deckhand Kodey Rolston calls the closure "completely unfair" on small wild fishers. [5]

   He says the closed area is a fishing ground worked by many generations. [5]

   Think it through

   1. 1

      Why close it if health officials say it is safe?

      The state says the closure protects export markets and is not about food safety. [4]

      Buyers abroad test→Any trace means a ban→State closes first
   2. 2

      Who pays the fishers for the lost catch?

      Salmon Tasmania, the salmon farms' group, is offering in advance to compensate sectors that might be harmed. [6]

      Salmon farms treat fish→Fishers lose waters→Money offered
   3. 3

      Will the fishers take the money?

      Lobster fisher Bryce Way says accepting money for a closed area is "selling your soul". [6]

   4. 4

      So who holds the power here?

      The state government sets the rules for both industries. [6] Critics say it has put the $1 billion salmon sector ahead of other businesses. [6]

   How it works

   Economists call this an externality: a cost one business's choice puts on someone outside the deal.

   Tassal treats its own fish to save them. [4] The lobster fishers, who are not part of that choice, lose their catch. [5]

   Seen it before

   A neighbour's bonfire can blacken washing on your line, though you never agreed to the fire.

   The truth

   • What is really going on Tasmania closed lobster waters next to salmon pens treated with antibiotics. [4]
   • Tassal puts the closed area at 1.6% of the state's usual lobster catch. [4] A deckhand calls the same area vital to his industry. [5]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How much the lobster closures will cost the fishers who lose those waters.

     No cost figure has been published, and Tassal says support for the fishers is still being worked out. [4]

   What comes next

   A permit for another antibiotic, florfenicol, was revoked in March after it turned up in wild seafood. [4] A decision on a new permit is likely this month. [4]

1. 03

   East Coast cuts the menhaden catch

   What happened

   • A US fishing body voted this week to cut the catch limit for Atlantic menhaden. [7]
   • Menhaden are small fish that striped bass and ospreys, a bird of prey, feed on. [7]
   • The cut is 9% in 2027, rising to 17% in 2028. [7]
   • The limit falls from 186,840 tonnes in 2026 to 170,000, then 155,000. [7]
   • Maine proposed the cut as a middle way between fishers and conservationists. [7]

   Who is involved

   The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission manages fish shared by states from Maine to Florida. [7]

   How it unfolded

   1. January limit split between states
   2. 2028 first research findings

   Why it matters

   Lobster fishers in New England now rely on menhaden as bait and as a second income. [7]

   Think it through

   1. 1

      Why does one small fish matter so much?

      Striped bass have failed to breed well for nearly a decade, and ospreys show signs of decline. [7]

   2. 2

      Who catches most of it?

      Virginia is entitled to just over 75% of the catch, and Maine to 4.8%. [7] Shares follow each state's past fishing. [7]

      % of the catch

      Virginia75

      Maine4.8
   3. 3

      Did the public want a cut this small?

      No: most of more than 48,000 public comments asked for a 40% cut. [7]

      40% cutMost public comments

      vsvs

      17% by 2028What passed
   4. 4

      So who won the vote?

      8 states plus 3 federal and river agencies voted for it, a narrow majority. [7] 7 states that wanted steeper cuts voted no. [7]

      8 statesFor the 17% cut

      vsvs

      7 statesAgainst

   How it works

   Ecologists call menhaden a forage fish: a small fish that bigger animals live on.

   So the menhaden limit is meant to be set with striped bass in mind, not menhaden alone. [7]

   Seen it before

   If the canteen sells out of bread early, the pupils who come later miss lunch.

   Why salmon farmers offer lobster fishers money for closed waters

   Economists call it an externality: one business's choice puts a cost on someone else, and who pays depends on who holds the right to the water.

   The twist

   The harm to the lobster fishers is the same either way; whether they get paid depends on who the law says holds the right to the water.

   The picture

   $1 billionFarmed salmon sector

   vsvs

   1.6% of catchClosed lobster area

   Step by step

   1. 1 One business makes a choice for its own reasons
   2. 2 A side effect lands on someone outside that choice
   3. 3 The price of the product leaves that cost out
   4. 4 The law decides who holds the right
   5. 5 A rule, a tax or a payment then settles who pays

   The same force, elsewhere today

   Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.

   • East Coast cuts the menhaden catch

     Each boat's catch takes food from striped bass and ospreys, so a commission set a limit that no single boat would set.

   • Dumped waste lands on a farm near Peterborough

     Dumpers avoid landfill tax by leaving waste on farmland, and then the farmer must pay about £1,500 to clear it.

   • Seaweed-style feed aims to cut cow burps

     A cow's methane costs its owner nothing, so the additive pays only if carbon credits put a price on the gas.

   Where you've seen this

   Airports

   planes save travellers time while the noise falls on homes under the flight path

   Factories by a river

   waste poured in upstream lands on the towns downstream

   Loud parties

   the guests have fun and the neighbours lose their sleep

   The catch

   A payment settles it when the two sides can find each other and agree; when thousands of people are harmed, a rule or a tax usually has to do the job.

   And the whole of it

   A lobster fisher, a salmon farm worker and a shopper buying Tasmanian salmon all depend on the same channel. Each sees the costs that land on them. The costs their own choices send down the water are much harder to see.

   The truth

   • What is really going on An East Coast commission cut the menhaden catch by a narrow vote. [7]
   • A guides' group says the commission gave in to industry pressure. [7] Some commissioners, mostly from Virginia, say the fishery is already managed cautiously. [7]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether there are fewer menhaden in the sea, or only fewer days to fish them.

     Conservationists blame too few fish for the low 2025 catch, and fishers blame bad weather. [7] The first research findings are due only in 2028. [7]

   Good news

   • The US Congress has set aside $2.5 million to study menhaden and the striped bass and ospreys that feed on them.

   What comes next

   In January the commission splits the new limit state by state. [7] Research paid for by $2.5 million from the US Congress reports in 2028. [7]

1. 04

   US farms lean on government money

   What happened

   • US farm cash income in 2026 is roughly flat on 2025, a McKinsey analysis says. [3]
   • But direct government payments to farms jumped from $28 billion to $47 billion. [3]
   • That is roughly 27% of farm income, up from 16%. [3]
   • Purdue University's farmer survey found fewer with strong finances: 60% in October, down from 76% in January. [3]

   How it unfolded

   Schemes such as the Farmer Bridge Assistance program paid much of it. [3]

   Why it matters

   McKinsey partner Tom Brennan calls a quarter of income from government "very much an anomaly". [3]

   Think it through

   1. 1

      Will the US government pay again in 2027?

      Brennan says that is hard to predict. [3]

   2. 2

      What could squeeze farmers harder?

      Fertiliser: nitrogen and phosphate prices jumped after February's disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. [3] Farmers have not yet bought for 2027. [3]

      Hormuz disrupted→Fertiliser prices jump→2027 buying still ahead
   3. 3

      What do farmers cut first when it costs too much?

      Phosphate and potash before nitrogen, Brennan says. [3] If they keep cutting, the soil runs short within a year or two. [3]

      Skip phosphate and potash→Soil runs short→Yields fall later
   4. 4

      Are farmers elsewhere squeezed too?

      In Brazil's Mato Grosso state, a ton of one fertiliser now costs about 50 bags of soybeans, up from 43. [3]

      Bags of soybeans

      Before43

      Now50

   The truth

   • McKinsey's Tim Lillie says the averages hide big differences between regions, farms and crops. [3]
2. 05

   Burnham says EU food deal will cut prices

   What happened

   • UK prime minister Andy Burnham said on Saturday a new EU food and farming deal will "get food prices down". [8]
   • He meets EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on 20 November, where it could be signed. [8]
   • He says the summit's deals could raise the UK economy by 0.4%, about £17 billion. [8]

   How it unfolded

   Since Brexit, many UK food exports have needed extra health certificates. [9]

   A Bridlington shellfish co-operative says that paperwork costs it about £20,000 a year. [9]

   1. Saturday Burnham's speech in Wales
   2. 20 November UK-EU summit

   Why it matters

   Burnham named Welsh farmers and exporters of Welsh shellfish and Welsh lamb as likely to benefit. [8]

   Think it through

   1. 1

      What would change at the border?

      The draft deal should remove export health certificates and some port and inspection fees. [9]

      Vet certificates dropped→Fewer fees→Cheaper exports
   2. 2

      What does the EU want in return?

      Senior EU figures want the UK to start paying for access to EU schemes it wants. [8]

      UKwants access

      vsvs

      EUwants payment
   3. 3

      Has anyone checked the growth claim?

      Members of the House of Lords have questioned government claims that the EU reset will boost the economy. [17]

   The truth

   • The £17 billion figure covers all the summit's deals, not the food deal alone. [8]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How much a UK-EU food deal would lower food prices in the UK.

     Burnham gave no figure for food prices. [8] Peers have questioned the UK government's claims that the EU reset will grow the economy. [17]

3. 06

   Seaweed-style feed aims to cut cow burps

   What happened

   • Provectus Algae, a company near Noosa in Queensland, Australia, has won a $3.8 million state grant. [10]
   • The money will help it sell a cattle feed additive meant to cut methane from cow burps. [10]
   • Provectus says it copied the seaweed's active parts using other algae. [10]

   How it unfolded

   It builds on a 2011 finding that a native seaweed, Asparagopsis, cuts livestock methane. [10]

   A 2024 Murdoch University study found cattle avoided feed rich in it, and signs of stomach damage. [10]

   Why it matters

   Cows, sheep and goats cause more than 10% of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions, the national science agency estimates. [10]

   Think it through

   1. 1

      Will farmers pay for it?

      Professor Richard Eckard says it must cost under 10 cents per animal a day for carbon credits to cover it. [10]

      12

      0510

      cents a day

      1. 1Provectus price8 cents a day
      2. 2Eckard's limit10 cents a day
   2. 2

      Is it cheap enough?

      Provectus says its product averages 8 cents per animal per day. [10]

      8 centsper animal per day, the company says

   3. 3

      Does it work on open ranges too?

      Eckard says additives work better in feedlots, where cattle eat them every day. [10]

      Feedlotsfed every day

      vsvs

      Open rangehard to feed

   How it works

   Economists call a carbon credit a payment for each tonne of greenhouse gas kept out of the air.

   Eckard says farmers earn a return only with big productivity gains or very cheap additives. [10]

   Seen it before

   Paying for a recycling bin makes more sense when the council pays you back for sorting.

   A cow's methane costs its owner nothing, so the additive pays only if carbon credits put a price on the gas.

   The idea, in story 03: Why salmon farmers offer lobster fishers money for closed waters →

   The truth

   • The 65% cut is the company's target. [10] Its trials have run on more than 3,000 cattle. [10]
4. 07

   US hemp ban begins in two steps

   What happened

   • A US federal ban on intoxicating hemp products began its first phase on 12 November. [11]
   • Phase one only bans fully synthetic intoxicants. [11] The full ban starts on 11 December. [11]
   • Companies then packed large amounts of THC into drinks, gummies and vapes. [11]
   • Missouri and other states started their own bans early, closing a shop in Kansas City. [11]

   Who is involved

   Hemp is cannabis with very little THC, the chemical that makes users high. [11]

   How it unfolded

   The 2018 Farm Bill opened hemp up as a new crop for struggling tobacco farmers. [11]

   1. 12 November synthetic intoxicants banned
   2. 11 December full ban on hemp THC

   Why it matters

   Economist Beau Whitney says the full ban will wipe out about 38,000 businesses and $28 billion in sales. [11]

   Think it through

   1. 1

      Who pushed for the ban?

      A lobbyist for licensed cannabis shops says untested hemp products undercut them in 41 states. [11]

      Licensed shopstaxed and tested

      vsvs

      Hemp productsno real rules
   2. 2

      Why ban it in two steps?

      The hemp industry persuaded the US Congress to roll the ban out in two stages. [11]

      Industry lobbies→Ban split in two→One more month of sales

   How it works

   Lawyers call this a loophole: a gap a law leaves open by accident.

   The 2018 law tested THC weeks before harvest. [11] But plants make most of their THC at the end of the season. [11]

   Seen it before

   A rule that checks only your bag on the way in misses what you carry out.

   The truth

   • The $28 billion figure comes from an economist lobbying the US Congress to delay the ban. [11]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether the full US hemp ban will start on 11 December as planned.

     An economist and others are lobbying the US Congress to delay and rethink it. [11]

5. 08

   Outback cattle fly to Kazakhstan

   What happened

   • Nearly 300 Hereford cattle from a station near Alice Springs have been flown to Kazakhstan. [12]
   • The heifers spent about a month in quarantine in Melbourne, then flew via Singapore. [12]

   Who is involved

   Kazakhstan's government wants to grow its breeding herd, producer Ben Hayes says. [12]

   • Ben Hayes runs Undoolya Station; sold the heifers

   How it unfolded

   Australia last sent cattle to Kazakhstan in 2019, it is understood. [12]

   Why it matters

   Local producers hope it is the start of a new market. [12]

   Think it through

   1. 1

      Was it worth the trip for the seller?

      Hayes says the price was on par with what he would get in Australia. [12]

      Kazakhstan saleon par

      vsvs

      Australian saleon par
   2. 2

      Why fly cattle 10,000 kilometres?

      Hayes says the heifers will become breeding stock for Kazakhstan's herds. [12]

      Young cows flown→Bred in Kazakhstan→Bigger national herd
   3. 3

      Was this the only shipment?

      No: federal data show 2 flights took 1,252 breeder cattle from Victoria last month. [12] Another flight took 1,617 breeder sheep. [12]

      Breeder cattle1,252 head

      Breeder sheep1,617 head

   Good news

   • Nearly 300 young Hereford cows from near Alice Springs have flown to Kazakhstan to start breeding herds there, Australia's first cattle sale to that country since 2019.
6. 09

   Australian ewes sell for a record $650

   What happened

   • Young ewes sold for a record $650 a head at Naracoorte, South Australia, on Thursday. [2]
   • That beat the $641 record set at Corowa, New South Wales, only last month. [2]
   • Lambs for slaughter have sold for up to $500 at Australian saleyards. [2]

   How it unfolded

   Three years ago prices fell so far that some sheep were almost worthless. [2]

   Drought forced big sell-offs, and Australia's sheep flock is now historically low. [2]

   Why it matters

   Farmers who stayed in sheep through the crash are now being paid for it, agents say. [2]

   Think it through

   1. 1

      Why are prices so high?

      There are few sheep left and strong demand for them, the ABC reports. [2]

      Sheep for salefew

      vsvs

      Buyersmany
   2. 2

      Will it last?

      The industry expects high prices for some time, because the flock takes years to rebuild. [2]

      Low flock→Slow rebuilding→High prices for a while
   3. 3

      Could it be a bubble?

      "We're hoping it's not a bubble," says farmer Trevor James, who is unsure what lies ahead. [2]

   How it works

   Economists call it a supply shock: when a sudden fall in supply meets steady demand, prices jump.

   Drought sales cut the flock, while buyers kept coming. [2] So each ewe now fetches a record. [2]

   Seen it before

   When only a few tickets are left for a big match, fans pay far more for each one.

   Good news

   • The James family sold their sheep for the record in their 50th year selling first-cross ewes. [2]
   • Australian sheep farmers who stayed in sheep through the price crash of 2023 are now selling young ewes for a record $650 a head.
7. 10

   Wars squeeze food companies' supplies

   What happened

   • 81% of professionals in a Euromonitor survey said war or conflict affected their company in the past year. [13]
   • Wars in Ukraine, Iran and Sudan have disrupted exports and pushed up prices. [13]
   • The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sharply cut energy and fertiliser supplies. [13]
   • A survey by BSI, the British Standards Institution, found 37% of food firms affected. [13]

   Who is involved

   • Ukraine grain and oil
   • Iran energy and fertiliser
   • Sudan acacia gum

   Why it matters

   More than a third plan to raise prices, and 28% expect to sell fewer products. [13]

   Think it through

   1. 1

      How are companies protecting themselves?

      About 80% are stockpiling or building up spare stock, BSI found. [13]

      80 of 100

      in 100 firms building spare stock

   2. 2

      Why not buy from closer to home?

      A similar share are already nearshoring or considering it, moving suppliers closer. [13]

      Distant supplier→Risky route→Supplier moved closer
   3. 3

      Is war the only pressure?

      No: Field says conflict adds to climate disruption. [13]

      Conflictcuts routes

      ++

      Climatecuts harvests

   How it works

   Supply chain managers call spare stock a buffer: goods held back for when a shipment fails.

   Conflict can close shipping routes and delay key farm inputs, BSI's Emily Field says. [13]

   Seen it before

   A family keeps spare pasta in the cupboard for the week the shop runs out.

   The truth

   • The figures are surveys of professionals and firms, not counts of lost sales. [13]
8. 11

   Dumped waste lands on a farm near Peterborough

   What happened

   • About 30 tonnes of processed waste was dumped on a farm near Peterborough, England. [15]
   • Farmer Peter Sharpley says he will pay about £1,500 in insurance excess to remove it. [15]
   • Clearing it himself needs a special licence, and leaving it risks prosecution, he says. [15]

   How it unfolded

   Sharpley says this year brought his worst harvest since 1976, and his crops will make a loss. [15]

   Why it matters

   The CLA, a landowners' group, says dumping of processed waste is growing near roads out of London. [15]

   Think it through

   1. 1

      Why dump waste on a farm?

      Legal disposal pays landfill tax, so criminals dump it instead, the CLA's Cath Crowther says. [15]

      Landfill tax due→Waste dumped on farmland→Farmer pays to clear it
   2. 2

      How big is the problem?

      Nobody knows: official fly-tipping figures leave out private land, Crowther says. [15]

   3. 3

      What do landowners want done?

      The CLA wants police, councils and the Environment Agency to work together and prosecute more. [15]

   How it works

   Dumpers avoid landfill tax by leaving waste on farmland, and then the farmer must pay about £1,500 to clear it.

   The idea, in story 03: Why salmon farmers offer lobster fishers money for closed waters →

   The truth

   • Cambridgeshire Police are investigating a broken gate at one of Sharpley's fields. [15]
9. 12

   Isle of Man leader wants more local food

   What happened

   • The Isle of Man's new chief minister, Chris Thomas, says relying on imports is among its main challenges. [16]
   • Storms and broken runway lights cut the island's sea and air links at the end of October. [16]
   • Thomas wants more support for local farming, to make the island rely less on imports. [16]

   Who is involved

   One of his first meetings was with the Manx National Farmers' Union. [16]

   • Chris Thomas the island's new chief minister

   Why it matters

   The island's food arrives with firms that must reach it by ferry or plane. [16]

   Think it through

   1. 1

      Is the Isle of Man's government storing more food?

      A storage building is going up on Cooil Road in Braddan, Thomas says. [16]

   2. 2

      Will it ask people to stockpile at home?

      No: he says household stockpiling will not be a major priority. [16]

   The truth

   • Thomas says emergency preparedness is not among his top five priorities. [16]
10. 13

    Red Tractor drops a cheaper grain standard

    What happened

    • Red Tractor, a British farm assurance scheme, has dropped plans for a lower-tier feed grain standard. [14]
    • The standard was meant to give growers a simpler, lower-cost route into the feed grain market. [14]

    Who is involved

    Red Tractor sets standards for farms growing crops such as grain and sugar beet. [14]

    How it unfolded

    1. Now consultations open
    2. 22 December consultations close

    Why it matters

    Growers hoping for a cheaper way to sell feed grain lose that route. [14]

    Think it through

    1. 1

       Will its planned 27% cut in crop checks save farmers time?

       Probably not: inspection times are likely to stay about the same, despite 27% fewer audit points. [14]

       Audit points27% fewer

       vsvs

       Inspection timeabout the same
    2. 2

       Who gets a say on the changes?

       Arable farmers are being asked for their views on the crop proposals. [14] Some will be disappointed by the inspection times, Farmers Weekly says. [14]

    What comes next

    Consultations on pigs, poultry and fresh produce are also open. [14] They close on 22 December. [14]