A devastating new outbreak of avian flu – which has already wiped out wild bird populations across the UK – is likely to hit Britain in the spring. That is the stark warning made last week by ornithologists who said the disease has now established itself across many parts of the country.

“Wild birds arriving in Britain in a couple of months are very likely to trigger new outbreaks of the disease,” said Claire Smith, senior conservation officer for the RSPB. “A few months ago, I was relatively optimistic about its likely impact this year but outbreaks have continued throughout winter and the outlook for 2023 now looks much grimmer.”

The current bird flu epidemic is caused by the H5N1 strain of virus, which originated in intensive poultry farms in Asia and has since spread round the globe, with infected migrating birds playing a pivotal roll in its spread.

An annual pick-your-own pumpkin event at a farm had to be abandoned after water from a burst main caused a flood.

PYO Pumpkins in Hoo, near Rochester, in Kent, announced the closure on Sunday and promised refunds “in due course”.

The business at Berluncle Farm – which specialises in pumpkins, squashes and globe artichokes – opens every October for its pick-your-own event.

Southern Water said supplies in the area should be back to normal by Sunday night.

PYO Pumpkins said on its website: “You will get your refunds but please bear with us. This many may take 48 hours as we want to speak to our ticketing partners to find the best option for a mass refund.”

A spokeswoman for Southern Water said repairs were under way.

As farms began to panic about a likely shortage of labour caused by Brexit, the seasonal worker visa was presented as a panacea.

Just 2,500 people came to Britain in a pilot of the scheme in 2019. But when the predicted shortage came to pass the following year, it was expanded rapidly, before an assessment of the pilot could be concluded.

About 40,000 people will come to the UK under the seasonal worker scheme this year, and there are increasing concerns that the hastily constructed programme puts workers at risk of labour exploitation.

When the government review of the pilot was finally slipped out on Christmas Eve last year, it had some concerning polling from workers. It showed 29% of labourers said operators did not adhere to contractual agreements, almost half did not receive a contract in their native language, and 15% said their accommodation was not safe, comfortable, hygienic or warm.

During the Conservative leadership race, Liz Truss signalled her intention to expand the scheme, pledging: “We will make it easier for farmers and growers to access the workers they need, with a short-term expansion to the seasonal workers scheme, while working with industry to address longer-term skills shortages.”

A recent report from the Association of Labour Providers said the Home Office and Defra had not engaged with industry experts in establishing the rules, leaving workers vulnerable to exploitation.

People are being urged to take extra care to avoid causing fires in the countryside during hot weather, with some farmers saying they have lost thousands of pounds worth of crops.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said fires were one of the biggest risks faced by farmers during heatwaves.

One farmer told the BBC he lost around £40,000 worth of crops when one of his fields went up in flames last week.

England has experienced the driest start to the year since 1976.

The hottest ever temperature in the UK was recorded last Tuesday, with thermometers hitting 40.3C in Lincolnshire and more than 30 places reaching temperatures above the previous record.

David Exwood, vice president of the NFU, said even as the weather gets cooler, the lack of rain has increased the risk of field fires.

“There needs to be extreme care when people are out in the countryside because anything can catch fire in this weather,” he said.

Andy Barr, who owns an 800-acre farm in Lenham, Kent, had a 50-acre field of barley destroyed by a fire last Saturday.

Although he is hoping to claim on insurance, Mr Barr said the crop was worth around £40,000.

The rate at which infrastructure is built on prime farmland in England has risen a hundredfold in the past decade, a report has found, as it calls the country’s food security into question.

Farmland that could grow 250,000 tonnes of vegetables a year has been lost to development, with 300,000 homes built on prime land since 2010.

There was a huge rise in “best and most versatile” agricultural land set aside for housing and industry between 2010 and 2022, up from 60 hectares (148 acres) a year to more than 6,000.

Politicians have been looking at the way land is used in the country, as in order to tackle the climate emergency as well as feed people, farming must become lower-emission, more productive and increase biodiversity.

This means that low-grade farmland, which requires more irrigation and fertiliser, may have to be used for infrastructure instead of prime land, which is more efficient for growing food.

As well as being at risk from development, prime land is also more at risk of flooding, raising deeper questions about food security as Britain experiences more extreme weather events as a result of the climate crisis.

Sixty per cent of grade 1 agricultural land (more than 200,000 hectares) is within flood zone 3, the areas at highest risk of flooding.

CPRE, the countryside charity that published the report, is calling for the government to produce a comprehensive land use strategy, setting out what type of land should be used for which purpose and is asking for a “brownfield first” approach to housebuilding. It is also calling for a firm presumption against development on prime farmland.

Beavers are to be legally protected in England from being captured, killed, injured or disturbed without a licence, the government has announced.

From October, it will also be illegal to damage where they breed.

Earlier this week, the Wildlife Trusts had said a delay to the expected announcement put the reintroduction of beavers to the wild “in jeopardy”.

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said a clear management plan was needed to protect farmland before any law change.

Eurasian beavers, which were once widespread but hunted to extinction 400 years ago, have been reintroduced at sites across Britain.

The first wild beavers were released in Scotland in 2009, where the species was granted legal protection 10 years later.

In England, the government has now taken the first legislative step towards securing an amendment to the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 that would protect beavers from October.

That comes as the wider release of beavers into the wild is currently being considered.

Tony Juniper, who chairs Natural England, said: “This is an significant moment for beaver recovery, as we see a return of this species to its natural places in England.

“We are working closely with landowners, environmentalists and other stakeholders to develop practical guidance to ensure these wonderful animals are able to thrive in suitable habitats alongside people across England.”

It was after Laurence Candy lost most of his dairy herd to bovine tuberculosis that he decided he would no longer send animals to the slaughterhouse.

“It made me wonder if we can justify the industrial slaughter of sentient beings,” says the 50-year-old looking back on the event in 2017. “As a society, we have to question this.”

Since last year, Mr Candy has been working with a Scottish-based organisation called Farmers For Stock-Free Farming (FFSFF), which has been set up to support meat and dairy farmers who want to transition to animal-free agriculture.

He is now in the process of selling his remaining animals – 35 beef cattle – and concentrating instead on growing cereals such as oat, wheat, barley and broad beans.

Mr Candy is also switching to “veganic production”, which prohibits the use of manure, or any other animal product, to improve the soil. For this, he is working with a body called International Biocyclic Vegan Network, which promotes and certifies plant-based, organic farms around the world.

“It allows for two years to transition out of a livestock enterprise and establish suitable alternatives,” he says. “This approach enables the farmer to have a suitable timescale to develop their business plans, without a financial impact.”

Mr Candy adds: “I’m trying to add value. There’s currently very few farmers growing veganically, but obviously veganism is a growing trend in his country.”

Farm shops across the UK generate a massive £1.4 billion in sales nationally while employing 25,000 workers, the first substantial survey of its kind has shown.

The fresh findings were revealed today (2 March) by Harper Adams University at the annual Farm Retail Association Conference.

Researchers aimed to understand the impact farm shops have on communities, farmers and suppliers as well as the wider economy and the UK’s rural landscape.

The study found that there are an estimated 1,581 farm retailers nationally, employing 25,000 people, with sales totalling £1.4 billion.

Some 64% of farm shops expect sales to increase further in 2022 and a third of all farm shops have opened in the last 10 years.

Other findings showed that customers are attracted to shopping with farm retailers because of their quality of products, customer service and the farm setting.

A planned new restaurant for TV personality Jeremy Clarkson’s Oxfordshire farm has been refused permission.

Diddly Squat Farm, in Chadlington, is the site of the former Top Gear host’s Amazon Studios series, Clarkson’s Farm.

A West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) planning sub-committee declined the plan on Monday.

Clarkson said it would enhance farming and tourism in the area and the refusal meant a “very bad day for farming”.

When asked how frustrated he was, he said: “Very, and so will all the local farmers.”

Planning officers said the proposal to renovate a lambing shed into a restaurant was out of keeping with the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The shed was built in 2020 after a new flock of sheep was bought to diversify the farm business.

It has now been merged with another local farmer’s flock, the council said.

But council officers said the building has since been used, without planning permission, as a cafe and a bar area.