The future of farming will be debated this week as the UK’s Oxford Farming Conference gets under way with an address from Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

One of the themes of this year’s conference, the annual meeting of the agricultural establishment, will focus on the need for change, both in the way farms are operated and funded.

This year will be the last during which farmers will operate under the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). CAP Reform comes fully into force in 2015.

Other speaker’s include the outgoing president of the National Farmers Union Peter Kendall and Dacian Ciolis, the EU Commissioner for Agriculture.

Sessions on the impact of social media on farming businesses, young people in dairy farming, rural tourism and better management of natural resources also feature.

More reports to follow