Farming Today

13:44

06/10/26 Rural connectivity, dry stone walls,...

Farming Today ·

2026/10/06

The Farmers Union of Wales says it's very concerned about new rules which they say could see rental incomes cut by 90%. The FUW estimates that a revaluation of thousands of existing agreements could affect 15,000 masts, and if the changes put off farmers going into mast agreements, connectivity in rural Wales could be hit. We hear from a sheep farmer in Radnorshire, who's had a mast on his land for more than 20 years but the rent for it has been halved.As we continue our look at boundaries this

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11:31

05/10/26 Pig industry in crisis, beating the bounds,...

Farming Today ·

2026/10/05

Pig farmers say they're losing thousands of pounds a week as prices fall, but costs, particularly of feed, are rising. Processors have given notice to some farmers, saying they no longer want to buy their pigs. The National Pig Association is warning an oversupply this autumn could push prices down further. All this week we'll be looking at the hedges, fences and dry stone walls that mark out fields and how they've shaped the farming landscape. In some parts of England and Wales, including in

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25:03

Farming Today This Week: food industry...

Farming Today ·

2026/10/03

An anonymous group of senior executives from retailers and food suppliers is warning that 'short term thinking' in the industry is driving up food prices and that farmers are being left to face the financial risks of an increasingly umpredictable supply chain.Diesel prices hit an all time high this week, with drivers paying almost £2 a litre, according to the RAC. The conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt supplies of fuel, pushing up prices. Farmers don’t get their fuel from filling

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14:01

02/10/26 Food industry climate whistleblowers, farm...

Farming Today ·

2026/10/02

An anonymous group of senior executives from retailers and food suppliers is warning that 'short term thinking' in the industry is driving up food prices and that farmers are being left to face the financial risks of an increasingly unpredictable supply chain. This week we’re talking about how young people can find a career in agriculture, and the apprenticeship route is a popular one, especially for students from family farms who are needed to work at home to keep the farm going but also need and

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14:18

01/10/26 Red diesel; Labour party conference; getting...

Farming Today ·

2026/10/01

Diesel prices hit an all time high this week, with drivers paying almost £2 a litre, according to the RAC. The conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt supplies of fuel, pushing up prices. Farmers don’t get their fuel from filling stations, they buy it in bulk and use what’s called “red diesel” - it’s dyed red and is much cheaper - with less fuel duty to pay because it’s only for use in off-road machinery. Industry surveys estimate farmers are paying an average of around one pound 18 pence

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13:55

30/09/26 Nitrogen in soil, organic veg scheme,...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/30

New research shows that improving the nitrogen-cycle in the soil can significantly reduce emissions. The study took in evidence from around the world - the international research team analysed 2,235 comparisons from 210 experimental sites. We speak to one of the report's authors Professor Simon Willcock director of sustainable farming systems at the University of Reading.A project in Cardiff has been helping low income households buy organic fruit and veg. Around 120 shoppers received a Planet Card

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14:02

29/09/2026: Precision breeding, Community farm,...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/29

UK scientists leading research on precision breeding - or genetic editing - say uncertainty around the law in England could put investors off and jeopardise our competitive edge. The technology has rapidly taken hold of plant breeding and development, and has been used to develop vitamin D-rich tomatoes, and bananas that don’t turn brown. But there are still many questions surrounding the technique, for farmers, for trade and consumers too. A judicial review this summer found flaws with the way the

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12:08

28/09/2026: Disease resilience, getting young people...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/28

The new president of the British Veterinary Association is calling for more resilience against disease outbreaks. As the UK battles a huge outbreak of the livestock disease Bluetongue, and there are warnings of a new pig disease in the Netherlands and Denmark, Dr Gwen Rees says as a profession, vets need to make sure they are ready to act. It comes following National Audit Office reports warning that Defra’s animal disease response plans leave the UK’s food security vulnerable to major supply

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24:43

26/09/26 Farming Today This Week: 'shambolic' and...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/26

'Shambolic', 'disheartening' and 'carnage' - some of the words being used by farmers to describe the application process for England's biggest farm environmental scheme that opened, and closed, on Tuesday. This is the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which pays farmers for environmental work, like planting hedges or improving soil. On Tuesday, the total budget available was £253 million, it was a first come, first served system, with thousands of farmers applying and in six hours all the money had

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14:02

25/09/2026: Heating oil costs, Bluetongue lessons,...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/25

The millions of people in rural areas who rely on oil to heat their homes have seen prices rise by 40 per cent in the past two months alone. They're not covered by the energy price cap, set by the regulator OFGEM, which limits the increase that most will see this winter because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. More than a third of households have no access to mains gas but instead rely on fuels like LPG or heating oil.The Government body which works to safeguard animal health and public

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14:01

27/09/26 'Shambolic' and 'disheartening' SFI...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/24

'Shambolic', 'disheartening' and 'carnage' - some of the words being used by farmers to describe the application process for England's biggest farm environmental scheme that opened, and closed, on Tuesday. This is the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which pays farmers for environmental work, like planting hedges or improving soil. On Tuesday, the total budget available was £233 million, it was a first come, first served system, with thousands of farmers applying and in six hours all the money had

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14:02

23/09/2026: Bluetongue, Defra funding, Growing pulses

Farming Today ·

2026/09/23

Vets in the South West are testing breeding rams to see if the disease bluetongue has caused infertility. One vets practice in Devon said of the 500 rams they've tested, a quarter were a cause for concern. One farmer we spoke to has had to buy in extra rams to replace those found to be temporarily infertile. There's a warning the breeding season could be delayed, leading to fewer early lambs next year.The second window of funding for environmental schemes on farms has opened - and closed within

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14:16

22/09/26 Potato yields, Pulse growing

Farming Today ·

2026/09/22

UK potato growers could be facing losses of almost £170 million because of this summer’s heatwaves and drought. That’s according to new analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, a not-for-profit organisation which looks at the impacts of climate change. Add that to crop losses across Europe’s main potato growing countries - Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands - and we could be looking at 3.5 million tonnes fewer potatoes getting into the shops. We're looking at pulses this

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11:40

21/09/2026 Pulses, SFI 'haves and have-nots',...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/21

More beans please - should the UK be growing more pulses? The Food Foundation looked into the potential for these crops and concluded that the UK could and should be growing more of them.Farmers may have to prepare for disappointment as England's biggest environmental scheme re-opens for applications this week. This is the Sustainable Farming Incentive, the SFI, which pays farmers for environmental work. New analysis suggests that while 40,000 farmers are expected to apply for the SFI there is only

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24:35

19/09/2026 The role of farming co-ops, Shepherd...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/19

This week, we've been taking a closer look at agricultural co-ops, from very small-scale cooperative working up to huge dairy co-ops. Across Europe, it’s widely recognised that farmer collaboration can give agriculture a stronger voice in the food supply chain. We look at how they are working in different parts of the UK and ask if there is scope for more co-operative working.The BBC's Central Europe correspondent, Nick Thorpe, reports from Romania, where thousands of shepherds have taken to the

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13:46

18/09/2026: Lib Dem Party Conference, Glutinous...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/18

Party conference season is underway and so we'll be catching up with the rural and farming policies of the main parties around the UK over the next few weeks. The Liberal Democrats open their meeting in Brighton tomorrow. They're renewing their call for the government to protect food security by funding more on-farm reservoirs, so farmers can cope with increasingly frequent drought and deluge. The Lib Dem's Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs spokesperson, Tim Farron, tells us how the party would

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14:05

17/09/26 Farmer protests in Romania, sheedog trials,...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/17

There have been violent clashes during big farmer protests in Romania. Thousands of shepherds have been demonstrating in the capital Bucharest about an extension to a ban on the export of live sheep. We speak to the BBC's Central Europe correspondent to find out why.The battle to find the best sheepdog handler in Britain and Ireland has been won by a Welsh hill farmer for the second year. After a three day competition in the Cotswolds, he's been named the 2026 International Sheepdog Society Supreme

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14:04

16/09/26 Young trees in drought, wildfires,...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/16

Farmers have been assessing the damage done by the summer's severe drought, but it's not just low crop yields they've had to face. Woodlands have also suffered, especially younger trees which haven't had time to get fully established, which can take up to five years. In 2024-25 just over 10 million individual trees were planted in England. How many of those have died? And what can farmers do if they've planted trees using grant money but now have thousands of dead saplings on their land? We speak to

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13:55

15.09.26 Calls for a rural reset, how to harvest...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/15

The former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett has told the government to 'reset' it's rural policy, and 'learn from its mistakes' with inheritance tax. Speaking at an event launching the Countryside Alliance's 'Campaign for The Countryside', he said the government should also “set aside proposals to ban trail hunting” and he warned that “for our countryside to be sustainable, it requires a listening government.” We speak to the former NFU President Minette Batters who was also at the

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11:51

14/09/26 Calls for more farm co-ops, Hereford cattle...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/14

We hear calls for more ‘cooperative working’, to give farmers a louder voice in the food supply chain.When is a Hereford cow not a Hereford cow? How a dispute about breed purity has ended up in the High Court.And cultivating hemp and flax for building materials is now the focus of a trial project on a number of farms in Dorset.Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

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