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Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

science

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13:59

15/04/2026 Fuel protests in Northern Ireland, waste...

Farming Today ·

2026/04/15

Farmers in Northern Ireland have been holding tractor protests and blocking traffic. They’re asking for more financial help as they face rising fuel prices. The government in the Republic of Ireland has told farmers there, that 100 million euros are being made available to support them. The huge rises in fuel costs since the war in the Middle East, may be putting pressure on households across the UK, but farmers say their costs are being pushed so high, they could be facing a crisis for their

13:47

14/04/2026 Plastic costs, carbon tax, National Parks

Farming Today ·

2026/04/14

Prices are starting to increase for the plastic wrap and twine that farmers will need to store grass silage feed through the year. Plastic is made using fossil fuel, which is increasing in price as a result of the war in Iran. We speak to Jack Cordery of Mole Valley Farmers who says supplies are already starting to tighten. With prices for fertiliser also rising because of the war, there are fears that a new carbon tax coming in in January could make things worse for farmers importing it. The

11:54

13/04/26: Alternative fertilisers, Capercaillie in...

Farming Today ·

2026/04/13

War in the Middle East has led to price shocks in fertiliser and fuel for farmers. The situation puts a sharper focus on products already being developed to reduce reliance on imported fertiliser. We hear about two innovations: granular fertiliser produced from byproducts including incinerated chicken droppings, and a fertiliser using nutrients extracted from human urine which is being trialled in a project to grow native trees in Wales. And, we're touring some of the UK's National Parks this week

24:45

11/04/26 Farming Today This Week: Wildfires,...

Farming Today ·

2026/04/11

In a week that has seen several wildfires break out across the country, we hear from Dr Matthew Jones, who leads a group researching wildfires across the globe. He explains to Charlotte Smith why the risk of wildfires is so high in the Spring months. We also hear from a farmer still dealing with the aftermath of wildfires last year. The impact of the Iran conflict has led to government concerns about a potential shortage of CO2 - an important ingredient in many food and drink production processes.

14:01

10/04/12 Wildfire season and recovery after moorland...

Farming Today ·

2026/04/10

The Derbyshire Fire Service is urging people to take more care after they were called to a wildfire across 18,000 square metres on Tuesday. This week has also seen two wildfires in West Yorkshire - where fire crews tackled another one last month, as well as a fire on heathland in Dorset. After the wet winter you might have thought that fires were less likely but fire officers warn that although the ground is damp, the recent dry spell means grass can catch light quickly and spread the blaze. We

14:03

09/04/26 C02 plant back up and running, planting in a...

Farming Today ·

2026/04/09

Farmers in the North East of England have welcomed the re-opening of the UK’s only carbon dioxide production plant after 6 months of inactivity. It was mothballed last year, after the US trade deal made it unprofitable. But the war in the Middle East has led to government concerns about CO2 shortages, and they’ve awarded a £100 million pound grant to the Ensus bioethanol factory at Redcar to re-start production. Paludiculture is the practice of farming on wetlands, like bogs or re-wetted peatlands

14:12

08/04/26 Avian influenza, tenant farmer code in...

Farming Today ·

2026/04/08

Free range poultry in England and Wales will be able to once more venture outside as the government lifts mandatory housing measures. The deputy chief vet says the risk of bird flu is now low enough to let commercial poultry range outdoors.Mutual respect, better communication and clarity of both intentions and expectations - those are the key principles behind the new ‘Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice’ for Wales, just published by the Welsh government. Planting spring barley as a

13:57

07/04/2026 Illegal meat, geothermal glasshouse,...

Farming Today ·

2026/04/07

More government funding for security and extra spot checks is the only way to stem the tide of illegal meat being smuggled into the UK. That’s according to Dover Port Health Authority who say they intercepted more than 14.2 tonnes of illegal meat in the last week of March. It’s not just a health risk to those who might eat it, there’s also the danger of highly contagious animal diseases like swine fever and foot and mouth disease entering the country in contaminated meat. With foot and mouth

11:36

06/04/26 Fifty Years of Photographing Farmers

Farming Today ·

2026/04/06

Devon-based photographer Chris Chapman has been photographing Dartmoor and the people who live there for more than 50 years. He's turned his camera many times on farmers and agricultural workers to depict daily life in the countryside.Chris tells reporter Fiona Clampin about documenting the changing face of agriculture over the course of half a century, including in 2001 a series of harrowing images taken on one Devon farm at the height of the foot and mouth crisis. The resulting book, Silence at

24:33

04/04/2026 Farming Today This Week: Ferry disruption,...

Farming Today ·

2026/04/04

Warnings that animal welfare is at risk on some Scottish Islands because of widespread disruption to ferry services.Ripples from conflict in the Middle East are felt in UK ports; the fishing industry is asking the Government for help with fuel costs. Every spring in a quiet corner of England on the Herefordshire Gloucestershire border carpets of wild daffodils can still be seen in the fields and woodlands, thanks to carefully managed farming and forestry practices. And as it's lambing time, so

13:34

03/04/26 "Muddy Fingers" McGurn

Farming Today ·

2026/04/03

Farmer Roger Corrigan is a born storyteller. Now in his 80s, he has spent all his life farming in Fermanagh and is full of tales about the changes he's seen and the characters, history and folklore of the area. Roger keeps cattle and sheep on his 460 acre farm in west Fermanagh and is a keen supporter of environmentally friendly farming. So, when he was invited to take part in a project which paired artists and farmers together to highlight farming and environmental issues, he was happy to work

14:03

02/04/26 Ferries and islanders on Barra, rare breed...

Farming Today ·

2026/04/02

There’s concern that animal welfare may be at risk on some Scottish islands because of widespread disruption to ferry services. Eight ferries serving islands on the west coast of Scotland were out of service earlier this week. Calmac, Caledonian MacBrayne, the government owned company that runs them, describes the situation as critical with almost every island affected. NFU Scotland says there’s a risk vital supplies like feed and fertiliser won’t arrive on crofts and farms when they are needed

13:58

01/04/26 Rural fuel poverty; emissions from sheep;...

Farming Today ·

2026/04/01

Fuel prices continue to dominate the headlines, the war in the Middle East has led to them shooting up in recent weeks, causing real concern to those in rural areas who aren’t connected to the gas mains and rely on oil for heating. The £50 million pounds-worth of emergency funds announced last month by the government to help vulnerable rural households are now being distributed by rural local authorities in England and through other mechanisms in the devolved nations. It’s all put a sharp focus on

13:39

31/03/26 Record livestock mart figures, lambing list,...

Farming Today ·

2026/03/31

Livestock markets in England and Wales have reported record breaking figures for 2025. The latest numbers from the Livestock Auctioneers Association show that turnover was up almost half a billion pounds, to just under 3 billion in total, a twenty percent rise, year on year. That’s despite a reduction in the number of both sheep and cattle in the UK. We ask the Livestock Auctioneers Association why turnover has risen so much. All week we're looking at the sheep sector. Across the UK lambing is

11:59

30/03/2026: Fishing industry hit by fuel costs. A...

Farming Today ·

2026/03/30

The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations is asking the Government for help with rising costs because of the conflict in the Middle East. The NFFO says it's difficult to pass on the hike in diesel prices to customers, because fish are sold at auction. It has written to the Minister for Food Security, Angela Eagle, pointing out that some European countries have already announced support packages to help with rising prices. By the end of last week, the average UK price of diesel for fishing

25:03

28/03/26 Farming Today This Week: trail hunting;...

Farming Today ·

2026/03/28

The Government has opened a consultation on its proposals to ban trail hunting in England and Wales. Anti-hunt campaigners argue it’s a smokescreen for the continued illegal hunting of foxes. Country sports enthusiasts say trail hunting takes place within the law, and those who break it are prosecuted under existing legislation.As war in the Middle East continues to disrupt global supplies of fuel and fertiliser, there are concerns about CO2 shortages. CO2 is a by-product of fertiliser manufacturing

13:41

27/03/26: Trail hunting ban consultation, How WWII...

Farming Today ·

2026/03/27

The Government has opened a consultation on its proposals to ban trail hunting in England and Wales. There’s already a ban in Scotland. The Westminster Government committed to stopping the practice in its Animal Welfare Strategy published in December. In trail hunting hounds follow a pre-laid animal-based scent. It replaced traditional fox-hunting after that was banned in England and Wales in 2004. Anti-hunt campaigners argue it’s a smokescreen for the continued illegal hunting of foxes. Instead

14:05

26/03/26 Scottish rural policy, green gas, Victorian...

Farming Today ·

2026/03/26

The Scottish Government's published details of its support system for farmers. Agriculture is devolved and since Brexit, each of the UK's four governments has set up its own system for financially supporting farmers. In Scotland, farmers and crofters have been digesting the details of the new five-year plan. Payments will be allocated up to 2031 with the biggest changes coming in the last year. It's been broadly welcomed by NFU Scotland but others have described it as 'stuck in the past.' Leaders

14:02

25/03/26 Environmental regulation, geese, The...

Farming Today ·

2026/03/25

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee have called for the merger of the Environment Agency and Natural England. In a new report the committee criticises both organisations - saying that environmental regulators are 'spread too thin to protect nature while delivering reforms'. We speak to Wildlife and Countryside Link which represents dozens of conservation groups to see if they think a merger would work. Farmers and crofters are calling for more help to control geese. Warmer winters mean more geese

22:00

24/03/26 Middle East conflict and supply chains,...

Farming Today ·

2026/03/24

Conflict in the Middle East will continue to have an impact on global supply chains even after hostilities cease, so say The Agricultural Economics Society who are marking their 100th birthday at their annual conference in Oxford. Will it impact food prices in the supermarket too?Seafood processors say they're concerned that imports of shellfish won't meet new regulations which recognise crustaceans like lobsters as sentient beings which can feel pain. Under the Animal Welfare Strategy they must be

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