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Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

science

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13:50

24/06/25 New labs for animal disease, 5G farm...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/24

Work has officially begun to create a new National Biosecurity Centre. It's being built on the existing Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) site, at Weybridge in Surrey. The whole project is costing between two and three billion pounds and is expected to take until 2033 to complete. The APHA was recently criticised by the National Audit Office, which said facilities there were not adequate to prevent or cope with contiguous national animal disease outbreaks such as foot and mouth and avian flu

12:01

23/06/25: Ag graduates, sustainable livestock,...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/23

We look at what the prospects are for modern agriculture students, and what they're studying - from land management and vet science to AI and robotics. The Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers says the Scottish government should be doing more to help the sector recover from falling cattle numbers. Meat imports are putting pressure on farmers. But the government says it is committed to keeping numbers up while working to keep emissions down. And we hear about a trial to find ways of making

24:59

21/06/25 Farming Today This Week: Royal Highland...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/21

Despite Climate Change Committee warnings, the Scottish Government says it will not reduce livestock numbers.Some good news on rural crime, but livestock theft remains high.Could a trade deal with the Gulf States open the door to low-welfare meat imports?Mud sunscreen for pigs: farmers tell us what they do for livestock and crops to combat a heatwave.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

13:54

20/06/25 Royal Highland Show: livestock numbers and...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/20

Farming Today comes from the Royal Highland Show on the outskirts of Edinburgh. The Scottish rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon has said the Scottish government will not reduce livestock numbers, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee. She told farmers Scotland would reach its net-zero targets in other ways. Robert Neill, vice president of NFU Scotland, explains how new high-frequency digital ear tags will make it easier to track cattle in Scotland.Scotland has big ambitions for its

13:37

19/06/25 Farming in a heatwave, seaweed farms

Farming Today ·

2025/06/19

Mud sunscreen for pigs: farmers tell us what they do for livestock and crops to combat a heatwave.And seaweed farms, which aren't always popular with local residents.Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

14:06

18/06/25 Gulf States trade deal, subsidy phase out...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/18

The NFU has confirmed it sent a private letter to the Prime Minister, raising concerns over a prospective trade deal with the Gulf States. It said the deal could open the UK up to imports of low-welfare meat from the Gulf, and more importantly, many other countries around the world. Although meat from the Gulf States might come up to UK hygiene standards, some welfare groups are concerned about the conditions animals are kept in, and the intensive nature of production, especially poultry.Annual

14:08

17/06/25 Agricultural jobs, organised livestock...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/17

Anna Hill finds out how new farming technology could mean more jobs, not fewer. A new report from The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture says the expansion of artificial intelligence apps collecting data and providing real-time advice will mean recruiting and training more people, to give farmers technical support. In Northern Ireland, stealing farm animals is being linked to organised crime, and it seems the current high stock values are making them even more attractive to criminals.As

12:00

16/06/25 Scottish abattoir closure, seaweed farm,...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/16

A Scottish abattoir has closed with the loss of 90 jobs. Scotbeef at Inverurie has been shut. The company says an operational review concluded it was necessary to protect the long-term future of the business amid industry challenges. Earlier this year the number of cattle in Scotland fell to its lowest for a decade and farming groups called for government support to rebuild the national herd, warning that some abattoirs might close because they'd become uneconomic. All this week, we’ll be talking

24:59

Farming Today This Week - 14/06/2025

Farming Today ·

2025/06/15

Livestock moving into Wales from England will have to be tested for the disease bluetongue from the first of July, after the Welsh Government decided not to join England in a nationwide restriction zone. Wales and Scotland have no cases of bluetongue so far this year and hope testing and vaccination will keep it out. But livestock organisations say it'll cause chaos at the borders with huge delays and financial losses for farmers. This week the Chancellor unveiled her spending review, which

14:01

13/06/25 Bluetongue restrictions in Wales, bottom...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/13

Livestock moving from England to Wales will have to be tested from next month. The Welsh Government says that once the whole of England becomes a restricted zone for the bluetongue disease on the first of July, animals will have to test negative for the disease before they can go into Wales. There have been no cases of bluetongue in Wales, or in Scotland this year. There the government also decided earlier this month that animals should be tested if they're coming from a restricted zone. Earlier

13:51

Farming Today (12/06/2025): Farming reaction to the...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/12

Farmers say they're relieved that feared cuts to nature-friendly farming budgets didn't materialise during the chancellor's spending review. More money has been allocated to farming schemes, though Defra's budget itself is facing cuts of 2.7% in real terms. We speak to the Wildlife Trusts and the National Farmers' Union.The biggest event in the arable farming calendar - Cereals - is being held in Lincolnshire. We speak to the host, and learn about new drone technology to help spray delicate

13:56

110625: Bluetongue, journey of a loaf, food waste

Farming Today ·

2025/06/11

There are calls for Wales and Scotland to join England in imposing a country-wide bluetongue restriction zone to try to contain the virus. Neither Wales nor Scotland currently have cases of the disease, which affects sheep, cattle and goats; if they don't join the restriction zone, livestock will effectively be banned from crossing the borders. This week we’re following the journey of a loaf of bread ...from seed to shelf. So far we've heard about developing wheat seed and growing the crop. Today

14:03

Farming Today (10/06/2025): Sea pollution, genetic...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/10

As the UN Ocean Conference continues in Nice, the Marine Conservation Society aims to remind us that all land and river-based pollution, including agricultural run-off, will end up in the ocean. They're calling for a more joined-up approach to farming and fishing more sustainably.Scientists at Rothamsted Research have genetically modified an oil seed plant with a red flax to create fish feed that provides antioxidants and the red colour in salmon and shrimp. Though not authorised in the UK, the GM

12:04

09/06/25 Onshore salmon farm plans, breeding wheat,...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/09

Grimsby could become home to the UK’s first large-scale onshore salmon farm. A judicial review has upheld North East Lincolnshire council’s decision to grant it planning permission. An animal rights group had challenged the development on fish welfare grounds. However a high court judge ruled that animal welfare concerns could be a key planning consideration in future planning cases.This week we’re following the journey of a loaf of bread, from seed, to the field, to the mill and eventually the

25:06

07/06/25 Farming Today This Week: Farm incomes up,...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/07

Eggs up, wheat down: what’s made the most cash for farmers? The Welsh government's plan to protect the environment, increase biodiversity and punish polluters. And warnings of innovation brain drain without more investment in agri-tech.Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

14:00

04/06/25 - Animal disease outbreak preparedness,...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/04

The government is unlikely to be able to cope with a severe outbreak of animal disease like Foot and Mouth, according to the National Audit Office. In a new report, it says key public bodies including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, have been working so hard to manage outbreaks of diseases like avian flu over the last six years, that long term resilience is being undermined and there is no long-term strategy.The artificial fertilisers

14:06

03/06/25 - Welsh Environment Bill, small abattoirs...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/03

A new law which is intended to protect nature and reverse the loss of wildlife has been introduced by the Welsh Government. The Environment Bill aims to allow members of the public to challenge organisations in Wales, including councils, on environmental issues such as water pollution. If passed, it will set up a new Office of Environmental Governance, to enforce environmental law, and Ministers in the Senedd will have to set targets to reduce pollution and manage ecosystems.We visit Down Land

12:00

02/06/25 - Possible DEFRA budget cuts, falcon...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/02

There are concerns from wildlife and farming groups that the upcoming Spending Review will see the budget for nature-friendly farming schemes being cut, with money targeted only at smaller farms. We hear from farmers about what that could mean.We visit a falcon breeding facilities which supplies birds to the Middle East for the sport of falcon racing.And £5 million pounds is on offer as part of the Farming Innovation Investor Partnerships competition, which offers government money alongside private

24:52

31/05/25 Farming Today This Week: Drought in north...

Farming Today ·

2025/05/31

The Environment Agency says the north west of England is in drought. One farmer tells us this year's crops are already ruined because of a lack of water.Two proposed reservoirs have been given 'nationally significant' status by the government to speed up the planning process. Decisions on the Lincolnshire Reservoir which is planned for an area near Sleaford and the Fens Reservoir near March in Cambridgeshire will now be accelerated. Ministers say the law will also be changed so that in the future

14:03

30/05/25 - Galloway National Park turned down, the...

Farming Today ·

2025/05/30

Plans for a new National Park in Galloway and Ayrshire have been dropped. The Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary, Mairi Gougeon, has announced that following a consultation, the park doesn't have enough support locally, and so will not go ahead.In the Broads National Park in Norfolk, a rise in the number of deer is having an impact on habitats and farmland. A drone survey to asses the numbers has revealed as many as 20 per square km. Work is underway to generate a market for local venison to help

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