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Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

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24:59

29/03/25 Farming Today This Week: Bird flu in a...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/29

Bird flu has been found in a sheep for the first time. DEFRA said the case in Yorkshire was on a farm where avian flu was present in captive birds. One ewe tested positive and has been culled, but her lambs and the rest of the small flock of sheep were negative. Surveillance of mammals for avian flu has been stepped up, partly because in the United States many dairy cattle and even some dairy workers have gone down with the disease. We speak to the chief vet.Avian influenza is at the forefront of

14:08

28/03/25 Investigation into supply chain arbitration,...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/28

Farmers are too afraid to use a government system that was set-up to improve their relationship with the supermarkets, according to a new investigation by BBC One’s Countryfile.All week we've been looking at the egg industry. Yesterday we heard about pullets, the young female chicks that grow into laying hens. But for every egg that hatches a female chick, there's another that hatches male, and cockerels can't lay eggs, which obviously renders them useless for egg producers. In the UK these chicks

13:47

27/03/25 Chancellor's spring statement, pullets,...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/27

The Chancellor's spring statement has drawn a mixed reaction from the rural community. Farming itself wasn't mentioned as such, Rachel Reeves focused on the government's agenda for growth and plans to build more homes. We speak to a professor from Newcastle University's Centre for Rural Economy to assess what it means for agriculture and rural communities.All this week we're looking at eggs, and today we focus on the farms which supply laying hens. We visit a pullet rearer which supplies egg

14:07

26/03/25 Red Tractor responds to farm assurance...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/26

Red Tractor has responded to an independent review into the assurance scheme. A report, published earlier this year, recommended more than 50 changes to the Red Tractor scheme, which is supposed to hold farmers to meet high standards on animal welfare, food quality and business governance. We speak to the interim chair about the changes Red Tractor's making as a result.The Environment Food and Rural Affairs select committee has been hearing more evidence about how border control points are managing

14:07

25/03/25 Bird flu in sheep, free-range eggs,...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/25

Bird flu has been found in a sheep for the first time. DEFRA said the case in Yorkshire was on a farm where avian flu was present in captive birds. One ewe tested positive and has been culled, but her lambs and the rest of the small flock of sheep were negative. Surveillance of mammals for avian flu has been stepped up, partly because in the United States many dairy cattle and even some dairy workers, have gone down with the disease. We speak to the chief vet.Avian influenza is of course at the

12:09

24/3/25 National pesticides action plan, egg week...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/24

The UK has set a pesticide reduction target of 10% over the next five years. The UK Pesticides National Action Plan from all four UK governments says it will support farmers and growers to reduce the potential harm from pesticides, so rather than farmers using 10% less, the plan wants more sustainable use which reduces the impact on the environment by 10%. While environmental groups have welcomed the plan they describe the target as modest. The government says that UK farmers reduced pesticide use

14:08

21/03/25 New National Forest, Biosecurity at the...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/21

England is to have a new National Forest. The Western Forest will be planted across Bristol, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset. It's the first national forest in 30 years. The government is putting £7.5 million towards it, with the same amount expected from the private sector and charities. The aim is to plant 2,500 hectares of woodland by 2030 and more by 2050. The National Forest chief executive says it won't be created at the expense of farmland.Biosecurity at our borders is a big issue.

14:16

20/03/25 - Fairness in the supply chain, biosecurity...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/20

There’ve been cases of foot and mouth disease in Germany, Hungary and Romania this spring. How would we fare if it crossed the Channel? We’re talking about biosecurity all this week, how to prevent disease, like FMD, from getting into the country and how to stop it spreading if it does. Livestock farmers have to follow strict rules when they move their animals. They also have to record all movements to ensure each individual cow or sheep can be traced in the event of an outbreak of a contagious

14:06

19/03/25 - Rural pubs, avian flu biosecurity and...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/19

Rural communities could find it increasingly difficult to save their local pubs following the decision to shut down a government grant scheme. The Community Ownership Fund, which helped groups to buy local assets such as pubs and parks, was set up as part of the Conservative government's levelling up programme. The Labour government closed the scheme earlier than originally planned.Poultry keepers across the UK must follow strong biosecurity measures to try to prevent the spread of avian flu. We

14:06

18/03/25 - Hare coursing, xylella and soil microplastics

Farming Today ·

2025/03/18

Farmers who've had illegal hare coursers on their land are warning it’s only a matter of time until someone is killed. Hare coursing involves betting on dogs chasing hares, and police say those taking part are often involved in criminal gangs and are using more and more extreme tactics.Xylella is a bacterial infection in plants spread by spittlebugs. It hasn't yet arrived in the UK but has had a serious impact on olive trees in the Mediterranean. Imported plants are being checked at the border to

12:09

17/03/25 Covid anniversary and its legacy on farms....

Farming Today ·

2025/03/17

It's five years since the first covid lockdown - for farmers it was in some senses business as usual, they carried on growing their crops and tending their livestock, but as high streets and restaurants shut, online shopping became the norm and there was a surge in demand for locally produced food. We catch up with a couple in Oxfordshire who struggled to keep up when demand for their veg boxes soared. However the pandemic changed their business for good, and they think made it more resilient and

14:06

14/03/25 - Farming Minister on closing the...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/14

The Farming Minister has told Farming Today that it's the success of England's biggest environmental scheme which has led to its closure. As we've reported this week, there has been a furious reaction to the Government's decision to close the SFI to new applicants. The government says it plans to 'reset' the scheme before re-opening it. The Sustainable Farming Incentive paid farmers for environmental work - farming and environmental organisations have criticised its closure, saying it will put

14:07

13/03/25 Farmers react to environmental scheme closure

Farming Today ·

2025/03/13

Today we look at the Government's decision to close the Sustainable Farming Incentive to new applicants with immediate effect. The SFI is a major part of the post-Brexit system of farm payments in England. The devolved governments in the other nations of the UK are developing their own schemes and in the meantime retain direct payments to farmers. In England those basic payments are being phased out and replaced by environmental payments. The Sustainable Farming Incentive is one of the new

14:04

12/03/25 - Planning and Infrastructure Bill and an...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/12

The Government's new Planning and Infrastructure Bill promises to bring about the 'biggest building boom' in a generation, delivering 1.5 million new homes, and developing green energy infrastructure across the countryside. The aim is to speed up planning decisions, but some landowners are worried the changes could mean a slew of compulsory purchase orders by public bodies - something that's being made easier in the bill.And we go out with an agricultural drone contractor, who is licensed and

14:07

11/03/25 - Foot and Mouth Disease in Hungary and...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/11

A case of Foot and Mouth has been identified on a dairy farm in the North West of Hungary. Imports from Hungary and Slovakia of meat and other animal products have been banned, to try to prevent the disease spreading to the UK. A similar ban has been in place on products from Germany following cases there in January, but concerns have been raised that German animal products have still entered the UK since then. We ask if UK border controls are good enough to keep UK farmers safe.And the vast

11:45

10/03/25 - Lead shot and agricultural contractors

Farming Today ·

2025/03/10

A voluntary agreement to phase out lead shot isn't working - according to a study by researchers at the University of Cambridge. They bought pheasants from butchers, game dealers and supermarkets across Britain this year, and found that of the 171 found to contain shot, 99% contained lead. That's despite a voluntary agreement in 2020 whereby UK shooting organisations agreed to phase out the use of lead shot - which is toxic - and move to alternatives like steel shot by this year. The British

25:02

08/03/25 Farming Today This Week: Impact of US...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/08

The American President Donald Trump wants farmers in the US to produce more for the domestic market as the rows over import tariffs continue. So what might this all this mean for them, for us and for global trade? For This Natural Life, this week on on BBC Radio 4, Martha Kearney visited Sir James Dyson on his farm in Somerset to hear what the natural world means to him, and how that is being reflected in his approach to farming.Bird flu continues to hit poultry farms across the country. Last week

13:58

07/03/25 - Rural connectivity, farmers co-ops and...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/07

Broadband speeds in rural areas are 26% slower than they are in urban areas and there are still parts of the country that have no mobile phone access at all. That's according to the Government, which has recently launched it's new ‘Digital Inclusion Action Plan’ to try and change that picture. They’re also looking to improve the digital skills of the 7.3 million people who they say lack the minimum essential digital skills for work. We find out what it could mean for rural Britain.Our food supply

14:08

06/03/2025 - What do Trump's tariffs mean for global...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/06

American farmers are being urged to produce more by their president. Mr Trump has imposed 25% tariffs on goods, including agricultural produce, from Canada and Mexico, and both countries are imposing retaliatory tariffs on American goods. As is China, which is the biggest market for US agriculture products. So what might this all this mean for them, for us and for global trade? For This Natural Life on BBC Radio 4, Martha Kearney visits Sir James Dyson on his farm in Somerset to hear what the

13:52

05/03/2025 - Pig supply chain, blossom watch and a...

Farming Today ·

2025/03/05

New rules for the pig supply chain are due to be introduced this Spring to help even-up what DEFRA describes as a 'power imbalance' between farmers and processors. The rules have been developed after a crisis in the industry caused by a combination of Brexit and Covid - when back in 2021, a shortage of staff at processing sites left farmers unable to send their pigs for slaughter, despite having contracts in place. So how much difference will it make?We find out about a project called FruitWatch,

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