Farming Today

24:56

Farming Today This Week 12/09/26 Bluetongue disease,...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/12

The number of bluetongue cases since the first of July in the UK has now topped a thousand. That’s nearly three times the number of positive cases for the whole of the previous year to that date. How are farmers feeling about the UK’s largest ever outbreak of this livestock disease?There have been fears that livestock movement restrictions imposed to try to halt the spread of the outbreak could disrupt this autumn’s big sheep sales, which play a critical role in the shepherding year. One of UK’s

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13:44

11/09/26 Bluetongue disease, sheep rustling, Kelso...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/11

The number of bluetongue cases since the first of July in the UK has now topped a thousand. That’s nearly three times the number of positive cases for the whole of the previous year to that date. How are farmers feeling about the UK’s largest-ever outbreak of this livestock disease?There have been fears that livestock movement restrictions imposed to try to halt the spread of the outbreak could disrupt this autumn’s big sheep sales, which play a critical role in the shepherding year. One of UK’s

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13:55

10/09/26 Sustainable dairy farming; Falkland salmon;...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/10

UK dairy cows produce around 15 billion litres of milk every year and each litre comes with an environmental cost: methane and greenhouse gas emissions; energy and water use; and potential pollution. Scotland’s Rural College, SRUC, has completed a study looking at what the dairy sector needs to do to improve sustainbility and reduce its impact on the environment, while staying resilient and profitable. The report was commissioned by The Dairy Roadmap, an industry-wide initiative to improve the

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13:41

09/09/2026 UK's self-sufficiency in food; bio-gas...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/09

Britain is producing less food now than 30 years ago, with lower levels of self sufficiency in 10 out of 11 key food stuffs grown by UK farmers. That’s according to a new report from the National Farmers Union which argues that food production been overlooked as a national priority by successive governments. The UK's biomethane network says producing green energy could offer an "incredible opportunity" for farmers. The National Energy System Operator - or NESO - is responsible for planning and

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13:59

08/09/2026: Spy in the tractor cab? Surrey hops, The...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/08

A Westminster think tank has warned that internet-connected technology has the potential to be used by China to spy on the UK food system. The Coalition on Secure Technology describes itself as a cross-party group of policymakers and experts. It says that components which allow devices like tractors and crop monitoring drones to connect to mobile networks could present a security risk, with the majority of these 'Internet of Things' modules being made in China.Think of English hop growing and you

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11:57

07/09/26 Government call for evidence on gamebirds,...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/07

Every year, huge numbers of pheasant and partridge are raised across the UK for shoots, with around 40 million released into the countryside. Now the Government is launching a call for evidence to understand the welfare and environmental impact of the birds, which are kept in enclosures before their release.As farmers decide how they're going to manage next year's crops, the cost of fertiliser and fuel will be in the mix. But what if you could farm without fertiliser or diesel? This week we'll be

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24:54

Farming Today This Week 05/09/26 Bluetongue; food...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/05

As the UK experiences its worst ever outbreak of the livestock disease bluetongue, we find out how government vets and scientists are coping as they deal with thousands of cases. The trade union which represents them says morale is low and the workload is mountainous. They say more long term strategic planning is needed and better pay to address staff shortages.How well prepared are we for a major threat to our food security? Not quite well enough, according to the National Audit Office report on

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13:52

04/09/26 National Audit Office report on food...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/04

How well prepared are we for a major threat to our food security? Not quite well enough, according to the National Audit Office, which is publishing a report later today on resilience in England’s food supply chain. Why strawberry growers have found their plants are still producing healthy, even bumper crops much later than usual. There are only around eleven hundred calling male corncrakes in the UK, but that number may be about to grow. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

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14:04

03/09/2026 Scientists dealing with bluetongue, Lough...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/03

As the UK experiences its worst ever outbreak of the livestock disease bluetongue, we find out how government vets and scientists are coping as they deal with thousands of cases. The trade union which represents them says morale is low and the workload is mountainous. They say more long term strategic planning is needed and better pay to address staff shortages.Scientists in Northern Ireland are using DNA methods to help identify the exact source of pollution in Lough Neagh. It's the fourth summer

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13:58

02/09/2926 Data centres on farmland, harvest in Uist,...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/03

The many pressures on land use are coming into sharper focus in Scotland where opposition is growing to a series of large AI data centres planned across the central belt, between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The ruling Scottish National Party’s national council is calling for a moratorium on building them. Most of the centres are to be built on open countryside, and farmers are among the people who have raised concerns. However the boss of one data centre company claims the centres could bring a boost to

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14:02

01/09/26 Crisis loans, pasture for drought...

Farming Today ·

2026/09/01

Farming groups from around the country are pressing for what they are calling 'a government-backed, interest-free Keep Britain Growing Loan' which they say will help farmers maintain cashflow and fund next season’s crop production.How using pasture sown with a diverse mix of grasses, legumes, and deep-rooted herbs and rotational grazing can help in times of drought.Finding out exactly what species are in a river can be challenging, but environmental DNA sampling is a relatively new tool which can

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11:49

31/08/2026: Wildlife corridors

Farming Today ·

2026/08/31

Anna Hill travels on a safari with a difference, across North Norfolk, to discover how dozens of farmers have joined together to create connected corridors for wildlife and farming. She explores four projects funded by FiPL (Farming in Protected Landscapes), follows a 26-mile mega-hedgerow across 14 farms; a 10 mile corridor of wildflower margins along a river bed; follows a new shepherdess moving a flock of sheep across contiguous arable farms to fertilise the soil; and sees the extraordinary

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24:49

29/08/2026: bluetongue, future crops, lavender farm

Farming Today ·

2026/08/29

With the livestock disease bluetongue still spreading across the UK, we speak to a Dutch vet about how they coped with a massive outbreak there in 2023, and what we can learn. This week we've been looking at what crops farmers might grow in the future to cope with a changing climate - whether precision-bred crops, or turning to traditional varieties. And we're at a lavender farm in the Lake District. The farm uses several varieties of the aromatic herb, including those from Provence in

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14:00

28/08/26 Licensing firearms and shotguns, lavender in...

Farming Today ·

2026/08/28

The system for licensing firearms and shotguns in England and Wales is not fit for purpose and should be replaced to ensure public safety. That’s the conclusion of a report published today by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services.When Sandi Thornton started growing lavender on her 30-acre farm in the south of the Lake District, some neighbours did raise a quizzical eyebrow. Two years on, the lavender beds are getting established and there’s a distinctly purple

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14:09

27/08/2026: Beef imports, Miscanthus

Farming Today ·

2026/08/27

Farmers in the UK are urging the government to ban imports of beef from Brazil amid fears that it's not produced to the same high standard. The EU and Norway have already imposed bans because of Brazil's use of antibiotics, which they fear could lead to resistance. In the US cattle farmers are angry about President Trump's plan to allow beef in tariff-free to bring consumer prices down. They say it'll undermine their industry. And we visit a long-running trial of miscanthus at Aberystwyth

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14:02

26/08/2026: gene editing, Bernard Matthews factory...

Farming Today ·

2026/08/26

UK scientists working on gene-editing of crops will get access to European markets after the European Parliament voted to relax rules around the practice. We speak to a scientist from Rothamstead Research. We also meet scientists working on gene editing of wheat to make it more resilient to climate shocks. And what does the closure of Bernard Matthews' Derby factory mean for the wider turkey production sector? We hear from the editor of the publication Food Manufacture. Presented by Anna Hill

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14:01

25/08/2026: Milk prices, bluetongue, future crops

Farming Today ·

2026/08/25

The drought, and the livestock disease bluetongue, are having an effect on milk production, with yield down by 1.5 milllion litres every day, according to the industry body the AHDB. The shortage is pushing up prices for farmers. We speak to a Dutch vet about how bluetongue developed there three years ago. They had a huge outbreak which led to the loss of tens of thousands of cattle and sheep. Since then a vaccine has been developed. And we're looking at future crops, bred to be resilent in a

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11:59

24/08/2026: bluetongue, future foods, farm app

Farming Today ·

2026/08/24

More cases of the livestock disease Bluetongue have prompted the Scottish Government to impose tighter movement restrictions. It's the first year the midge-borne disease has reached Scotland. There are fears it could disrupt the up-coming ram sales season which involves the movement of thousands of sheep. With the weather so unpredictable and extreme this year, we're taking a look this week at how we can grow food differently, or use different crops. We speak to a scientist at the National Institute

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24:39

22/08/26 Solar power - a panel discussion exploring...

Farming Today ·

2026/08/22

It’s been a summer of drought, extreme heat for much of the UK, lots and lots of sunshine, and all week on Farming Today we’ve been talking about solar energy, from large scale solar developments to roof top panels on farm buildings. It's a topic that raises blood pressures: some rural communities feel that too much good growing land is being turned into an industrial landscape as solar panels march across fields; others say it's a small price to pay for clean renewable energy ; and for farmers,

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14:16

21/08/2026: Drought farmer, biodiversity on solar...

Farming Today ·

2026/08/21

We revisit a vegetable farmer who told us during the second drought in June that he was having to use extra water to try and get his crops established. Will Shakeshaft from Greens of Soham says he's had hardly any rain since then, and his potatoes and beetroot are struggling, with yields and quality down. A new report using information gathered over 12 years shows that biodiversity can thrive alongside a solar farm - if it's planned and managed correctly. The report was produced by Suffolk

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