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Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

science

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13:44

18/12/25 Loss leaders, small ducks, historic houses

Farming Today ·

2025/12/18

We ask why veg is always a loss leader at this time of year, and whether farmers suffer as a result. For the price of a first class stamp you could buy 21 kilos of carrots if you head to one of the discount supermarkets. The stamp would cost you £1.70, the carrots are on sale at 8p for a kilo. Who takes the hit?Extreme weather events mean it’s become hard to predict how farmed poultry will turn out come Christmas. We meet an organic farmer in Devon whose birds are smaller following the hot, dry

13:56

17/12/2025 Planning reforms and the environment,...

Farming Today ·

2025/12/17

Village churches are as much a part of our rural landscape as trees and hedgerows. However according to a recent survey by the National Churches Trust, as many as nine hundred of Britain's countryside churches are in danger of closing in the next five years. We visit a church in North Cumbria where the farming community is determined to save it. We also speak to the National Churches Trust about their fears for the future of small rural churches.There's also discussion of the latest government

14:00

16/12/2025 MPs challenge prime minister about...

Farming Today ·

2025/12/16

The Prime Minister has told a select committee he is aware of the pressure farmers are facing because of the government's plan to reimpose inheritance tax on them. However, despite close questioning from his own MPs, he made no commitment to change. Sir Kier Starmer was in front of the Liaison Committee which is made up of all the Chairs of the House of Commons Select Committees, who head up investigations into government departments. The countryside charity the CPRE, says it's concerned that most

11:59

EU tractor protest, hill farm nature reserve,...

Farming Today ·

2025/12/15

Caz Graham talks to the President of the Irish Farmers Association, Francie Gorman, about the journey he's embarking upon from Dublin to Brussels by tractor as part of a Europe wide protest. Farmers are concerned about Common Agricultural Policy reforms, which could see the budget ringfenced for farm subsidies cut by around 20%. They're also angry about the potential impact of a trade deal between the EU and the South American bloc MERCOSUR, which could mean an increase in beef from Brazil and other

25:03

13/12/25 Farming Today This Week: turkeys; rural...

Farming Today ·

2025/12/13

Despite the impact of avian flu, which has been devastating for some turkey farmers, the industry says there will not be a shortage this Christmas. Poultry farms were hit so badly in 2022 that many farmers brought in contingency plans to cope with the possibility of the disease striking them.Rural roads are significantly more dangerous than urban ones. The latest figures from the Department for Transport show that 956 people were killed in 2024, that's 72% more than on urban roads. The figures have

13:49

12/12/25 Abattoirs, Farm sitters, Welsh rare breeds

Farming Today ·

2025/12/12

The Food Standards Agency has agreed to a public consultation on the fees it takes from abattoirs. They are charged by the FSA for their official vets and meat hygiene inspectors who monitor food safety and animal welfare. The smallest abattoirs already get a 90 percent discount, but under the new system being proposed that reduction would benefit more businesses.We’ve been exploring the world of rare and native livestock breeds all this week, and they don’t come much rarer than the Ancient Cattle

14:13

11/12/25 Colorado Beetle, fairness in arable supply...

Farming Today ·

2025/12/11

The Colorado Beetle which is a major threat to potato crops has been officially eradicated from the UK. It was last identified on a farm in Kent in 2023. It's distinctive, with orange and black stripes and can completely strip the leaves off potatoes and other leafy plants like tomatoes and aubergines. Farmers are being asked for their views as part of a consultation to ensure fairness in the supply chain for arable crops. Defra wants to hear from growers, processors and industry bodies over the

13:48

10/12/25 Swine fever, Turkeys, Rare breeds

Farming Today ·

2025/12/10

The Spanish region of Catalonia is still coping with the arrival of African Swine Fever, which was first diagnosed in wild boar on November 28th. There have now been thirteen confirmed cases in wild boar, and 80,000 pigs are having to be slaughtered as a precaution. The authorities are looking into the possibility that the disease may have leaked from a research facility. Despite the impact of avian flu, which has been devastating for some turkey farmers, the industry says there will not be a

14:04

09/12/25 Off grid communities, rural road deaths,...

Farming Today ·

2025/12/09

Thousands of people are still not connected to the National Grid and rely on generators for power, according to the energy regulator. Ofgem estimates up to 2000 properties in the UK are still off-grid. Some have been asked to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds if they want a connection. Now a charity in Northumberland, where Ofgem identified a particularly large cluster of off-grid households, says the government should do more to help. Despite higher than average rainfall across some of the

11:43

08/12/25 Rare breeds, sprout harvest, vets...

Farming Today ·

2025/12/08

The Governments of the UK need to do more to support native farm animal breeds. That's the view of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust which says that while there have been many warm words about the importance of rare and native breeds, clarification is needed on what the post-Brexit support schemes will offer. And the Trust says government funding should be given to the national gene bank.The sprout harvest in Scotland is in full swing, with hundreds of tonnes being cut for Christmas. Has it been a

25:00

06/12/25 Farming Today This Week: rural traditions...

Farming Today ·

2025/12/06

Rural traditions, from morris dancing to dry stone walling and tartan weaving, could be internationally protected by UNESCO. The government has launched its search for examples of living heritage to go onto an inventory.With dairy companies continuing to cut the prices they pay farmers for milk, the man appointed to ensure fairness and transparency in the UK agricultural supply chain says he'll be watching out for any breaches in the coming months. Richard Thompson is the first in the new

14:03

05/12/2025

Farming Today ·

2025/12/05

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.

13:59

04/12/25 Inheritance Tax, Drought, Cider

Farming Today ·

2025/12/04

A group of Labour MPs with rural consitituancies have urged the Government to think again on Inheritance Tax Changes, with some abstaining on a Commons vote on the issue earlier this week. This is the ongoing row over the Government's plan to re-impose inheritance tax on farming and business assets over a million pounds, which was introduced in last year's budget and is due to take effect from April next year. Ministers insist the plan is fair and say its time to move on.The cost to arable farmers

13:51

03/12/2025

Farming Today ·

2025/12/03

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.

14:18

02/12/2025 African swine fever, Bluetongue, Ethical...

Farming Today ·

2025/12/02

The UK has temporarily banned all imports of pig products from Spain afrer an outbreak of African Swine Fever in wild boars there. It's their first case since 1994. The disease is spread by ticks and can be devastating to commercial herds. The National Pig Association here says it's vital our government puts adequate controls at borders to keep the disease out. Northern Ireland has had its first case of bluetongue, in County Down. The government has introduced a 20km restriction zone to control

11:31

01/12/25 Government's environmental improvement plan,...

Farming Today ·

2025/12/01

The government's new environmental improvement plan for England is launched today. The Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs has set out what it calls 'an ambitious roadmap' with a 'clear plan to restore the environment.' That encompasses a new plan to stop pollution from forever chemicals, tougher measures on waste crime and more tree planting. They also highlight £500 million worth of funding for the landscape recovery schemes, long term, big scale projects where landowners work

24:32

29/11/25 Farming Today This Week: Farmer protests...

Farming Today ·

2025/11/29

Farmers were in London again to protest about the re-imposition of inheritance tax on farming and business assets of more than £1 million, something announced last year. In her budget, the Chancellor made a change to transferring inheritance tax allowances between spouses, but farmers said it wasn't enough.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

14:03

28/11/25 Rural depopulation, organic dairy, potato...

Farming Today ·

2025/11/28

36 per cent of people who live in rural areas or on islands in Scotland are considering leaving, blaming a range of things from healthcare and ferries to housing shortages. The majority who plan to stay praise the strong community spirit and quality of life. These are the findings of a new study from Scotland's Rural College. Researchers say rural and island areas of Scotland continue to face population decline and have looked at what happens in other countries - Canada, Sweden and Croatia - to see

13:39

27/11/2025 Budget and inheritance tax, farmer protest

Farming Today ·

2025/11/27

Farmers were in London again to protest about the re-imposition of inheritance tax on farming and business assets of more than a million pounds - something announced last year. In her budget, the Chancellor made a change to transferring inheritance tax allowances between spouses, but farmers said it wasn't enough. Presenter = Charlotte SmithProducer = Rebecca Rooney

14:00

26/11/25 Planning bill and environmental protections,...

Farming Today ·

2025/11/26

Conservationists have accused the government of turning its back on nature in the new planning bill which is making its way through parliament. The RSPB says the legislation is creating a new tried and untested process which will put nature and nature markets at risk.We often talk about exports of produce like beef and dairy but exporting farm animal genetics is also big business. The industry estimates that around 70 per cent of the world's farmed poultry orginates from UK breeding stock, while UK

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