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Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

science

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14:05

18/10/24 - COP 16, soil microbes, wine tourisim

Farming Today ·

2024/10/18

The UK is in danger of violating international agreements on restoring nature, that's according to the Wildlife Trusts. The Trusts' chief executive, Craig Bennet, tells us next week's COP 16 on biodiversity is a crucial chance for the Government to demonstrate how it will meet targets. Tom Heap explores the microscopic world of microbes, including an experiment to improve the resilience of wheat.Viticulture is one of the fastest growing parts of agriculture here in the UK. Recent data shows that

14:08

17/10/24 - Review of Defra's rules, decline in the...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/17

The government has announced that Defra should be a 'key economic growth department' and has ordered a review into its regulations and regulators. That's been welcomed by some, like the Country Land and Business Association, which says ministers need 'a laser like focus on identifying and removing the barriers to economic growth in the countryside'. The National Farmers' Union told us it wants a 'proportionate and predictable' regulatory environment for farmers. But others are more wary:

14:12

16/10/24 Bluetongue restrictions, champagne producers...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/16

Bluetongue disease continues to affect livestock across England, and into Wales. The virus, which can be fatal to sheep, is transmitted by biting midges, which breed in warm temperatures. Over the last few weeks, DEFRA has increased the areas where animal movements are restricted. We speak to a breeder in Suffolk whose pedigree flock is under lockdown because of the restrictions. He's been unable to sell his rams at market and has criticised the government for not tackling the disease sooner. He

14:08

15/10/24 - Renewable community benefits, English...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/15

New energy infrastructure projects like solar and wind farms don't always go down well with local communities. But what if people living nearby got cheaper energy bills or even owned shares in the development? When asked about new energy infrastructure last month, the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said he wants to "do deals with local people so they can see a benefit for their community". We find out how that could work for rural people.We visit Chapel Down on the North Downs in Kent. It's England’s

11:50

14/10/24 - Harvest 2024, eco-friendly twine, UK wine

Farming Today ·

2024/10/14

The 2024 wheat harvest is the second worst since records began in 1983, according to DEFRA. That won't be much of a surprise to famers across the country who have battled wet weather which has destroyed some crops and disrupted planting plans and harvest. What will it mean for farm businesses and consumers?We visit a trial in Cornwall which is testing if twine made from sisal could be an an eco-friendly alternative to wrapping bales of hay and straw in plastic netting. Sisal twine is made from

24:55

12/10/24 Farming Today This Week: charges for...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/12

Proposals for abattoirs to take on more of the cost of vets and meat inspectors are 'excessive and dangerous' according to the meat industry. The Association of Independent Meat suppliers or AIMS which represents both big and small slaughterhouses, says the Food Standards Agency's plan to remove or reduce the discount offered to smaller abattoirs risks 'single-handedly destroying the foundations of the British meat industry. The FSA have urged people to take part in their consultation.Farmers are

13:59

11/10/24 - Employment rights, beavers, Welsh slurry...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/11

The government has published its Employment Rights Bill - so what will it mean for farmers and the staff who work for them? Its key proposals include protection against unfair dismissal from day one, flexible working, improved rights for sick pay, bereavement and parental leave, and a move to regulate zero hours contracts. Most of the planned changes won’t take effect until 2026 and there’ll be a period of consultation between now and then. Conservationists have long argued that the reintroduction

14:07

10/10/24 Threat of the bark beetle to UK forestry,...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/10

How best to stop the spread of a tiny beetle that could have a huge impact on the future health and profits of UK forestry? From the end of this month all new planting of spruce, with a handful of exceptions, will be banned across much of the south east of England. The restrictions form part of the Government's plans to control the bark beetle, a pest which has caused significant damage to forests across Europe. It was first found in the UK in 2018, this latest measure is a new addition to current

14:11

09/10/24 - Natural capital report, Thames Water...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/09

We cannot achieve food security or climate stability without restoring nature according to a new report from Natural England, which outlines the value of the natural world to our society and our economy. The State of Natural Capital Report says the wildlife and countryside in England should be seen as a 'National Wealth Service' - an economic asset which is vital to national prosperity. It puts a figure on the value of some natural services - for instance it claims pollination is worth around 500

14:18

08/10/24 - Cell-cultivated protein, natural flood...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/08

More than a million pounds is being given by the Government to the Food Standards Agency, to decide what needs to be put in place to ensure new, "cell-cultivated" foodstuffs will be safe to eat. We hear from the FSA's Chief Scientific Advisor.The long-running case about whether the public can 'wild camp' on Dartmoor, will be heard in the Supreme Court, where a final determination will be made. The dispute is between Dartmoor National Park and landowners Alexander and Diana Darwall, who own Stall

12:03

07/10/24 Charges for abattoir inspections, water...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/07

Plans to get abattoirs to take on more of the cost of vets and meat inspectors are "excessive and dangerous" according to the meat industry. The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, (AIMS) which represents both big and small slaughterhouses, says the Food Standards Agency's proposal to remove or reduce the discount offered to smaller abattoirs risks "single handedly destroying the foundations of the British meat industry".' The FSA, which covers England, Northern Ireland and Wales, has issued

24:55

05/10/24 Farming Today This Week: 'Poultry police',...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/05

Poultry keepers say they can't access government websites to register their birds. From 1st October anyone who keeps birds has to register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, to help with monitoring bird flu outbreaks, even those with just one or two chickens. Failure to comply could mean a fine of £2,500. However bird owners who've tried to register say the system is not working. Defra says it's had a high number of applications and is working at pace to process them. Dairy farmers are finding

14:14

04/10/24 Poultry register, fishing and offshore wind...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/04

14:13

03/10/24 - Crisis in dairy recruitment, deer damage...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/03

Dairy farmers are finding it a real struggle to recruit new staff, according to the farmer-owned dairy coop Arla. They spoke to nearly 500 UK dairy farmers and just under 90% of them said they had advertised jobs and had few or no applicants at all. So what’s holding young people back from a life working with dairy cows in a career that can also involve robotics, veterinary science and data analysis to mention just a few of the skills involved in modern milk production? The UK is 97%

14:04

02/10/24 Flood task force, Conservative party...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/02

There's been more flooding across the country. Last winter saw the wettest period since records began in the 1830s and government figures show that more than a third of river catchments in England have reported either the wettest, or second wettest September to August period since 1871. We catch up with two farmers whose farms are flooded and the NFU about the government's new flood resilience taskforce and what it needs to do to make a difference. It's party conference season and we've been

14:13

01/10/24 New kept-bird register, US certification...

Farming Today ·

2024/10/01

From 1 October, all owners of poultry in England and Wales, must be registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, even if it's just one hen in the back garden. This can be done online, through the DEFRA website. The aim is to be able to track all kept birds, in the event of more bird flu outbreaks. The new rule also applies to pet birds such as budgies, cockatiels, parrots and finches, if they are given access to the open air. All birds either kept outdoors, or taken outdoors, must be

24:39

28/09/24 Farming Today This Week: Henry Dimbleby,...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/28

We’ve been reporting over the last couple of weeks about a £358m underspend over the last three years from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' £2.4 billion agriculture annual budget for England. Now, former DEFRA director and author of the National Food Strategy, Henry Dimbleby says it’s critical that this money isn’t lost from the farming budget. He also tells us what he wants to see in the government's new Environmental Land Management schemes, especially for upland farmers

14:23

27/09/24 - Henry Dimbleby, dead Scottish salmon,...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/27

We’ve been reporting over the last couple of weeks about a £358m underspend over the last three years from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' £2.4 billion agriculture annual budget for England. Farmers are furious at the scale of this underspend and there are concerns that the money will be lost for good in cuts in this autumn’s government spending review. Now a former Defra director says it’s critical that this money isn’t lost from the farming budget. Henry Dimbleby was

13:58

26/09/2024: Bluetongue; Welsh bog; rural planning

Farming Today ·

2024/09/26

As the first doses of bluetongue vaccine arrive in the UK, affected farms are to be surveyed about the impact of this latest outbreak. Unexploded Second World War bombs are one of the hazards for those aiming to restore a Welsh bog, Crymlyn bog sits alongside some major parts of Swansea's industrial heritage - an area targeted by the Luftwaffe.Farmers have been asked to comment on proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework for England. The consultation closed this week - with the

13:54

25/09/2024 Brownfield passports, green belt planning,...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/25

All week we’re looking at planning and the countryside. The government has announced plans for "brownfield passports", to fast track house building on brownfield sites. The countryside charity, CPRE, has welcomed the proposals to make brownfield sites the first choice for building new homes. It says we could build most of the homes we need on such sites and says this could be in rural areas, as well as urban ones. Green belt land was originally designed to protect the countryside from urban sprawl

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