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Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

science

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14:13

24/09/2024 Labour Party conference, solar farm...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/24

The Labour Party conference is underway in Liverpool. Last week we heard from the Liberal Democrats and next week we'll report on the Conservative Party conference. Agriculture is a devolved issue, so the budget and how it's spent is up to governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed spoke at the Labour conference. He told us a land use framework will be published before Christmas, but details of funding for farmers

11:53

23/09/24 - Upland farmers in trouble, new planning...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/23

Farmers in the Lake District have lost an estimated 10 million pounds in funding, in a year - and some are now under severe financial pressure. So says the National Farmers Union, which claims there are limited opportunities for upland farmers to tap into the Government's new ELMS - Environmental Land Management schemes - which are replacing the old EU system of farmer support in England. We visit one farmer who says he's been left in limbo.The new Government wants to build more one and a half

24:51

21/09/24 Farming Today This Week: Radical change to...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/21

Radical changes to food safety are being proposed. The Food Standards Agency is discussing removing responsibility from cash strapped councils and relying instead on data collected by food companies and supermarkets. Chris Elliott, professor of food safety at Queen’s University Belfast and Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, says more work and more consultation is needed.As the Met Office predicts another autumn and winter of destructive floods, a number of flood

14:07

20/09/24 - English devolution, funding for rural...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/20

A new report is calling for more investment in rural areas. The Rural Coalition says the English countryside has the potential to generate billions, but chronic underinvestment is costing jobs and money. Meanwhile, the Government is promising a "devolution revolution", with new mayors soon to be elected in Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire. So will that help when it comes to rural investment?Rural homelessness is often a hidden problem and it can be hard to find help and support. We visit a

14:07

19/09/24 - Radical changes to food safety proposed,...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/19

Radical changes to food safety are being proposed. The Food Standards Agency is discussing removing responsibility from cash strapped councils and relying instead on data collected by food companies and supermarkets. Under plans discussed yesterday by its board the FSA would take direct control of things like hygiene and food standards for large companies, leaving local authority inspectors to concentrate on smaller businesses. It has piloted the idea, working with five retailers and says the system

14:10

18/08/24 Trail hunting; Blackberries; Skylarks.

Farming Today ·

2024/09/18

It is 20 years since fox hunting was banned by Tony Blair’s Government. Since then, those who enjoyed the sport have adapted to trail hunting instead. That is where a trail is laid across countryside for hounds and horse riders to follow. There is no kill at the end. However animal rights campaigners say trail hunting is a smokescreen for real hunting and Labour said it would ban trail hunting in its manifesto. The public were invited to attend trail hunts around the country to see how it works. We

14:05

17/09/24 Lib Dem party conference; Farmland birds; Peat

Farming Today ·

2024/09/17

It's party conference season and Farming Today will be covering the three main conferences. This week, the Liberal Democrats meet in Brighton. Their relative success in the recent General Election has given them a boost, and many of their new constituencies gained this summer are in rural areas. The big question is budget. Before the election the Liberal Democrats promised £1 billion a year more, for the Environmental Land Management Scheme which replaces old EU payments in England. Different

11:56

16/09/24 More farmland conservation needed for wild...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/16

Britain’s declining wild bird populations will only recover if more farmland is set aside for conservation, says the RSPB.A legal challenge to a new forest on a vast moorland in the Scottish Borders has forced its owners to stop planting. As the Met Office predicts another autumn and winter of destructive floods, a number of flood defences in England damaged during last winter's storms are yet to be fixed. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

24:41

14/09/24 - Farming Today This Week: Farming...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/14

DEFRA has confirmed there has been a £358 million underspend of the agricultural budget over the last three years. It follows unconfirmed reports in the press that the new Government plans to cut the future budget by £100m a year. So what would that mean for farming businesses and the environment?We visit the 225th Westmorland County Show to see the livestock on show, talk politics with young farmers and enjoy tasters in the Food Hall.The UK fishing industry is renewing its calls for the Government

14:03

13/09/24 Sinking ropes to save minke whales, cod...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/13

More than 50 minke whales and basking sharks get tangled up in fishing gear around the Scottish coast each year. We hear about efforts to stop it from happening. The fishing industry wants the Government to negotiate a better deal for fishing for cod in Norwegian waters.With energy prices rising this Autumn, the ability to generate your own power is increasingly attractive to farmers. Growing crops like miscanthus or willow to harvest and burn to produce your own on-farm electricity is one way of

13:51

12/09/2024 Westmorland Show, farming budget...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/12

Small livestock farms are most at threat from cuts to the agriculture budget yet are in areas of the country that we most need to invest in, for nature, climate and public access; that’s according to environmental thinktank the Green Alliance.Caz Graham visits the Westmorland County Show, just outside Kendal in Cumbria, to discuss sheep, cheese and politics.Produced by Beatrice Fenton.

14:07

11/09/24 - Agriculture budget, overfishing, bottom...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/11

The health of the fishing industry relies directly on the number of fish in the sea, and the balance between conserving fish stocks, while also catching enough to make a living, is in constant tension. The Blue Marine Foundation charity has launched legal proceedings over the previous Government's decision to set fishing levels on multiple UK stocks above the level suggested by scientific advice. DEFRA says catch limits have been set in line with obligations under the Fisheries Act 2020 and the

13:50

10/09/24 - Wet harvest weather, Cornish fish freezing...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/10

Waterlogged fields, wet crops, delays and lower yields - the reality of harvest 2024 for many UK farmers. It's been a really difficult year. This winter, rainfall was 60% above average in England, and that came after the wettest 18 months since records began in the 1830's. That hit the sowing of both winter and spring crops. The summer has been the coolest since 2015 - according to the Met Office - which has meant a delayed harvest and extra costs to dry the crop.We visit a new fish freezing centre

11:39

09/09/24 - A UK Fishing Strategy, elm disease and a...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/09

The UK fishing industry is renewing calls for the Government to develop a Fishing Strategy - the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations says with strategies for energy and conservation impacting on fishing areas, a strategic approach is needed. There are just under 5,000 fishing vessels registered in the UK - ten years ago there were nearly 6 and a half thousand.One of the largest surviving populations of elm trees in the UK is under threat - experts say its increasingly difficult to

24:42

07/09/24 Farming Today This Week: bluetongue vaccine,...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/07

The Government plans to cut the budget for nature friendly farming in England by £100m, according to a report in the Guardian. It claims that civil service sources say the cut is needed to help fill a £22 billion treasury shortfall. The reduced spending could affect the new Sustainable Farming Incentive which replaces the old EU system, paying farmers for environmental benefits produced on their land. Nature and farming groups have reacted with consternation. We ask how significant would a cut of

13:58

06/09/24 - Bluetongue, temperate rainforests and...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/06

The government has agreed to the use of 3 vaccines within the UK - subject to licence - to try and stop the spread of bluetongue. It follows of confirmation of the infection on a new premises in Yorkshire. Bluetongue is a virus carried by biting midges blown into the UK from northern Europe - it’s currently widespread in the Netherlands. It is unpleasant for animals that contract it and can result in death. We get the latest from the UK's Chief Vet.We visit a temperate rainforest in West Wales,

14:14

05/09/24 Claims of nature friendly farming budget...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/05

14:02

04/09/24 - NI water quality, farmer clusters and...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/04

Less than a third of Northern Ireland's surface waterways are in good ecological condition, and targets to improve them by 2027 are likely to be missed. That's the conclusion of a damning report by the Office for Environmental Protection, which criticises lack of leadership at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland. The report says that despite a draft plan to manage waterways being drawn up back in 2021, it still hasn't been finalised, let alone

13:58

03/09/24 - Pharmacy deserts, Biodiversity Net Gain...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/03

Rural areas across England are in danger of becoming 'pharmacy deserts', as medicine providers across the country continue to consolidate and close smaller branches. That's according to the National Pharmacy Association, which has published a study showing that over the last two years, nearly nine in ten council areas in England have lost pharmacies. It found that rural areas often rely on fewer providers, so are harder hit by closures.We visit a farm in Essex which has signed up to a 32 year

11:30

02/09/24 Super resistant potatoes, mussel farming,...

Farming Today ·

2024/09/02

Scientists have made a major breakthrough which could save the Scottish potato industry from collapse. They've identified varieties which are both palatable to consumers and resistant to a pest which is spreading across the country. A new report has revealed that part of the seabed off Devon which had been trashed by years of trawling and dredging is being revitalised. Research by the University of Plymouth shows that within just 10 years the former shellfish reef has been transformed.All this

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