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Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

science

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13:47

17/04/24 - Wet weather food impacts, farm...

Farming Today ·

2024/04/17

A total wipe-out of crops is now a possibility for some farms - it follows the record rainfall over recent months. Crops on thousands of acres of highly productive land have been destroyed and even now fields are too boggy for machinery to harvest or plant crops for the months ahead. So what impact will this have on our fresh produce supply chains?Tenant farmers "can't be left to go by the wayside" - that's the message from the NFU Tenant Farmer Conference. English farmers who rent some - or all -

14:06

16/04/2024 - New Welsh rural affairs cabinet...

Farming Today ·

2024/04/16

After farmers held protest against post-Brexit agricultural policy in Wales, is the new Welsh Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs ready for the challenge? In his first interview for the programme, Anna Hill asks him about the 10% tree policy, how they plan to tackle bovine TB and whether they're doing enough to clean up Welsh rivers.The Government has published its long awaited River Wye Action Plan, which includes the doubling of grants for farm slurry stores and up to £35

11:57

15/04/2024 Trail hunting, diversification,...

Farming Today ·

2024/04/15

Changes to farm support payments after Brexit, increasingly unpredictable weather, not to mention a cost of living crisis means farmers are relying more on additional income streams to boost their farm profits. We’re going to be looking into farm diversifications all this week, and while you might think the most common sources of extra income would be accommodation for tourists and things like farm shops, in fact letting out buildings for businesses and producing solar energy were the top two

25:01

13/04/24 - Farming Today This Week: Changes to flood...

Farming Today ·

2024/04/13

Changes have been made to the UK Government's Farming Recovery Fund after the NFU reported "major issues" with the scheme. The Fund was announced back in January, to provide up to £25,000 to farmers affected by Storm Henck to go towards repairs to their land. Four months later, this week the Government opened that fund to applications...and almost immediately some farmers reported problems... We are still in the midst of the worst Avian Flu outbreak we have ever seen - the highly infectious strain

14:05

12/04/24 Financial impact of extreme weather on...

Farming Today ·

2024/04/12

A new report has put a price on how much the changing climate is affecting farmers. Commissioned by WWF Cymru, looking specifically at Wales, it estimates that extreme weather events are already costing farms tens of millions of pounds a year. Can hill farming and conservation work together? Since taking over the tenancy of a Lake District farm in 2011, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has drastically reduced the number of sheep grazing on the hills, focusing instead on nature and

14:02

11/04/24 - Wet weather impacts, farming recovering...

Farming Today ·

2024/04/11

The UK Government's Farming Recovery Fund had opened to help farmers badly hit by Storm Henck back in January to pay for repairs to their land. The fund provides those who are eligible with up to £25,000 but some flood-hit farmers say they won't get as much as they'd hoped, because the pay outs only apply to fields within 150m of specific rivers.There are many different ways of rearing pigs. Piglets can either be born indoors or outdoors, then once they're weaned most are reared inside. There, they

13:44

10/04/24 - SSSI designations, flood fund and outdoor...

Farming Today ·

2024/04/10

Who should decide whether an area of land is of such great environmental importance it should be given legal protection? A bill being considered by Parliament at the moment wants the power to designate Sites of Special Scientific Interest transferred from Natural England - the Government’s own advisor for the natural environment in England - to the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs. The Private Member’s Bill has the backing of former DEFRA secretary, Thérèse Coffey, and two

14:04

09/04/24 - Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice,...

Farming Today ·

2024/04/09

The relationship between landowners and tenant farmers can be a difficult one - but it’s hoped a new Code of Practice could help improve things. It was one of the key recommendations of the Rock Review into tenant farming in England. The Tenant Farmers Association has called it a “major step forward”, saying “for too long tenants have felt marginalised and mistreated.”And we visit a state of the art pig farm to find out about a replacement for ‘farrowing crates’. These are the small pens where sows

12:01

08/04/24 Caged hens, young rangers and pig week.

Farming Today ·

2024/04/08

Should cages for laying hens be banned? The Scottish Government is consulting on phasing them out, in order, it says, 'to improve their welfare by allowing birds to exhibit their normal behaviours.' Egg producers warn it would mean Scottish consumers paying more for eggs - or potentially being offered English imports - and say the ban is being proposed without a full understanding of the larger enriched cages currently used. Farming Today hears from one producer who says the ban will hurt the

24:45

06/04/24 Farming Today This Week: Import charges, wet...

Farming Today ·

2024/04/06

The Food and Drink Federation says new labelling rules will cost food companies million of pounds. From October dairy and meat products for sale in Great Britain will have to have "not for EU" on the packaging, just as products on sale in Northern Ireland have had since last year. The Government says the aim is to make sure that Northern Irish consumers have access to the same goods. The FDF says that's unnecessary could have "grave and unintended consequences" for the UK food and drink sector. We

13:51

05/04/24 - Flooded farms fund, accessible footpaths

Farming Today ·

2024/04/05

Flooded and waterlogged farmers are asking what's happened to the Government's Farming Recovery Fund. It was announced after storm Henk back in January and offered up to £25,000 to farmers towards the clean up after the storm. Well since then, the rain has kept on falling - but no sign of the fund. We hear from one flooded farmer who needs the money to clean up a 10 mile stretch of flood debris.Today the Ramblers organisation launches its 'Outdoors Unlocked' campaign, urging the Government to

13:58

04/04/24 - 'Not for EU' labelling, share farming and...

Farming Today ·

2024/04/04

Muddled, costly and unnecessary regulatory burdens - that's the Food and Drink Federation's description of new labelling rules which it says will cost food companies million of pounds. From October dairy and meat products for sale in Great Britain will have to have 'not for EU' on the packaging. Just as products on sale in Northern Ireland have had since last year. The Government says the aim is to make sure that Northern Irish consumers have access to the same goods, as with the same labels there

24:57

30/03/24 Farming Today This Week: Protest at...

Farming Today ·

2024/03/30

Earlier this week English farmers drove tractors into London and held a rally outside Parliament, protesting at what they say is a lack of support for British food production. Just a few hours before that rally the Government announced a change in the rules for environmental schemes. Farmers will now only be able to put 25% of their land into schemes which take land out of food production to try to address concerns about food security. Brexit has cost Scotland up to £100m a year in 'lost' salmon

13:27

28/03/24 - Scottish salmon exports, basalt dust and...

Farming Today ·

2024/03/28

Farmed salmon was the UK’s most valuable food export in 2023, according to the HMRC, with £581 million pounds worth of international sales. But Scotland’s salmon farmers reckon they could have made far more, and that Brexit has cost them up to £100 million a year worth of exports.Flax is grown commercially to produce fabrics like linen in the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France and it was once common in fields around the UK too, but not any more. However, some small-scale flax producers are

13:37

27/03/24 - ELMs change, leather and otters

Farming Today ·

2024/03/27

The Government is placing a 25% cap on the amount of land farmers can take out of food production, and put aside for certain environmental schemes. Farmers can be paid for environmental actions - like growing seed for wild birds - as part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, or SFI, which is replacing the old EU farm subsidies in England. Now, new applicants who choose a selection out of 6 of the schemes, will only be able to put a total of 25% of their land into them. The new cap comes after some

13:36

26/03/24 - London farmer protests, Scottish herring...

Farming Today ·

2024/03/26

Farmers have been gathering in London's Parliament Square to protest about what they feel is a lack of support for British food production. Organisers said they have three demands: first, a ban on what they see as 'dishonest' labelling where food imported and processed in Britain can be labelled as British; second, they want the UK to withdraw from the Australian and New Zealand Trade Deals; and third, they want a clear plan for 'food security'.Herring used to be a mainstay of communities up and

11:09

25/03/24 The value of British wool; septic tank crisis.

Farming Today ·

2024/03/25

Why is wool so worthless for farmers? The price they get for a fleece barely covers the cost of shearing.And septic tanks in Cornwall in crisis because of wet weather.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

24:47

23/03/24 - Farming Today This Week: Universal credit,...

Farming Today ·

2024/03/23

Some farmers who already rely on state benefits are being told they need to look for paid work and ditch their farm businesses if they want to continue receiving those benefits. It’s happening because of changes in the way welfare is delivered, so farmers on Tax Credits are now being switched to Universal Credit. But eligibility for Universal Credit is calculated using monthly income and expenditure, which doesn’t sit well with very seasonal farm businesses.The Wildlife and Muirburn Bill has passed

13:37

22/03/24 Licensing for Scottish grouse shoots,...

Farming Today ·

2024/03/22

The Wildlife and Muirburn Bill has passed through the Scottish Parliament and brings in the licensing of grouse shoots, banning animal snares and changing the rules on the burning of heather. For the RSPB it's game changing legislation, for gamekeepers a disproportionate response.Conservation groups are calling for a clean up of an ancient woodland in Kent, which they say has been left devastated by the dumping of illegal waste. This is a place called Hoads Wood near Ashford, which is privately

13:11

21/03/24 - Universal Credit changes for farmers,...

Farming Today ·

2024/03/21

Some farmers who already rely on state benefits are being told they need to look for paid work and ditch their farm businesses if they want to continue receiving those benefits. It’s happening because of changes in the way welfare is delivered, so farmers on Tax Credits are now being switched to Universal Credit. But eligibility for Universal Credit is calculated using monthly income and expenditure, which doesn’t sit well with farm businesses where these can vary enormously depending on the season

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