Farming Today

14:03

30/07/26 Drought, food inflation, bluetongue

Farming Today ·

2026/07/30

Half of England is now officially in drought. The Environment Agency says it will enhance its monitoring of water levels and crucially for many farmers, step up controls on how much water can be taken from rivers and groundwater. The BBC's local radio stations have been devoting the day to agriculture and as part of this Farmwatch the BBC has been looking at the price of food and how much of what we pay goes to farmers. According to the Consumer Price Index from May this year, families are paying

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14:00

28/07/26 Campylobacter in chickens, community market...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/28

New research shows campylobacter - which causes gastro-intestinal illness in humans - is becoming more resistant to antibiotics as the number of intensive chicken farms increases. The research, led by scientists at Oxford University, found the number of strains of the bacterium was growing globally, with evolution advancing the most effective of them.This week we’re celebrating Farmwatch, where our BBC Local Radio stations in England are highlighting farming stories in their communities. Lush Greens

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11:48

27/07/26: Fresh produce checks, hot lettuce, BBC...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/27

The UK's fresh produce trade body has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham asking him to scrap proposed border checks on fruit, veg and flowers, which it claims could cost the industry £300 million. The controls are included in the reset of our trading relationship with the European Union, currently under negotiation. The checks for pests and diseases would affect imports to the UK from outside Europe. The chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium tells us around half of the fruit and veg

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24:34

25/07/26 Farming Today This Week: What's the best use...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/25

Charlotte Smith presents a panel discussion programme at the Royal Welsh Show, asking 'what's the best use of land in Wales?' With the Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability in the Welsh Government, Llyr Gruffydd; hill farmer and social media influencer, Gareth Wyn Jones; Dominic Hampson Smith, Vice Chair of Wales Young Farmers Clubs; and Rachel Sharp, Director at Wildlife Trusts Wales.Produced by Beatrice Fenton.

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13:45

24/07/26: Drought declared in North Wales, investing...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/24

July is on course to be the driest in Wales for almost 190 years. It means that North Wales and the Upper Severn catchment are the first areas in the UK to be declared officially in drought, this year. So far this month they've seen less than two per cent of the usual rainfall. Natural Resources Wales says river levels are approaching all time lows after a series of back-to-back heatwaves, with impacts on wildlife and soil. In South East England, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have been

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13:58

23/07/26 Royal Welsh Show

Farming Today ·

2026/07/23

Charlotte Smith is at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show in Builth Wells. She meets the Welsh Government's Cabinet Member for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llyr Gruffydd, who explains how he's aiming to make Wales' new farming support scheme better for farmers - but is there enough funding? We also hear about why professional shearers are so important, and check out the Sheep Village, which is new this year.Produced by Sally Challoner.

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13:57

22/07/26 Sugar beet factory closing, new Defra...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/22

British Sugar's factory at Cantley in the Norfolk Broads is to close, in February next year. Hundreds of farmers will now have to transport their crop much further afield for processing. The Cantley factory has been operating for more than a century, and currently processes about 120,000 tonnes of sugar every year, from beet grown by local farmers. It employs just over 100 staff.As prime minister Andy Burnham's new cabinet members settle into their new jobs, the Secretary of State at the Department

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14:03

21/07/26 Farm fatalities, dry potatoes, Welsh farm...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/21

Farming has one of the worst fatality rates of any industry sector in the UK and new research suggests the true number of health and safety incidents on farm is even higher than reported. The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) says 30% of farmers wouldn't log an incident because they fear inspections or legal consequences, and 34% think near misses aren't serious enough to report.The National Drought Group, which includes government agencies, water companies, conservation groups

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11:50

20/06/26: Milk price glimmers, Andy Burnham's rural...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/20

Heatwave conditions are particularly testing for dairy cows, and dairy farmers. Figures from the industry body, the AHDB, showed a 34 million litre reduction in milk arriving at British processors in June this year, compared to the same time last year, with the record temperatures the main cause. The UK is not alone, drops in milk production in Germany and France are bringing one small glimmer of hope. There are signs that the long slump in prices brought about by a global oversupply is starting to

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24:52

18/07/26 Farming Today This Week: Wildfires, hot...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/18

Tinderbox conditions see wildfires across the country and farmers harvesting at night to avoid the heat.We visit the Great Yorkshire Show, the latest stop on the Farming Today summer roadtrip. We've been at the Balmoral in Northern Ireland and the Highland in Scotland, next week we'll be in Builth Wells for the Royal Welsh. We've using the shows as an opportunity to look at agricultural policy; its devolved so each of the four nations have developed their own post-Brexit approach to farming, but

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13:56

17/07/26 The Great Yorkshire Show

Farming Today ·

2026/07/17

Farmers from across the UK have come to Harrogate to show off their livestock at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate. We hear from champion sheep breeders, competitive sheep shearers and pedigree cattle owners striving for a rosette. We also speak to farmers, the Defra secretary of state and the National Farmers Union president about the latest government policies designed to support agriculture.Presenter: Caz Graham Producer: Rebecca Rooney

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13:45

16/07/26 'Critical situation' for chicken site as...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/16

The poultry industry is calling for animal welfare and food production to be prioritised, as pressure increases on water supplies. This follows the closure of a chicken processing site in Devon due to a lack of water. All week we're looking at England's post-Brexit farm payment schemes, which reward farmers to farm more environmentally. We hear concerns that money will be tight and many farmers may miss out. And retail prices of chocolate should stay high to give farmers in west Africa a future,

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14:02

15/07/26 New UK Swiss trade deal, Farming in...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/15

A new trade deal is signed with Switzerland: it's welcomed by farmers, but will it go any way to combat a significant downturn in food and drink exports, while imports are on the rise?The Farming In Protected Landscapes scheme is part of the new system of farm payments being developed in England to replace the old EU subsidies. We hear how hill farmers are using it to help keep their business afloat.How a crackdown on deer can help keep the banks of Loch Lomond bonnie.Presented by Anna Hill and

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13:28

14/07/26 Wildfires on farms, England's environmental...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/14

Tinderbox conditions on fellsides and moorland have led to wildfires across the country. We hear from farmers in the centre of the blaze.This week we're looking at England's post-Brexit farm policy. The Sustainable Farming Incentive is the main subsidy scheme, which rewards farmers for environmental actions. It's up and running again after it was abruptly suspended in March last year, and Defra has just announced that 75% of the funding available in the first window, for smaller farms, has now been

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11:59

13/07/26 Support for Scottish pig farmers, English...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/13

Pig farmers in Scotland have welcomed a £2m emergency support package from the Holyrood Government, but say it's not enough to stop them losing money. An outbreak of African Swine Fever in Spain has led to an oversupply of pork across Europe which is significantly driving down wholesale prices. Farmers in Scotland and across the rest of the UK say they're losing thousands of pounds a week. We’re visiting some of the UK’s biggest agricultural shows throughout the summer, and this week we'll be at

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25:03

Farming Today This Week 11/07/2026 Crops in a mine,...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/11

How practical would it be to grow our food underground? It’s a question being investigated by researchers at the University of Shefffield who are growing crops more than a kilometre below ground-level in a working mine near Whitby. The Environment Agency has produced its first ever annual report into agriculture and water in England. Taking data from the last five years, it assesses the impact of agricultural pollution from farms, and how water availability is being managed. Non-compliance with

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11:39

10/07/26 Calls to ban bottom trawling to protect...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/10

Calls for wider bans on fishing with heavy gear that drags along the seabed to protect dolphins and porpoises.We visit Hugh Lowe Farms in Kent, who have been providing strawberries to Wimbledon for over 25 years.Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

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14:09

09/07/26 Growing crops in a mine, scallop fishing,...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/09

How practical would it be to grow our food underground? It’s a question being investigated by researchers at the University of Shefffield who are growing crops more than a kilometre below ground-level in a working mine near Whitby. They’re collaborating with Farm Urban, a company that specialises in vertical farming, but usually going up vertically rather than down; and they reckon this is the world’s deepest vertical farm.We’re taking a close look at commercial fishing all this week. Ten years on

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13:57

08/07/2026 Environment Agency agriculture & water...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/08

The Environment Agency has produced its first ever annual report into agriculture and water in England. It takes data from the last five years, to assess the impact of agricultural pollution from farms, and how water availability is being managed. Over the last five years there've been 19,018 inspections and 49 serious category one pollution incidents caused by farming. Non-Compliance with water regulations has dropped, but 40% of farmers are still breaking the rules. We speak to the Deputy director

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13:59

07/07/2026 Rehydrating dry grain, fishing resilience,...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/07

It seems we might have started a particular conversation about the very dry harvest in parts of the country. We spoke to a farmer, whose feed barley was a third drier than it should be. As a result, his crop was going to weigh less which means he'd get less money for it. Now he is considering adding moisture to the grain, after it leaves storage. We ask an arable expert whether that's something we'll see in future, and whether it's a good idea.We're discussing many of the challenges the fishing

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