Farming Today

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

en

11:46

06/07/2026 Commoners can apply for government...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/06

Farmers who graze their livestock on what’s called Common Land in England were being excluded from the government’s new farming environmental support schemes - not because they didn't qualify, but because the Rural Payments Agency's computer system wasn’t up to the job of processing their applications. However, campaigners say that the system's being changed and commoners will now be able to apply.Changing sea temperatures, rising fuel costs and offshore windfarms are all challenges for the fishing

en

24:52

04/07/26 Farming Today This Week: Groundswell...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/04

Ten years of the regenerative farming festival Groundswell - we talk to farmers who were at the first event about how it's changed the way the farm.Chris van Tulleken says farmers and doctors want the same thing, for people to want to buy more real, unprocessed food.What will the Government's new 25 year Farming Roadmap mean for farmers? We ask the Secretary of State.Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

en

13:56

02/07/26 Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture 2026

Farming Today ·

2026/07/03

Ten years of the regenerative farming festival Groundswell - we talk to farmers who were at the first event about how it's changed the way the farm.Chris van Tulleken says farmers and doctors want the same thing, for people to want to buy more real, unprocessed food.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

en

13:59

03/07/2026 Farming roadmap, food security, protecting...

Farming Today ·

2026/07/03

We speak to the Environment Secretary about the government's new farming roadmap for England. It's 25 year plan and ministers say it'll give farmers the long-term clarity they need and access to the tools, technology, skills and supply chains 'to innovate, invest and grow with confidence for generations to come.' We find out what farmers at the regenerative farming event Groundswell think of it, and discuss food security and global volatility. Experts argue that the UK can't have a 'business as

en

13:50

01/07/2026 Muirburn, grain that's too dry, intercropping

Farming Today ·

2026/07/01

A new code of practice for the controlled burning of moorland in Scotland, which was due to be published on 1st July is being delayed, amid protests from gamekeepers that it won't work. Muirburn, as the controlled burning is known, is used by many gamekeepers to manage sensitive moorland to enable habitat for grouse, for shooting on many estates. Gamekeepers say it also reduces the vegetative load, which helps prevent wildfires. The Muirburn Code has been drawn up after months of work with

en

13:41

30/06/26 Scottish organic farmed salmon, soil health,...

Farming Today ·

2026/06/30

The organic certification body, the Soil Association, is warning it may withdraw from the farmed salmon sector unless higher standards are met. The organisation says while current standards are being satisfied, that's not driving the improvments in the industry that they want to see. They cite high fish mortality, unacceptable levels of sea lice, and the use of harmful chemical treatments. The industry body says its salmon farmers are committed to the highest standards of fish welfare and

en

11:42

29/06/26 Water resilience on farms, rural place...

Farming Today ·

2026/06/29

Calls for more government action to protect water supplies for farming.A series of workshops are taking place across Wales this year to collect hyper-local place names, particularly in rural areas.Later this week we'll be at Groundswell, the regenerative agriculture festival now in its 10th year. Regen ag puts an emphasis on soil, so this week here on Farming Today it's all about earth.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

en

25:02

27/06/26: Farming in the heat, England's Farming...

Farming Today ·

2026/06/27

This week farmers have coped with heavy thundery rain and record breaking temperatures. We hear from a pig farmer keeping his stock cool, a livestock auctioneer who's had to cancel sales due to the heat, and a major potato and beetroot grower contemplating an irrigation bill of £3 million this year. But for winemakers the sunshine has come at just the right moment.The Government has invested in strategic teams of specialist firefighters in England and South Wales to tackle wildfires. The Fire Chiefs

en

13:34

26/06/26 NI to miss its environmental targets,...

Farming Today ·

2026/06/26

Northern Ireland is 'largely' missing the targets in its own Environmental Improvement Plan. A report from the environment watchdog, the Office for Environmental Protection, says of 38 targets, just two are likely to be met and that ministers must now move from 'planning and strategies into delivery'. The heatwave isn't a problem for everyone - it's mostly welcome in vineyards. Some had a difficult spring with badly timed frosts, so winemakers are glad to see the sun at an opportune moment. We've

en

13:34

25/06/2026 The Farming Roadmap, emissions from...

Farming Today ·

2026/06/25

'The most significant moment for English agriculture since the Second World War'; that's the Government's claim for their Farming Roadmap which has just been released. We hear reaction to the long awaited 25 year vision for agriculture.The Climate Change Committee's annual report on the UK's greenhouse gas emissions says while agriculture is moving in the right direction, emissions aren't falling fast enough and adaptation is needed as well as mitigation. How farmers are coping with pigs in the

en

24:47

20/06/26 - Royal Highland Show, Scottish farming...

Farming Today ·

2026/06/20

The Royal Highland Show hopes to welcome 200,000 visitors across four days. In this programme we report from the show, hearing farmers' views on the Scottish Government's plan for a supermarket price cap on essential food items, speaking to the new Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs and hearing about the hardest job on the showground... ice cream tasting!Meanwhile in the south west of England, we hear about an emergency by-law that's been passed in Cornwall, to restrict the

en

13:56

19/06/26 The Royal Highland Show and Scottish...

Farming Today ·

2026/06/19

Around 200,000 visitors will be visiting The Royal Highland Show this week. Farmers and growers will be showcasing their produce at the Royal Highland Centre on the edge of Edinburgh. There are around 6000 entries, with trophies for everything from cattle, sheep and pigs to horses, honey and gelato. The Scottish Government made some announcements at the show too: they've brought forward plans for a Rural Renewal Bill and reiterated their plan to cap prices on supermarket essentials. Farmers are

en

13:42

18/06/26 Change of Defra Farming Minister, Scottish...

Farming Today ·

2026/06/18

After Farming Minister Angela Eagle’s reshuffling out of DEFRA, we hear why the farming industry really doesn’t like ministerial churn.We're looking at Scottish agricultural policy all week. There’s a debate around whether land that’s used for grazing, rather than growing other crops, should be targeted to produce more environmental benefits.Precision farming techniques and automation are getting more popular as a way to help reduce costs, but they depend on good connectivity. Something that can be

en

14:03

17/06/26 Abattoir charges, pheasants and insects,...

Farming Today ·

2026/06/17

The owner of one of the last remaining abattoirs in the south east of England has said he's furious after a court ruled that the food regulator has been over charging for its hygiene and animal welfare checks. A number of abattoirs have been forced to close recently due to rising financial pressures. Earlier this month, a High Court judge said some of these costs, enforced by the Food Standards Agency, should never have been charged.A new study by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, published

en

14:00

16/06/26 Heathland birds, carabid beetles, Scottish...

Farming Today ·

2026/06/16

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) says three rare heathland birds are starting to recover. Its heathland bird survey - the first for 20 years - shows populations and spread of the nightjar, the Dartford warbler and the woodlark are improving. They looked into whether active management within specially protected areas was helping.Beetles can be both welcome and unwelcome visitors to farmland. We recently reported that scientists at Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire had created an app to

en

12:11

15/06/26 Octopus bloom, Scottish organic farming

Farming Today ·

2026/06/15

An emergency by-law has been passed in Cornwall, to restrict the number of boats coming in to take advantage of the ongoing bloom of octopus on the south coast. It's been described as a 'gold rush' as huge sums are being made - Brixham fish market recently experienced a record catch of 103 tonnes - worth £400,000. But the octopus are also causing problems - eating crab and lobster and devastating that industry locally. It's hoped the new by-law will help those stocks recover. The Royal Highland

en

24:51

13/06/26 Farming Today This Week

Farming Today ·

2026/06/13

The budget for the scheme which pays England's farmers for environmental work is revealed - but is it enough?With production costs rising following the war in the Middle East, the National Farmers' Union is calling for government support with the price of fertiliser.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

en

13:49

12/06/26 Sustainable Farming Incentive, Cereal...

Farming Today ·

2026/06/12

The Department for Envrionment Food and Rural Affairs has announced how much money it’s making available to farmers in England through the Sustainable Farming Incentive - or SFI - for 2026. It’s something farmers and environmental organisations have been keenly anticipating. There’s a total budget of £240 million pounds., with the first application opening later this month. The SFI is the DEFRA ‘public money for public goods’ scheme that pays for farming in ways that protect and benefit the

en

14:02

10/06/26 New bovine TB strategy for England, cereals

Farming Today ·

2026/06/10

A cattle vaccine to protect livestock from bovine TB could be in use on farms in England by 2030. That's one of the aims outlined in a new strategy for the eradication of bovine TB. The government commissioned it and has just released the details. We hear from the farmer who chairs the Steering Group behind the strategy which aims to get rid of the disease on farm by 2038.This week we are looking at cereals, with the current pressures on cereal farming such as high fertiliser and fuel costs, and an

en

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Rabbit Hole of Research

Jotham Austin, II PhD, Nick Elizalde,...

Show Me the Science with Luke O"Neill

Newstalk

Planetterrian Daily

Patrick · Nerra Network

Sleep Science

Sleep Science

BioSpace

BioSpace