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Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

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13:58

16/07/25 Wales' new sustainable farming scheme.

Farming Today ·

2025/07/16

The Welsh government has unveiled a new system of payments for farmers. The sustainable farming scheme or SFS replaces the current basic payment scheme or BPS, which farmers received under the EU. BPS is being wound down and farmers in Wales are being encouraged to take part in the new scheme, which will pay them to produce food sustainably and protect the environment. Farming unions welcome some aspects of the SFS but say farmers now face a cliff edge as old payments are phased out next year

14:01

15/07/25 Welsh sustainable farming scheme,...

Farming Today ·

2025/07/15

Farmers and environmentalists are bracing themselves as major changes to the financial support system for agriculture in Wales are announced today. Agriculture is devolved, and policy is decided separately in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Welsh government will publish details of its sustainable farming scheme or SFS later. Plant breeders in Scotland have unveiled a UK-bred blueberry. The James Hutton Institute has grown thousands of seedlings to develop a berry with good

11:39

14/07/25 Berry boom, hot cows, State of UK Climate

Farming Today ·

2025/07/14

The State of the UK Climate Report for 2025 is published today, Caz Graham explores the findings with Professor Liz Bentley of the Royal Meteorological Society. Meanwhile, berry growers are reporting a bumper start to their season due to the sunny weather. The recent high temperatures in some parts of the UK have made life harder for dairy farmers. When temperatures rise, cows tend to produce less milk, and in dry areas of the country conserving winter forage for the cows is proving a

24:54

12/07/25 Farming Today This Week: Great Yorkshire...

Farming Today ·

2025/07/12

The Government is carrying out a farming profitability review in England, to inform policy. There’s been a call for evidence and practical solutions. We ask the National Farmers' Union what could be done to help.Out in the sunshine at the Great Yorkshire Show - pig showing and curly fleeced Wensleydale sheep.A new strategy for tackling rural crime across Wales will offer greater protection for people and wildlife in the countryside, according to the Welsh government. Priority areas include tackling

14:02

11/07/25 Great Yorkshire Show 2025

Farming Today ·

2025/07/11

Curly sheep, innovation and profitability on farm - we visit the Great Yorkshire Show.Caz Graham is out in the sunshine at England's largest agricultural show to see the livestock and ask what's the mood this year for farmers.The Government is carrying out a Farming Profitability Review in England, to inform policy. There’s been a call for evidence and practical solutions which closes today. We ask the National Farmers' Union what could be done to help.Produced by Beatrice Fenton.

14:07

10/07/25 Welsh rural crime strategy, Shetland...

Farming Today ·

2025/07/10

A new strategy for tackling rural crime across Wales will offer greater protection for people and wildlife in the countryside, according to the Welsh government. Priority areas include tackling damage to ancient monuments, or heritage crime, and attacks on livestock, with new awareness courses for animal owners. A new ban on the use of lead in ammunition has been announced by the UK government, in a bid to stop the toxic metal contaminating fields and waterways. Shot containing more than 1% lead

13:51

09/07/2025 Bee virus, lobsters, water abstraction.

Farming Today ·

2025/07/09

Chronic bee paralysis has been in bee populations for thousands of years, but cases are rising in the UK and it’s estimated up to two percent are affected. The disease is not notifiable, so doesn’t have to be reported, and bees can have the virus and not show symptoms, so it’s prevalence is difficult to ascertain. We speak to Professor Giles Budge who's working on the disease at Newcastle University. As part of our week-long look at shellfish we visit Bridlington in East Yorkshire the largest

11:54

07/07/25 Northern Ireland pollution, dry stone...

Farming Today ·

2025/07/07

New proposals to improve water quality in Northern Ireland could prove fatal for pig farming there according to the Ulster Farmers Union. The Nutrients Action Programme aims to reduce agricultural pollution in loughs and rivers and would involve limiting the amount of phosporus and nitrogen that can by spread on the land in slurry. The consultation on the programme has already been extended once and now the UFU says pigs numbers would need to be reduced by as much as 80% if the plans get the

14:04

04/07/25 Capital grants and sustainable farming...

Farming Today ·

2025/07/04

The sustainable farming incentive or SFI will re-open in the New Year, it pays English farmers for things like planting hedges or wildflowers. It was suddenly closed to new applications earlier this year after it ran out of money. Speaking at the regenerative farming festival Groundswell, the Defra secretary Steve Reed said he wants the SFI to support a transition to regenerative farming. Details will be announced later this summer with applications opening next year though Mr Reed says it will

14:04

02/07/25 Profitability of nature-friendly farming,...

Farming Today ·

2025/07/02

A new study published by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology shows that nature-friendly farming is not currently as profitable as intensive food production. Its authors say the report is the first of its kind and shows that agroecology improves biodiversity and can boost crop yields. However, the cost of creating habitats and the loss of some productive land, they say, means lower profits. Dr Ben Woodcock led the four year study which studied 17 farms.More big food companies are paying producers

14:05

01/07/25 Early harvest, regenerative agriculture,...

Farming Today ·

2025/07/01

Harvest has begun early in some parts of the country, combine harvesters were out in several different counties last week. The early start is really down to exceptionally low rainfall, throughout the spring and now the sunny, hot weather. Last year, the wet autumn meant planting crops then was delayed but crops planted this spring went in early. Breaking records for starting harvest isn’t always a celebration and it seems this year, yields could be significantly down, although it’s a little early to

12:04

30/06/25 Bluetongue restrictions, telecoms leases,...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/30

From July, livestock going from England to Wales or Scotland must be tested for bluetongue, and farmers are warning the new system could be "catastrophic" for their businesses. The virus is spread by biting midges. It doesn't affect humans but can cause fever and lameness in cattle and sheep. From July 1st, the whole of England will become a bluetongue restriction zone, meaning livestock can move freely around. Governments in Cardiff and Edinburgh, however, have decided that animals coming from

24:42

28/06/25 Farming Today This Week: Illegal waste...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/28

The Climate Change Committee report shows little progress on the reduction of emissions from agriculture and substantial action still needed.Many UK supermarkets have made public commitments to sourcing 100% of their beef from the UK. But in recent months some seem to be moving away from these pledges. We ask how much beef is being imported, from where, and why.A group of farmers are seeking a judicial review over the decision to re-impose inheritance tax on some farm businesses. Work has begun to

14:08

27/06/25: tree planting, dairy farmers, English olive...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/27

The UK has once more missed its tree planting targets - provisional figures for last year show that overall the number of trees planted fell in comparison with the year before, from 20 and a half thousand hectares to just over 15 and a half thousand hectares. The Government aims for 30,000 every year. New figures from the farming industry body the AHDB show that 190 dairy farmers left the industry last year. There are now 7,040 dairy producers in England, Wales and Scotland. That's a 2.6 per cent

13:58

25/06/25 Report shows more action needed to meet...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/25

The Climate Change Committee report shows little progress on the reduction of emissions from agriculture and substantial action still needed.Many UK supermarkets have made public commitments to sourcing 100% of their beef from the UK. But in recent months some seem to be moving away from these pledges. We ask how much beef is being imported, from where, and why.All week we're hearing from the next generation of young people coming into agriculture-related jobs. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by

13:50

24/06/25 New labs for animal disease, 5G farm...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/24

Work has officially begun to create a new National Biosecurity Centre. It's being built on the existing Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) site, at Weybridge in Surrey. The whole project is costing between two and three billion pounds and is expected to take until 2033 to complete. The APHA was recently criticised by the National Audit Office, which said facilities there were not adequate to prevent or cope with contiguous national animal disease outbreaks such as foot and mouth and avian flu

12:01

23/06/25: Ag graduates, sustainable livestock,...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/23

We look at what the prospects are for modern agriculture students, and what they're studying - from land management and vet science to AI and robotics. The Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers says the Scottish government should be doing more to help the sector recover from falling cattle numbers. Meat imports are putting pressure on farmers. But the government says it is committed to keeping numbers up while working to keep emissions down. And we hear about a trial to find ways of making

24:59

21/06/25 Farming Today This Week: Royal Highland...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/21

Despite Climate Change Committee warnings, the Scottish Government says it will not reduce livestock numbers.Some good news on rural crime, but livestock theft remains high.Could a trade deal with the Gulf States open the door to low-welfare meat imports?Mud sunscreen for pigs: farmers tell us what they do for livestock and crops to combat a heatwave.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

13:54

20/06/25 Royal Highland Show: livestock numbers and...

Farming Today ·

2025/06/20

Farming Today comes from the Royal Highland Show on the outskirts of Edinburgh. The Scottish rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon has said the Scottish government will not reduce livestock numbers, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee. She told farmers Scotland would reach its net-zero targets in other ways. Robert Neill, vice president of NFU Scotland, explains how new high-frequency digital ear tags will make it easier to track cattle in Scotland.Scotland has big ambitions for its

13:37

19/06/25 Farming in a heatwave, seaweed farms

Farming Today ·

2025/06/19

Mud sunscreen for pigs: farmers tell us what they do for livestock and crops to combat a heatwave.And seaweed farms, which aren't always popular with local residents.Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

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