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Farming Today

BBC

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

Location:

London, United Kingdom

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BBC

Description:

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

Language:

English


Episodes

28/03/24 - Scottish salmon exports, basalt dust and flax fishing nets

3/28/2024
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 passionate about its potential and feel it could, once again, have a commercial future. We visit Simon and Ann Cooper who grow flax and use traditional methods and home-made tools to process it into fabrics for things like sailcloth and fishing nets. And new research suggests spreading basalt dust on arable fields could help capture carbon and boost yields. The process is known as ‘enhanced rock weathering’ and uses a by-product of the road-building industry. Presented by Caz Graham Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Duration:00:13:27

Farming Today: 28/03/24 - Scottish salmon exports, basalt dust and flax fishing nets

3/27/2024
Scottish salmon farmers say Brexit has cost them £100 million a year in lost exports.

Duration:00:13:00

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

3/27/2024
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 raised concerns around our food security - winter flooding and the high cost of fertiliser has made growing food more expensive....and after the Government increased payments for environmental schemes in January, more farmers took them up. Centuries ago, leather production would have gone hand in hand with animal husbandry in the UK, but now animal hides are very low value - and seen by many as a waste product. There are just a handful of tanneries left in the UK for processing hides into leather. We meet a farmer whose starting the fight back. And wildlife experts say recent river flooding could be putting otters at risk. Strong currents can wash away cubs and high water levels can flood their river bank homes, or holts. Presented by Anna Hill Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Duration:00:13:37

Farming Today: 27/03/24 - ELMs change, leather and otters

3/26/2024
Are government environmental schemes threatening food security?

Duration:00:13:00

26/03/24 - London farmer protests, Scottish herring and hempcrete

3/26/2024
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 down the west coast of Scotland. In the early 1900s Scotland was producing 2 million barrels of herring a year, but by the 60s and 70s, stocks of herring had been over-fished and collapsed. Since then, they've struggled to return, but a huge new spawning ground has been spotted by satellite. And, hemp has traditionally been used to make hardwearing textiles - things like ropes and canvas for sails. But it can also be used to build houses using a material called hempcrete! Film-maker, Steve Barron, who's best known for directing music videos, bought some farmland back in 2017, and decided to "grow his own home". Presented by Anna Hill Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Duration:00:13:36

Farming Today: 26/03/24 - London farmer protests, Scottish herring and hempcrete

3/25/2024
Farmers head to Westminster to protest over food security.

Duration:00:13:00

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

3/25/2024
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.

Duration:00:11:09

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

3/24/2024
Why is wool so worthless for farmers?

Duration:00:11:00

23/03/24 - Farming Today This Week: Universal credit, grouse moor licencing and shellfish

3/23/2024
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 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. And how sustainable is our scampi? The UK gets through around £68 million worth of scampi a year. But a conservation group says the current drive to make fishing for langoustine more environmentally friendly has failed. Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Duration:00:24:47

Farming Today: 23/03/24 - Farming Today This Week: Universal credit, grouse moor licencing and shellfish

3/22/2024
Why some farmers are being told to sell up and get a different job.

Duration:00:27:00

22/03/24 Licensing for Scottish grouse shoots, illegal waste dumping, oyster fishing on the Fal

3/22/2024
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 owned by a number of people. The Environment Agency says it's investigating a number of individuals and companies for fly-tipping. All this week we've been talking about shellfish and the oyster fishery on the Fal Estuary is steeped in history. Only sailing and rowing boats are allowed to be used to pull small dredges. But even this light touch hasn't been enough to keep the native oyster population at sustainable levels, so in a rare move, the few fishermen and women who are left are now asking for tougher regulations. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Duration:00:13:37

21/03/24 - Universal Credit changes for farmers, mussel farming

3/21/2024
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. The transition process has been described by famers as a nightmare and, as we’ll be hearing shortly, it’s also having an impact on mental health. And CCTV… for fish! John Holmyard runs a ‘rope-cultured’ offshore mussel farm in Lyme Bay about 5 miles off the south coast of Devon. He's been working with the University of Plymouth to monitor what impact the farm has on the marine life around it. Presented by Caz Graham Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Duration:00:13:11

20/03/24 - Shellfish deaths, incoming Welsh First Minister, waste wool and avian flu

3/20/2024
Fishermen and wildlife are still feeling the impact nearly two and a half years after the mass shellfish deaths on England's North East Coast. After several years of investigations and reviews, the conclusion of an independent expert panel, chaired by DEFRA's Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Gideon Henderson, was that the deaths of crabs, lobsters and other commercially important shellfish, was "as like as not", down to an unknown pathogen. Fishermen had blamed contamination from dredging or the presence of a toxic pollutant - but the panel dismissed that as "very unlikely". Farmers have been protesting about the Welsh Government's plans to implement a new Sustainable Farming Scheme, which includes having 10 percent of farmland planted with trees and 10 percent to benefit wildlife. The incoming First Minister, Vaughan Gething, brings with him some rural credentials - his father worked as a vet in South Wales and his mother was a chicken farmer in Zambia... So will that make him more receptive to farmers' concerns? And new rules are brought in so that everyone keeping birds has to register on a National list. Up till now only flocks of 50 or more had to be registered, but now, anyone who keeps just a few chickens in the garden, or birds of prey, or pigeons will have to do so too. DEFRA says the new rules will help them contact more bird keepers, so they can stay up to date on local disease outbreaks - like avian flu. Presented by Anna Hill Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Duration:00:13:32

19/03/24 Farmer protests and EU concessions; Scampi; Special protection areas for wild birds; New national nature reserve.

3/19/2024
Spanish farmers in Madrid have held more protests, despite the European Commission announcing a review of its so-called 'green deal' which was designed to help the EU reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Farmers across Europe have voiced their anger at red tape and new environmental rules. Last week the Commission published a raft of proposed changes, which still have to be agreed. It says it'll cut back on red tape, allow individual member states more freedom over new 'greening' rules, and remove the demand that farmers must put a certain percentage of their land over to the environment. Conservationists have criticised the move as a backward step for the environment. The UK gets through around £68 million worth of scampi a year. but a conservation group says the current drive to make fishing for langoustine more environmentally friendly has failed. How sustainable is our scampi? We speak to a fisherman and an environmental campaigner. The Office for Environmental Protection is investigating whether there's been a failure to comply with the law governing Special Protection Areas for wild birds, in Northern Ireland and England. A similar investigation is being undertaken in Scotland, while in Wales there are concerns about how these sites are being run. S.P.A.s are legally designated sites that protect rare and threatened wild birds. The OEP says it's taking action because the recommendations from a review of these sites between 2015 and 2017 has still not been published. A new National Nature Reserve's been created on the South Devon coast at Budleigh Salterton. The Lower Otter Estuary is home to Dartford warblers, silver-studded blue butterflies, populations of sea trout, Atlantic salmon and eels. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Duration:00:13:34

18/03/24 Forecast for farm incomes; Scottish land reform; Shellfish.

3/18/2024
The government's farm business incomes forecast for this year makes grim reading: in England dairy farmers are expected to earn 78% less than last year, largely due to falls in the milk price; cereal farmers face a 77% cut, though prices have been high and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs says the fall reflects a return to more normal levels as well as a reduction in the amount of arable crops grown; while mixed farms will see a 49% cut in income. Only those grazing livestock or rearing pigs are expected to see their income rise, and there is no forecast for the poultry sector as DEFRA says there is too much uncertainty. A 'destructive and disproportionate attack' - that's landowners' reaction to the Scottish Government's new Land Reform Bill. The proposed legislation would mean that the sale of estates of more than 1,000 hectares could be stopped by ministers and split into smaller lots, and the owners of large estates would have to show how they use land and how that contributes to key policies like net zero. The Scottish Government says the bill will make land ownership more transparent and will mean communities have more involvement in the land where where they live and work. That view is not shared by Scottish Land and Estates, which represents landowners. All week we're focusing on shellfish. The industry has had a torrid time. We speak to a professor of fisheries conservation about some of the challenges which range from labour shortages and pollution, to climate change and trade rules. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Duration:00:11:31

16/03/24 Farming Today This Week: Badger culls, food labelling, religious slaughter

3/16/2024
Badger culling could continue indefinitely in England under new government proposals which reverse earlier pledges to begin to phase out badger culls from next year. The Government says culls are working in helping to reduce TB in cattle. Now ministers say that in high risk and edge areas, which covers much of southwest and central England, culling could continue until the Chief Veterinary Officer deems that the situation has improved, at which point badger vaccination would be introduced. A consultation on the proposals has just been launched. The Badger Trust describes this as 'another appalling attack on a protected native species'. New rules on food labelling could be introduced to give more information about how and where its produced, but some farmers say it'll be costly and complex. Sheep farmers are benefiting from a spike in prices as Ramadan and Easter are both celebrated this month. Both events traditionally look to lamb as their meat of choice on these occasions, and farmers, processors and retailers, have all geared up for a busy time. We answer listener questions about religious slaughter, and the difference between stunned and non-stunned killing methods. The writer Michael Morpurgo and his wife Clare have long been advocates for helping young people learn more about farming and the countryside, so much so that they set up Farms for City Children nearly 50 years ago. It gives kids from urban schools a week helping to run the farm and learning about both farming and nature. For one of their latest projects, they’ve teamed up with the Woodland Trust to involve primary school children in planting trees inside what they call roundels. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Duration:00:25:02

15/03/24 - Welfare labelling, badger culling, cat gut strings and winter planting

3/15/2024
Badger culling could continue indefinitely in England under new Government proposals which reverse earlier pledges to begin to phase out badger culls from next year. The Government says culls are working in helping to reduce TB in cattle - pointing to stats from the first 52 cull areas where there is an average reduction in TB breakdowns in cattle of 56% after 4 years of culling. Now ministers say that in high risk and edge areas, which covers much of southwest and central England, culling could continue until the Chief Veterinary Officer deems that the situation has improved, at which point badger vaccination would be introduced. A consultation on the proposals has just been launched. New rules on food labelling could be introduced to give more information about how and where its produced - but some farmers say it'll be costly and complex. The Government is consulting on plans to improve country of origin labelling and introduce 'method of production' labelling on pork, chicken and eggs. This would introduce a 5 tier labelling system to differentiate between those that fall below, meet or exceed basic British animal welfare standards. We visit a factory in Norfolk where cattle intestines are turned into harp strings. And it's expected that 79% more UK farmland will be left fallow this year than last - new figures from the AHDB suggest the impact of the weather and Government environmental schemes means that fewer crops will be planted. The AHDB is the levy board which traditionally surveys farmers on their cropping plans in the Autumn - because its been so wet they've gone back to them and found that the weather is still having a big impact. Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Duration:00:13:32

14/03/24 Organised gangs and rural crime; Heritage crime and nighthawkers; Salmon feed from whisky byproducts.

3/14/2024
The National Rural Crime Network is calling for an overhaul of the way rural crime is dealt with. It's commissioned a new report which says serious organised criminals are increasingly preying on rural communities and highlights hare coursing, the theft of tractors and livestock and fly tipping as having major impacts. The report from Durham University says these crimes are often carried out by 'prolific rural offenders' linked with illegal drugs rather than being opportunistic. Heritage crimes like stealing ancient stone or lead from church roofs have risen according to a new report by Historic England and the National Police Chief's Council. However there's been a fall in unlawful metal detecting. Nighthawking as it's called, sounds rather romantic, but for farmers finding people metal detecting on their land without permission at night is anything but, with threats and violence from criminals searching for valuable historic artefacts. We hear from one Yorkshire farmer who helped capture a gang of four who were sentenced at Hull Crown Court earlier this month. We also speak to a former detective and archaeologist who's now in charge of tackling heritage crime at Historic England. All week we're looking into the many, often imaginative, ways byproducts and waste from agriculture are turned into something useful. On one farm site in Stirlingshire they're turning whisky waste into fish food. Scientists have found a way to turn yeast into Omega-3 using algae and say the vital oils produced this way could help save depleted feed fish stocks, boost Scotland’s salmon farming industry and give a clean, efficient way to dispose of the waste. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Duration:00:13:27

13/03/24 Vet shortage, brewing by-product, lamb virus

3/13/2024
A shortage of vets is currently affecting services across all aspects of public and private animal health and biosecurity. In 2018 the gap in the veterinary workforce was put at 11%. At a hearing yesterday in Westminster the Chief Vet, Christine Middlemiss, told the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee that that shortage had not improved. All week we're exploring how by-products from farming can be put to use on farm or elsewhere. Today, beer and Marmite. A virus which causes birth defects in unborn lambs has returned. Schmallenberg disease has been reported since Autumn last year, and now sheep farmers are reporting that some have lost 40% of their new-crop lambs. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Duration:00:13:32

12/03/24 River pollution from poultry farming; Chicken litter used to generate power; Ramadan lamb

3/12/2024
The Soil Association, has called for a ban on any new intensive broiler farms being set up in the UK. The organic farming group has published a new report called "Stop Killing Our Rivers" which says it's impossible to manage chicken meat production without harming the environment, especially rivers. The report says the chicken meat sector has been expanding at a rate of one million birds per month, since 2014 and has now reached more than a billion birds per year. All week we're looking into the many - often imaginative - ways byproducts and waste from agriculture are turned into something useful. A renewable energy company is using poultry litter to generate electricity at their five power stations in England and Scotland. We visit their station at Thetford, in the heart of chicken farming in East Anglia where every week 11 thousand tonnes of poultry waste are delivered and used to generate electricity. Sheep farmers are benefiting from a spike in prices as Ramadan and Easter are both celebrated this month. Both events traditionally look to lamb as their meat of choice on these occasions, farmers, processors and retailers, have all geared up for a busy time. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Duration:00:13:41