Farming Today BBC Radio 4

The latest figures from Defra show nearly 20,000 badgers were killed across England last year, as part of the Government's policy to tackle TB in cattle. Badger campaigners say that the continued culling is leading to local extinctions. Defra says there are no easy answers, but badger culling "has proved highly effective and needs to remain a part of our holistic approach".
Jeremy Clarkson says if he wanted to make money from his thousand acre Oxfordshire farm he'd put as much as possible into government environmental schemes. Instead he's turned it into a TV show and for the third series, which starts today, he's gone into pigs.
Fusarium basal rot: its a fungus and apparently the single biggest problem facing the country's onion growers. This week we're looking at crop pests and diseases and the efforts being made to combat them. Researchers are looking into technology which can sniff-out early stage disease.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

An investigation is under way into a case of large-scale illegal waste dumping in Kent.
According to a House of Lords committee report, up to a third of veterinary medicines currently used in Northern Ireland could cease to be available to farmers when a grace period ends next year.
A Natural Products BioHub has been launched at Swansea University, which will support researchers and businesses specialising in pesticides which control pests without the need for chemicals.
Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced by Alun Beach

New physical checks have been brought in on some imports of food and plants from the EU. Products deemed high or medium risk now have to be inspected - including live animals, meat and some plant products. Inspections can be done either at Government run sites or at commercial facilities - we report from both to find out how it works.
The major political parties are all competing for the rural vote ahead of the local elections. A combination of councillors, mayors and police and crime commissioners will be selected across England and Wales.
And, blackgrass is a weed that can grow amongst fields of commercial crops, competing for nutrients in the soil, and reducing yields. We meet a team of scientists at Rothamsted Research who are looking into how to tackle this pernicious weed.
Presented by Anna Hill
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

New border checks for imports of food and plants coming into the UK from the EU, start 30th April 2024. Some farming groups have been calling for these checks for some time - saying they will give producers here more of a level playing field with EU producers, because UK exports have had similar checks since Brexit. But some importers say inspection costs are prohibitive.
We hear from the conference to celebrate the World Organisation for Animal Health's 100th anniversary, where avian flu is on the agenda.
And, we’re getting to the time of year where young plants in the field are susceptible to pest damage. Rather than rely on chemicals to fight them off, under the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which is part of England's new farm payment system replacing EU subsidies, farmers can be paid for using "Integrated Pest Management". We visit a farm to hear how it works.
Presented by Anna Hill
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Illegal fishing on rivers and watercourses is on up according to the police, who are stepping up patrols with other agencies. Angling clubs pay thousands of pounds every year to stock rivers with fish for members and taking fish without permission is theft. Better training of police in poaching laws has led to a recent spate of convictions and a legal first for volunteer river bailiffs.
MPs have highlighted the impact of changes in welfare payments on farmers. Farmers historically claimed tax credits to boost low incomes, but the system has changed and they now apply for Universal Credit. But eligibility 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 as a nightmare which is having an impact on farmers mental health.
Around 38 million acres of Ukrainian farmland has now been rendered too dangerous to farm by Russian mines. According to the Mines Advisory Group charity there have been more than a thousand mine accidents in Ukraine since 2022, with farmers making up one of the largest single groups of casualties.
From Welsh government plans to get them planted on farms to the ever missed English planting targets and the recent cuts to the budget for planting in Scotland, trees are the subject of much debate in rural areas. All this week we've been discussing trees and despite our fondness for them and need for timber, we still don't like commercial forestry.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

The National Sheep Association says it has no confidence in the Red Tractor assurance scheme's executive.
MP's have highlighted the impact of the changes in welfare payments on farmers, who historically claim tax credits to boost low incomes.
A tree nursery manages to combat the adverse weather conditions, and a breed of cattle found on a remote Scottish island
Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced by Alun Beach