Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

  1. 16 HR AGO

    01/04/26 Rural fuel poverty; emissions from sheep; Marine Protected Areas.

    Fuel prices continue to dominate the headlines, the war in the Middle East has led to them shooting up in recent weeks, causing real concern to those in rural areas who aren’t connected to the gas mains and rely on oil for heating. The £50 million pounds-worth of emergency funds announced last month by the government to help vulnerable rural households are now being distributed by rural local authorities in England and through other mechanisms in the devolved nations. It’s all put a sharp focus on fuel poverty in rural areas. The Westminster Government has just published a new Statistical Digest of Rural England, which shows that the depth of fuel poverty in rural areas is almost twice that of in towns and cities. We know livestock produce greenhouse gas emissions - but we also know that the volume, or amount, of gas is affected by what those cattle or sheep eat. A new DEFRA-funded study has investigated upland sheep grazing systems to see if some forages produce lower emissions. The project compared 120 ewes, some pure Swaledales and some crossbred with Texels, on three different grazing systems in Wensleydale. 1.3 million tonnes of fish were caught in the UK’s ‘Marine Protected Areas’, or MPAs, between 2020 and 2024. Greenpeace, who’ve calculated that figure from official sources, say it makes what should be havens of safety for marine life, little more than meaningless lines on a map. They argue that marine eco-systems are protected on “paper only” while industrial-scale fishing and boats with bottom trawling gear, that drags across the seabed, are still allowed in MPAs. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    31/03/26 Record livestock mart figures, lambing list, Ramblers report

    Livestock markets in England and Wales have reported record breaking figures for 2025. The latest numbers from the Livestock Auctioneers Association show that turnover was up almost half a billion pounds, to just under 3 billion in total, a twenty percent rise, year on year. That’s despite a reduction in the number of both sheep and cattle in the UK. We ask the Livestock Auctioneers Association why turnover has risen so much. All week we're looking at the sheep sector. Across the UK lambing is well underway, though some will have finished by now. With nearly 15 million breeding ewes, most having twins and some giving birth to triplets, it's an enormous task to get the lambs delivered safely. Many sheep farmers will recruit help in the form of family, vet students, and often those who just have an interest and want to learn. They'll often be matched up through the Lambing List - an online site set up by the National Sheep Association. As the Easter holidays begin, many of us will be taking the chance to get out into the countryside. The charity The Ramblers, which campaigns for walkers and countryside access, says that may be easier said than done. They’ve just launched a new campaign called "access denied". They want an end, they say, to what they describe as years of neglect to Britain’s footpath network, resulting in thousands of miles of paths missing, blocked or un-usable. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  3. 2 DAYS AGO

    30/03/2026: Fishing industry hit by fuel costs. A good time to be a sheep farmer? Wild Daffodils

    The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations is asking the Government for help with rising costs because of the conflict in the Middle East. The NFFO says it's difficult to pass on the hike in diesel prices to customers, because fish are sold at auction. It has written to the Minister for Food Security, Angela Eagle, pointing out that some European countries have already announced support packages to help with rising prices. By the end of last week, the average UK price of diesel for fishing boats had gone up by 75% since the beginning of March. Every spring around the villages of Kempley and Dymock carpets of wild daffodils can still be seen in the fields and woodlands, thanks to carefully managed agricultural and forestry practices. Our reporter Bob Hockenhull has been to take a look. Charlotte Smith finds out why this is a pretty good time to be a sheep farmer, according to the Chief Executive of the National Sheep Association. Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

    12 min

  4. 4 DAYS AGO

    28/03/26 Farming Today This Week: trail hunting; impact of Middle East war; shellfish; geese; Victorian farming; farmer choir.

    The Government has opened a consultation on its proposals to ban trail hunting in England and Wales. Anti-hunt campaigners argue it’s a smokescreen for the continued illegal hunting of foxes. Country sports enthusiasts say trail hunting takes place within the law, and those who break it are prosecuted under existing legislation. As war in the Middle East continues to disrupt global supplies of fuel and fertiliser, there are concerns about CO2 shortages. CO2 is a by-product of fertiliser manufacturing and is used in food production. The Ensus bioethanol plant in Teeside closed last year but it's to start production again, with £100 million from the government. Seafood processors say they're concerned that imports of shellfish won't meet new regulations which recognise crustaceans like lobsters as sentient beings which can feel pain. Farmers and crofters are calling for more help to control geese. Warmer winters mean more geese are staying in Scotland over the winter and farmers say they're ruining crops and soiling grazing. Some species can be shot, but others are protected. NFU Scotland is calling for urgent action to help reduce their numbers. All week we've been taking a step back in time and looking at some of the pivotal moments in farming history. Victorian innovation and technology lead to big agricultural and social changes. As populations grew rapidly, farmers in the 19th century strove to advance the way they grew crops, bred more profitable animals and took advantage of new inventions. A farmers' choir has reached the semi finals of ITV's Britain's Got Talent. The Hawkstone Farmers' Choir wants to raise awareness of mental health in farming communities. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    25 min

  5. 5 DAYS AGO

    27/03/26: Trail hunting ban consultation, How WWII shaped farming

    The Government has opened a consultation on its proposals to ban trail hunting in England and Wales. There’s already a ban in Scotland. The Westminster Government committed to stopping the practice in its Animal Welfare Strategy published in December. In trail hunting hounds follow a pre-laid animal-based scent. It replaced traditional fox-hunting after that was banned in England and Wales in 2004. Anti-hunt campaigners argue it’s a smokescreen for the continued illegal hunting of foxes. Instead they want ‘clean boot’ hunting, where bloodhounds follow the scent of humans, or strictly policed drag hunting using a non animal scent. Country sports enthusiasts say trail hunting takes place within the law, and those who do break the law are prosecuted under existing legislation. This week we’ve been taking a whistle stop tour through the history of farming. Today we’re up to the Second World War. When it broke out, it quickly became clear that the British Government needed to completely transform farming practices in order to protect the country’s food supply. The wartime changes would leave a lasting legacy in the form of a modernised, mechanised industry...not without some negative consequences. Presenter: Caz Graham Producer: Sarah Swadling

    14 min

  6. 6 DAYS AGO

    26/03/26 Scottish rural policy, green gas, Victorian farming.

    The Scottish Government's published details of its support system for farmers. Agriculture is devolved and since Brexit, each of the UK's four governments has set up its own system for financially supporting farmers. In Scotland, farmers and crofters have been digesting the details of the new five-year plan. Payments will be allocated up to 2031 with the biggest changes coming in the last year. It's been broadly welcomed by NFU Scotland but others have described it as 'stuck in the past.'   Leaders from the UK gas sector have written to the energy secretary urging the Government to help reduce the UK’s reliance on foreign gas imports. They say with war in the Middle East, ministers need to support the production of biomethane. Farming can play a significant part in producing biomethane as anaerobic digesters use a huge range of ingredients, including animal byproducts, non-food crops and food waste. All week we're taking a step back in time and looking at some of the pivotal moments in farming history. Victorian innovation and technology lead to big agricultural and social changes. As populations grew rapidly, farmers in the 19th century strove to advance the way they grew crops, bred more profitable animals and took advantage of new inventions. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  7. 25 MAR

    25/03/26 Environmental regulation, geese, The Enclosure Act and the farming landscape.

    MPs on the Public Accounts Committee have called for the merger of the Environment Agency and Natural England. In a new report the committee criticises both organisations - saying that environmental regulators are 'spread too thin to protect nature while delivering reforms'. We speak to Wildlife and Countryside Link which represents dozens of conservation groups to see if they think a merger would work. Farmers and crofters are calling for more help to control geese. Warmer winters mean more geese are staying in Scotland over the winter and farmers say they're ruining crops and soiling grazing. Some species can be shot, but others are protected. NFU Scotland is calling for urgent action to help reduce their numbers. This week we've been taking a look back through history, to discover the foundations of our farming and landscape. If you've ever wondered why we have so many hedges or why rural Britain looks like it does today you have to go back to one of the most seismic events which happened over 200 years ago - The Enclosure Act. It not only shaped what we see in the countryside but also changed rural communities forever. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  8. 24 MAR

    24/03/26 Middle East conflict and supply chains, processing shellfish, medieval farming.

    Conflict in the Middle East will continue to have an impact on global supply chains even after hostilities cease, so say The Agricultural Economics Society who are marking their 100th birthday at their annual conference in Oxford. Will it impact food prices in the supermarket too? Seafood processors say they're concerned that imports of shellfish won't meet new regulations which recognise crustaceans like lobsters as sentient beings which can feel pain. Under the Animal Welfare Strategy they must be dispatched before they're cooked, as painlessly as possible. All week we're taking a step back in time, and looking at the history of farming over the last couple of centuries. Today we're rewinding to experience the country's last remaining example of the medieval three field crop rotation system, in the village of Laxton in Nottinghamshire. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    22 min
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The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

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  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    Farming Today

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