Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

4.4 (291)
SCIENCE
UPDATED DAILY

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

6 HR AGO

21/11/24 Hedges, intensive pig farming, sustainable food systems

England's hedges are in need of urgent revival - that's the conclusion of a survey of hedges, the first in 17 years. The UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has been looking at hedges for Natural England and says that while they are in better condition than 2007, when the last survey was done, the overall length remains largely unchanged. That's bad news for the government which aims to restore or plant 45,000 miles of hedgerow by 2050 Over the past few years there has been a lot of pressure on pig producers and that's meant change. According to the levy board ADHB , just five abattoirs now control 88% of the throughput of pigs, with three big companies now owning around half of the sows in England. The UK has a reputation for higher welfare standards: 50% of piglets are born outside not in farrowing crates, and more than 70% of pigs are fattened indoors on straw. We visit a pig farm in Lincolnshire that produces 800 pigs a week for a large processor as well as local butchers and the farm's own shop. The campaign group Sustain wants food produced to high welfare standards and in a way that protects nature and tackles climate change as well as providing good jobs. They don't believe intensive farming is the best way of achieving that. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

14 min
1 DAY AGO

20/11/24 Farmers rally in central London

Thousands of people have protested in London over changes to inheritance tax for farmers announced in the budget. Farmers from around the country came to an NFU rally in Church Hall and a big march in Westminster. They're worried about changes which mean that from April 2026, inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m, which were previously exempt, will be liable to tax. The government says it understands farmers' concerns but insists the vast majority of farmers won't be affected. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

14 min
2 DAYS AGO

19/11/24 Inheritance tax, farmer protests, COP 29 in Baku

Thousands of farmers plan to gather in London today to voice their concerns about changes introduced in the budget. We examine the detail around agricultural property relief and inheritance tax to work out how many farmers will be affected. It's food and farming day at COP29 in Baku in Azerbaijan. Global warming and agriculture are the focus for discussion. Also, president-elect Donald Trump has chosen climate change sceptic Chris Wright to lead the US Energy Department, what will that mean for work to tackle emissions in the future? Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

14 min
3 DAYS AGO

18/11/24 - Intensive farming, indoor beef production and NI Food Strategy Framework

There’s a global trend for farms to scale up and intensify their production and the UK is no different. We ask why it’s happening and what impact it’s having. We visit a beef finishing unit in Yorkshire, which fattens 4,000 cattle a year in pens. The farmer reckons this intensive system can produce beef more efficiently and in half the time of extensively grazed systems. And the Northern Ireland government has launched its first "Food Strategy Framework". Its aims include tackling diet-related health problems, increasing resilience in the agri-food supply chain, building the "food economy" and creating more of a food culture in Northern Ireland. An "action plan" will follow early next year, setting out what changes the Government will make to meet those aims. Presented by Caz Graham Produced by Heather Simons

12 min
6 DAYS AGO

15/11/24 - Scotland's Rural Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Farmer Time

The budget for agriculture in Scotland comes from the UK Government - but as of two weeks ago, it’s no longer ring fenced. The change has attracted criticism from farming groups. But the DEFRA Secretary, Steve Reed, has defended the decision, saying his Government believes in devolution, and that comes with the power to decide where money is spent. We hear from Scotland's Rural Affairs Cabinet Secretary, Mairi Gougeon. A change to the Suckler Support Scheme in Scotland aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by making calf production more intensive. It’s being introduced as part of the country’s new Agriculture Act, and it’s rooted in the idea that more efficient beef farming means less carbon and less methane. Some beef farmers, however, fear it could have an impact on animal welfare as well as some farm incomes. And "Farmer Time" is an initiative set up by Cambridgeshire farmer, Tom Martin, which connects teachers with farmers, so children can have regular catch ups with a farmer. So far ten thousand pupils have enjoyed lessons enhanced by their own ‘class farmer’ through a live video-link and the initiative is one of our three finalists in the "Farming for the Future" category of this year's BBC Food and Farming Awards. Presented by Caz Graham Produced by Heather Simons

14 min
14 NOV

14/11/24 Regenerative agriculture and advertising standards, Scottish payments for farmers, Rothbury Estate

The Advertising Standards Authority has issued guidance to advertisers to make sure consumers aren't misled about the term "regenerative agriculture". Scotland's first minister John Swinney says inheritance tax changes in the budget are causing unacceptable levels of stress among farmers in Scotland. We’re discussing farming in Scotland all this week. The new agriculture act now requires every farmer and crofter to complete an annual whole farm plan in order to claim their basic support payments. The plan is a series of audits to measure things like the carbon footprint and biodiversity, and the aim is to identify where and how farmers can make their businesses more sustainable and environmentally friendly. The first reports are due next May and while a lot of advice is available from the agricultural advisory services, the whole farm plan has caused confusion and uncertainty for some farmers. The Wildlife Trusts have bought a chunk of the Rothbury Estate in Northumberland, now they've begun a £30 million appeal to buy the rest. We ask what it means for food production and the tenant farmers who live and work there. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

14 min
13 NOV

13/11/24 - Seafood carbon emission, Crofters Bill and NI sheep taskforce

A new tool is being used by the seafood sector to collate carbon emissions data from all along the supply chain - from farming catching the fish in the wild, all the way through to processing and packing. The Scottish Government is consulting on a new Crofting Bill, aimed at making it easier for people to get into crofting and to support things like peatland restoration and environmental work on crofts. We ask crofters on the Western Isles what they make of it. And a 'sheep industry task force' has been set in Northern Ireland, to help farmers work with Government. Under the post-Brexit plan in Northern Ireland, there's funding for beef and arable and environmental schemes, but there's currently little specific sheep support, and some sheep farmers say they could go out of business. Presented by Anna Hill Produced by Heather Simons

14 min
12 NOV

12/11/24 - Avian flu in American cows, Scottish Agriculture Act, apple harvest

Bird flu is back in the UK. Two years ago a strain of the virus called H5N1 caused outbreaks across the world, killing millions of birds, on poultry farms and in the wild. In America, that same strain has infected dairy cows on nearly 500 different farms, and in some cases also been passed on to humans. The UK has just seen its first avian flu outbreak of the winter in a commercial poultry flock in the East Riding of Yorkshire, but this time the strain's been identified as H5N5. What difference does that make, and should UK dairy farmers be worried? Scotland’s new Agriculture Act came into force in June. NFU Scotland says it got what it wanted from the Act, but with much of the legislation aimed at improving the environment, and with little detail as yet, there are still concerns over what the changes will actually mean. And as the UK apple harvest draws to a close, growers are reporting that although the wet weather's made picking difficult, the crop is high quality this year. Presented by Anna Hill Produced by Heather Simons

14 min

See All (25)

4.4

out of 5

291 Ratings

Great podcast

16 Oct

AdamjBrad

Great podcast, but not always uploaded everyday. The last show was 6 days ago. Please can we get back to daily uploads. And no I don’t want the bbc sounds app
Great mix of topics

27 Sept

Gulvain1

Don’t listen to the vocal whingers and culture warriors who moan about political bias and compare Farming Today to Countryfile. This is a great little podcast with an interesting range of issues on land use/management (not just farming but also the environment, fishing and planning etc). Perhaps it’s name should be changed though to reflect the greater breadth of coverage beyond just agriculture. That may stop the grumbling farmers (who already have the Farmers Weekly podcast if they really want to hear about grain varieties and the latest insecticides!)
Short and Factual

14/06/2022

Be cat

Great little 15mins catch up and updates - a key listen for farmers and surveyors
Stop adverts

16 Mar

Imnotlistening

It’s annoying.