Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

4.5 (54)
Science
Updated Daily

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

19m ago

Farming Today This Week: food industry whistleblowers, red diesel, disease resilience, apprenticeships, Shetland wool, demo farm

An anonymous group of senior executives from retailers and food suppliers is warning that 'short term thinking' in the industry is driving up food prices and that farmers are being left to face the financial risks of an increasingly umpredictable supply chain. Diesel prices hit an all time high this week, with drivers paying almost £2 a litre, according to the RAC. The conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt supplies of fuel, pushing up prices. Farmers don’t get their fuel from filling stations, they buy it in bulk and use what’s called “red diesel” - it’s dyed red and is much cheaper - with less fuel duty to pay because it’s only for use in off-road machinery. However, industry surveys estimate farmers are paying an average of 40% more for their red diesel than this time last year. The new president of the British Veterinary Association is calling for more resilience against disease outbreaks. As the UK battles a huge outbreak of the livestock disease Bluetongue, Dr Gwen Rees says as a profession, vets need to make sure they are ready to act. Apprenticeships are a popular route into agricultural careers, especially for students from farming families who are needed to work in the family business but also need to develop their knowledge and skills. FarmED in the Cotswolds is a demonstration farm experimenting with different crops, techniques and rotations. It wants people to explore how we can produce enough food, while restoring nature, adapting to climate change and keeping farmers in business. Knitters from around the world have flocked to Shetland for a celebration of wool, knitting and textiles. The star of the show: the Island's unique Shetland sheep. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney
1d ago

02/10/26 Food industry climate whistleblowers, farm apprenticeships, Plaid Cymru conference

An anonymous group of senior executives from retailers and food suppliers is warning that 'short term thinking' in the industry is driving up food prices and that farmers are being left to face the financial risks of an increasingly unpredictable supply chain. This week we’re talking about how young people can find a career in agriculture, and the apprenticeship route is a popular one, especially for students from family farms who are needed to work at home to keep the farm going but also need and want to develop their knowledge and skills. The Plaid Cymru conference starts in Llandudno today, the party has been in power in Wales since the Senedd elections in May. In the latest of our interviews on the farming, food and environmental policies the political parties around the UK are offering, we hear from Plaid MSP and Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, LLyr Griffith. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
2d ago

01/10/26 Red diesel; Labour party conference; getting into farming; the sound of worms.

Diesel prices hit an all time high this week, with drivers paying almost £2 a litre, according to the RAC. The conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt supplies of fuel, pushing up prices. Farmers don’t get their fuel from filling stations, they buy it in bulk and use what’s called “red diesel” - it’s dyed red and is much cheaper - with less fuel duty to pay because it’s only for use in off-road machinery. Industry surveys estimate farmers are paying an average of around one pound 18 pence per litre - 20p more than in July, a rise of more than 40% on this time last year. The Labour party conference has come to an end. The headlines were full of big announcements on the National Care Service and reforming the pensions triple lock. The DEFRA Secretary of State, Angela Eagle, gave a speech. She didn't talk about agri-environment schemes and the Sustainable Farming Incentive, but she did talk about food security and the impact climate change is having on farmers. All week we’re talking about how young people can get into farming, through education, farm placements, apprenticeships and for some, through sheer determination! 23 year-old Nikita Fineran from the Isle of Wight fits into that bracket. Her goal is to have a farm of her own one day where she can breed sheepdogs. Earthworms are an indicator of soil health - but how can a farmer know whether worms are in the soil without digging a hole in a field? Well, apparently….by listening to them. Scientists are using bio-acoustics to record the sounds of invertebrates under ground. They're deploying AI to analyse what different creatures sound like and help farmers work out what's beneath their feet. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney
3d ago

30/09/26 Nitrogen in soil, organic veg scheme, student bursaries.

New research shows that improving the nitrogen-cycle in the soil can significantly reduce emissions. The study took in evidence from around the world - the international research team analysed 2,235 comparisons from 210 experimental sites. We speak to one of the report's authors Professor Simon Willcock director of sustainable farming systems at the University of Reading. A project in Cardiff has been helping low income households buy organic fruit and veg. Around 120 shoppers received a Planet Card - which gave them £11 a week to spend with organic veg producers. The pilot scheme cost around £19,000 and was funded by an alliance of charities and not-for-profit organisations - led by Food Sense Wales and Sustain. All week we've been exploring the different ways young people can get into farming. For those who want to take up a degree in agriculture it can be daunting to find the right route, especially if you're not from a farming background. The Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association has linked up with the John Innes Foundation bursary award, to give students a helping hand to take up agriculture at degree level; not only funding 50% of tutition fees, but also contributing to rent and living expenses. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney
4d ago

29/09/2026: Precision breeding, Community farm, Mentoring on farm

UK scientists leading research on precision breeding - or genetic editing - say uncertainty around the law in England could put investors off and jeopardise our competitive edge. The technology has rapidly taken hold of plant breeding and development, and has been used to develop vitamin D-rich tomatoes, and bananas that don’t turn brown. But there are still many questions surrounding the technique, for farmers, for trade and consumers too. A judicial review this summer found flaws with the way the law was drawn up, but there's uncertainty around how it might be amended. We visit what's widely thought to be the UK's first comunity owned farm, in Shropshire. Siblings Charlotte and Ben Hollins set up a crowd funding enterprise when their landlord told them they'd have to buy the farm or leave, after their tenant farmer father died. Twenty years on it's thriving. And this week we're looking at the different ways that young people are accessing a career in agriciulture. The charity, Countryside Learning Scotland, has launched a two year programme to encourage new entrants into rural employment in the Perth and Kinross area. The Rural Employability Scheme will involve intensive mentoring and work placements for 16 to 25 year olds with little or no farming background. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.
5d ago

28/09/2026: Disease resilience, getting young people into agriculture

The new president of the British Veterinary Association is calling for more resilience against disease outbreaks. As the UK battles a huge outbreak of the livestock disease Bluetongue, and there are warnings of a new pig disease in the Netherlands and Denmark, Dr Gwen Rees says as a profession, vets need to make sure they are ready to act. It comes following National Audit Office reports warning that Defra’s animal disease response plans leave the UK’s food security vulnerable to major supply disruptions. This week we're looking at how young people are getting into careers in agriculture. Today we speak to the CEO of Landex - the umbrella organisation for land-based colleges and universities. And we celebrate 50 years of a charity that offers children who live in cities a chance to live on a farm for a week. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Sally Challoner.
Sep 26

26/09/26 Farming Today This Week: 'shambolic' and 'disheartening' SFI application process; pulses; heating oil costs

'Shambolic', 'disheartening' and 'carnage' - some of the words being used by farmers to describe the application process for England's biggest farm environmental scheme that opened, and closed, on Tuesday. This is the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which pays farmers for environmental work, like planting hedges or improving soil. On Tuesday, the total budget available was £253 million, it was a first come, first served system, with thousands of farmers applying and in six hours all the money had gone. The millions of people in rural areas who rely on oil to heat their homes have seen prices rise by 40% in the past two months alone. They're not covered by the energy price cap, set by the regulator OFGEM, which limits the increase that most will see this winter because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Should the UK be growing more pulses? The Food Foundation looked into the potential for these crops and concluded that the UK could and should be growing more of them. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
Sep 25

25/09/2026: Heating oil costs, Bluetongue lessons, Beans as chicken feed

The millions of people in rural areas who rely on oil to heat their homes have seen prices rise by 40 per cent in the past two months alone. They're not covered by the energy price cap, set by the regulator OFGEM, which limits the increase that most will see this winter because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. More than a third of households have no access to mains gas but instead rely on fuels like LPG or heating oil. The Government body which works to safeguard animal health and public safety has said lessons will be learned - and extra capacity put in place - to tackle future outbreaks of the livestock disease bluetongue. Earlier this month the Environment Food and Rural Affairs committee demanded an explanation for what it called a 'lack of preparedness for this summer's bluetongue outbreak'. And we meet a farmer who's found a way to turn the fava beans he grows into feed for his chickens. Mike Mallett is an organic egg and poultry producer in Suffolk. He has now cracked the problems of toxicity and nutrient availability by cooking the beans in a big roaster, and is now practically self sufficient in organic feed. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.

See All (26)

Anna Hill

Host
Anna Jones

Host
Caz Graham

Host
Sybil Ruscoe

Host
Charlotte Smith

Host
Tim Farron

Guest
Minette Batters

Guest

4.5

out of 5

54 Ratings

Very Educational

09/06/2015

tbache9248

I am from the US and really like hearing about problems and solutions. I particularly like to colorful descriptions about the weather, what is being seen, the sounds, wellie boots and all. The recent topic of invasive species was quite interesting. Please keep it up.
This is a fun podcast

06/23/2009

Mulligan Hal

I listen to this all the time. The stories are interesting, even to someone here in the US. Also helps me understand Britain better.
Informative

11/30/2008

KidaStar

This is not an exciting podcast. No music. No give-aways. No comedians. This is an informative podcast covering issues facing British farmers. I'm not from the U.K., but I like to listen to their problems and solutions. It gives a broad look at agricultural issues, from the farmer, the shopper, the environmentalist, the legislator. I love listening.
Informative and Enjoyable

12/01/2007

ScoutF

The format is smart, the information relvant and interesting. Perhaps the best "integrated" general purpose ag news cast I have found. Although I am not a Brit, the global ag ulility is good.