Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

  1. HACE 1 DÍA

    04/02/26 The cost of decarbonising agriculture, young farmers in Northern Ireland, new entrant crofters

    A new report published by the think tank The Resolution Foundation says the government's goal of 'net zero' across the UK, could force less profitable farms into debt, and lead to 3,500 farms losing money. It says progress to decarbonise farming has been slow and there is no 'silver bullet' which will do the 'heavy lifting' for the sector to reduce its impact on climate change. It advises that policymakers should intervene to ensure costs are passed to the consumer. The Ulster Farmers Union has accused the Northern Ireland government of failing to support young farmers following the closure of one scheme last year and with another also about to come to an end. The Young Farmers Payment Scheme closed in 2025 - though the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs says successful applicants will continue to get top up payments for five years. The pilot Farming for the Generations scheme was designed to support farming families planning for succession. It's closing next month and DAERA says there will be an evaluation before the scheme is relaunched. Many things make it difficult to get a toe-hold on the farming ladder, not least the availability and cost of buying land. Some people though, are determined to overcome those challenges, against the odds. We meet a young couple who realised their dream by leaving behind their city lives in York and moving hundreds of miles to Scotland, to a croft in the Western Isles. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14 min
  2. HACE 3 DÍAS

    02/02/26 Scottish Environment Bill, Ramblers report, new entrants.

    Scotland has introduced legislation to set legal targets on nature restoration and halt the loss of biodiversity. The Scottish Government says this will ensure that the country is 'on a bold ambitious journey to be nature positive by 2030'. The Natural Environment bill, which was passed by the Scottish parliament last week, also gives ministers new powers over land use and deer management. The right to roam in Scotland, which gives people access rights, is being 'hollowed out' by a lack of money according to a new report from the walkers’ group Ramblers Scotland. It says that some of the essential infrastructure needed to ensure the rights of both walkers and land managers has disappeared, with too few local staff to handle issues when people don't stick to the rules, and not enough money spent on maintaining paths. All week we're talking about new entrants: the people who come into farming with no family farm to work on, or inherit. The vast majority of farmers who own land pass it on to other members of the family, so it can be hard for people from outside the industry to get hold of land. Land is expensive too, which forms another barrier. Tenant farms where all or some of the land is rented make up about a third of farmland in England, but getting a tenancy is hard work and again requires some capital. One rural charity, The Addington Fund, has set up a new new entrant scheme to help people get a foot on the farming ladder. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    12 min

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