Farming Today

BBC Radio 4
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The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

  1. −2 H

    Flooding, alternatives to farrowing crates, crops through the 'eyes' of AI

    The Country Land and Business Association, CLA, says winter flooding is putting pressure on farm finances, coming after summer drought and during a period of poor arable and milk prices. The CLA's Deputy President, Joe Evans, describes driving past 'hundreds of acres' of 'prime arable land' under water on the outskirts of Worcester. He tells Anna Hill of instances where arable farmers in Somerset have stopped growing crops because of repeated flooding. He believes that farmers could be more resilient, and help protect nearby communities, if they were given the right policy and regulatory support. The Government has said it plans to ban sow farrowing crates within four years under proposals in the new Animal Welfare Bill. These narrow pens are used in indoor pig units, and they confine sows during birth and suckling, for around a month. Their purpose is to prevent sows killing piglets by accidentally lying on them. We visit a farm in East Yorkshire which has been trialling alternative systems for 15 years. This week we're exploring how artificial intelligence, AI, could help farmers improve efficiency, and reduce the environment footprint of producing food. Today, a project combining AI with a camera which 'sees' things in a different way to the human eye, to understand how plants are behaving. It could eventually help farmers use nitrogen fertiliser much more precisely. Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

    14 min

  2. −1 D

    09/02/26 Farmer protests, Defra farm training, AI in agriculture

    Over the past few weeks farmers have been protesting, at ports and around supermarket distribution centres. Why? They say it's a combination of things, from concerns about the impact of imported food to the prices supermarkets pay for UK produce, along with continuing anger over inheritance tax on farms. The Government has raised the threshold, now farmers can pass on a farm worth up to £2.5m without being affected but some say that not enough and they want the tax scrapped. Civil servants will be spending time on farms. The Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has agreed a 4 year contract with the Allerton Project to provide training to all its staff and 'deepen their understanding of modern British Agriculture". Artificial intelligence is having an impact on many businesses around the world and farming is no exception, so this week we're looking at AI in agriculture. From monitoring the health of crops to measuring their uptake of water and improving animal welfare AI is already being used all around the country. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

    12 min

  3. −3 D

    Farming Today This Week: electric shock collars, taking carbon out of agriculture, UK-EU reset, new entrants, Wagyu beef

    Electronic Collars are to be banned under new rules for the RSPCA's Assured scheme for dairy cows. The collars are used instead of fencing, and make noise and then deliver a small electric shock to the cow if she goes outside the prescribed area. In April the RSPCA is also introducing other changes: a requirement for more access to pasture, a minimum of 120 days a year; changes to rules around transport of pregnant cows; and use of RSPCA Assured slaughter houses. 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 proftable farms into debt, and lead to 3,500 farms losing money. It says progress to remove the carbon from farming has been slow and advises that policy makers should intervene to ensure costs are passed to the consumer. MPs on the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee are calling on the Government to have a ‘national conversation’ on the new EU/UK agri-food trade agreement, so farmers don't end up disadvantaged. All this week, we've been talking about starting out in farming. The cost of land and the price of renting makes it difficult for those who're not from a farming family. One young couple have 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. We meet a farmer who has gone back to her family farming roots in Norfolk. After working variously as a PE teacher and journalist she now single handedly runs a herd of Wagyu beef cattle, Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    25 min

  4. −4 D

    06/02/2026 National Farmers' Union of Scotland Annual Conference, seed production, new tenant farmers

    The National Farmers' Union of Scotland holds its annual conference and calls for more funding to improve profitability. All this week we've been speaking to people new to farming. Today, we hear from two new entrants about how they got their feet on the ladder. We visit a company in Wiltshire that specialises in UK grown hemp seed. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

    14 min

  5. −5 D

    05/02/26 EFRA Committee report on EU/UK agri-food trade deal, seed science, starting out in agriculture

    MPs are calling on the Government to have a ‘national conversation’ on the new EU/UK agri-food trade agreement, so farmers don't end up disadvantaged. The new trade agreement is expected to come into place by 2027. But there are concerns the deal will bring the need for re-alignment of rules, as since Brexit the UK has diverged on things like animal welfare, gene editing and pesticide regulation. The Environment Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee is warning the Government must seek ‘carve outs’ or exemptions on alignment to "avoid unnecessary burdens and undercutting of farmers". Human health scientists have been working with plant scientists to discover, for the first time, how a plant passes down information to the seeds it’s developing. Researchers at the John Innes Centre and The Earlham Institute in Norwich, say 'mother' plants use hormonal messaging to prime their seeds for the climate and nutrient environment they're likely to face when they germinate.  All week we're talking to people starting out in agriculture. Even if you grow up on a family farm, it can be a good idea to go and try working somewhere else, to broaden your skills. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

    14 min

  6. −6 D

    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

  7. 3 FEB.

    03/02/26 Ban of electric shock collars for cows, grey squirrels, new egg business

    The RSPCA is updating its welfare standards for dairy cattle under its RSPCA Assured scheme. The changes come into operation this April and include: more access to pasture - a minimum of 120 days a year; changes to rules around transport of pregnant cows; and use of RSPCA Assured slaughterhouses. The changes also mean that electronic collars, which are used instead of fencing, will be banned under the scheme. Grey squirrels are a big problem for foresters. They strip off bark and leave trees dead or deformed. They also spread squirrel pox disease which kills native red squirrel populations. The government's issued a new policy statement on managing grey squirrels in England. It includes financial incentives and advice to help landowners take action, and it encourages a more collaborative approach to control numbers. All week we're looking at people who are starting out in farming. Rodrigo Navarro is a former chef and last May he set up a free-range egg business in Hampshire. He started as part of the Pitch Up scheme, which matches newcomers with large landowners or estates. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  8. 2 FEB.

    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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The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

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  • Skapad av
    BBC Radio 4
  • Aktiva år
    2007 - 2026
  • Avsnitt
    34
  • Åldersgräns
    Barnvänligt
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    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Programmets webbplats
    Farming Today
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