Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

  1. 12H AGO

    19/05/26 Pollution from moorland burning, Duchy of Cornwall regen tenancies, tulips.

    Researchers at Leeds University say a new study shows deliberate burning of moorland for grouse shooting leads to an additional half a million people, on average, being exposed to unsafe levels of particulate pollution - that's on top of the pollution cause by wildfires. The study was co-authored by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which is calling for a licensing scheme for controlled burning to be brought in for England. In Scotland a plan to bring in licensing was temporarily put on hold by the Scottish Government in the aftermath of extensive wildfires last summer. Moorland managers argue that wildfires cause more pollution than controlled burning - and that controlled burning reduces the risk of wildfires. A fifth of the Duchy of Cornwall's property, owned by the Prince of Wales, could be sold in the next 10 years to help invest £500m into tackling housing and nature crises. The Duchy has a large number of tenant farmers and is introducing a new tenancy agreement, which concentrates on regenerative farming. We find out what's different about this type of tenancy. All week we're celebrating British flowers and today we visit a commercial grower in Norfolk which grows 35 million tulips every year and supplies most of the UK’s leading supermarkets. It's invested five million pounds in new technology so it can stay competitive and compete with imported blooms. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  2. 1D AGO

    18/05/26: Grow more British flowers, new hands at the wheel of Red Tractor, hare coursing crackdown

    Today is final judging day at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, ahead of the show's opening to the public tomorrow. This year, the Great Pavilion will include a mini flower farm, to promote British production. The display's been created by 8 growers from the organisation Flowers From The Farm. It says, after years of the market being dominated by cheaper imports, interest in British flowers is burgeoning. Now, more producers are needed to keep pace with the new demand. The UK's largest food and farm assurance scheme, Red Tractor, has had a difficult couple of years. Its new Chief Executive, Paul McLaughlin, tells Anna he's confident a standards overhaul will make the scheme work better for farmers and consumers. Hare coursing has been a long-standing problem for farmers, damaging crops, fencing and land. New sentencing guidelines for hare coursing will come into effect next month taking into account the impact of the crime on farms and rural communities. We hear from a farmer in Essex says he’s been targeted almost 200 times in eight months. Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

    12 min

  3. 3D AGO

    16/05/26 Farming Today This Week: too many pigs, new strategy to tackle animal disease, call for caged eggs ban, Balmoral Show

    Too many pigs, not enough space: farmers struggling to sell their livestock. New strategies for tackling the spread of animal disease. We ask, how much is being done to stop it getting here in the first place. Vets' organisations are calling for a ban on imports of eggs produced by caged hens, and a phasing out of the legal 'enriched colony' cages in the UK. And prize winning sheep at the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

    25 min

  4. 4D AGO

    15/05/2026 Balmoral Show, Northern Ireland

    The Balmoral Show near Belfast is Northern Ireland's biggest agricultural show. It's held over four days and attracts more than 100,000 visitors. This year there are record numbers of livestock entries. We speak to some of them, including breeders who've brought backed the traditional Irish Moiled Cattle back from the brink. Presented by Louise Cullen and produced by Rebecca Rooney.

    14 min

  5. 5D AGO

    14/05/26 New strategy to combat pig disease, farming issues in the King's Speech, sepsis risk for farmers

    New strategies for tackling African Swine Fever. We ask how much is being done to stop it getting here in the first place. Yesterday the King delivered his speech outlining what the Government hopes to achieve in its next parliamentary session, no matter who is at the helm. How much was in there for farmers? A campaign has been launched to raise awareness of sepsis among farmers. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

    14 min

  6. 6D AGO

    13/05/26 Pig supply, Northumberland National Park, profitability of farms in Northern Ireland

    The supermarket Morrisons has given notice to some of its pig farmers, because of an oversupply in the market. In a statement, Morrisons said it has to reduce the number of pig producers in its supply chain because of the challenging economic climate. An industry expert explains why the market's taken a downturn and how there are too many pigs and not enough space on farm as farmers struggle to sell their livestock. Last year, a survey by the consumer group Which? voted Northumberland National Park the best in the country, with its history peace and facilities all scoring highly. However, it’s also among the least visited and that’s something the park’s former CEO Tony Gates has spent 20 years trying to change, while arguing with the government over the park’s funding. All week we’re looking at the particular challenges of farming in Northern Ireland as farmers head to the Balmoral Show. Farming in Northern Ireland is heavily livestock-based: 80% of farms have beef or sheep and 10% are dairy. The average farm size is very small, less than 40 hectares, which is about half the size of an average farm in England. Agriculture is devolved, and Stormont decides its own policies, including the post-Brexit system for farm subsidies. We speak to an agricultural economist from Queen's University Belfast, Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  7. MAY 12

    12/05/26 Farming in Wales after Senedd elections; mapping soils in Northern Ireland; new national plant health centre

    Farmers in Wales and Scotland are asking what last week's elections in Scotland and Wales will mean for agriculture. Neither Plaid Cymru in Wales nor the SNP in Scotland have ended up with an outright majority. In Scotland, Mairi Gougeon, the Rural Affairs Secretary, didn't stand for re-election, so a new appointment will have to be made. In Wales, Plaid Cymru have won 43 out of the 96 seats in an expanded Welsh parliament so are short of an outright majority. It means the Welsh pro-independence party will need the support of others to pass laws and a budget in future. So what does it all mean for agriculture and the environment - both policy areas that are largely devolved? The agriculture show season begins with Balmoral Show just outside Belfast this week. Farming Today will be reporting from the show, and all week, we'll be looking at different aspects of farming across Northern Ireland. Unique to the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland's Soil Nutrient Health Scheme is the largest baseline soil sampling programme ever undertaken. The £37 million government-funded scheme is managed by the Agri-Food and Bio-Science Institute (AFBI) and has taken four years to complete. A new centre to identify and address plant diseases is being set up with government funding of £3 million. The National Centre for Environmental Horticulture Plant Health will be virtual, operated by staff at the government's Animal and Plant Health Agency and the charity, the Royal Horticultural Society. It's hoped that commercial plant growers and gardeners too will send in evidence of pests and diseases to help stop their spread. Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Rebecca Rooney

    14 min

  8. MAY 11

    11/05/26: Cage eggs ban call, University vineyard, Environment watchdog on NI water quality

    The UK's environment watchdog has warned that regulations designed to reduce water pollution from agricultural sources in Northern Ireland, urgently need to be strengthened. The Office for Environmental Protection, or OEP, has examined Northern Ireland's Nutrients Action Programme and says its measures haven't done enough to improve water quality. Many students of farming get the opportunity to experience hands-on learning, with dairy, beef and arable. At Harper Adams University in Shropshire students not only get to learn how to tend a vineyard, but now they're able to drink their own wine, made with grapes from the University's vines. The first wines have just been released. Vets' organisations are calling for a ban on imports of eggs produced by caged hens, alongside a phasing out of the 'enriched colony' cages currently legal in the UK. The British Veterinary Association and British Veterinary Poultry Association are supporting the Government's plan to end the use of cage systems here - out for consultation earlier this year. The National Farmers Union warned the move would drive more imports, some produced using methods already illegal in the UK. Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

    12 min
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4.5
out of 5
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About

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2007 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    Farming Today

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