Farming Today

BBC Radio 4

4.5 (54)
Science
Updated Daily

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

55m ago

14/10/26 Homegrown

Climate change is already reshaping the way farmers think. Wetter winters, hotter summers, and new pests and diseases are creating fresh challenges. At the same time, global instability, from conflict to trade disputes, has highlighted the fragility of food supplies. As part of our special week exploring the next 75 years of farming, today we're asking: what should Britain be growing in the future? We visit the John Innes Centre in Norfolk, one of the world's leading plant science institutes, where researchers are developing crops that could thrive in a very different climate. We'll hear from Professor Tim Lang on how the UK can feed itself in an increasingly uncertain world, and from Scotland, where a warming climate may open the door to crops traditionally grown much further south, even as it brings new risks and pressures of its own. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
1d ago

13/10/26 Tech

As part of a special week marking the 75th anniversary of The Archers and exploring what the next 75 years could hold for farming, today we look at how technology and AI could transform the way food is produced. At Place UK, one of the country's biggest soft-fruit growers, automation and robotic harvesting are already being trialled, to help cope with labour shortages and rising costs. We hear from Sir James Dyson, a major investor in farm robotics and AI, and from farmers in Northern Ireland who are already putting those technologies to work, using artificial intelligence to monitor livestock and automate everyday jobs. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
2d ago

12/10/26 Land Use

As The Archers marks its 75th anniversary, Farming Today is looking ahead to the next 75 years of British farming. All week we’ll be imagining how agriculture could change, from how land is used to what crops we grow, using what technology and how the identity of farming itself could shift. Today we’re in Inkberrow in Worcestershire, the village which inspired Ambridge and asking: what will we be doing with the land we currently farm over the next 75 years? We hear from Jeremy Clarkson on how he sees the future of Diddly Squat Farm, from The Archers’ farming and countryside advisor Sybil Ruscoe, and from Wales, where how land is used is increasingly under debate. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
3d ago

10/10/2026: Harvest, Bird flu, Farm boundaries

The official estimates for England's harvest 2026 are in, and the figures from the governnment show that its the smallest harvest of both barley and oats since 2012. Wheat saw a small increase with losses in the South and East offset by a better harvest further North, and oil seed rape had a better year with a 6 per cent increase in yield. We hear from farmers who suffered in the droughts. This week we've been exploring farm boundaries - from hedges and stone walls to barbed wire. We hear from people restoring ancient boundaries, and learn about the history of barbed wire from the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma. The first cases of highly pathogenic avian flu in kept poultry have arrived in the UK - and as migratory wild birds start to arrive to overwinter here, poultry farmers are being urged to improve biosecurity. The case was reported in a backyard flock on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. Last winter free range flocks had to be kept inside to try to protect them from infection, and the UK Chief Vet says anyone farming poultry must now review and improve their biosecurity. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.
5d ago

09/10/26 Drought aftermath, Cornish hedges, SNP conference, AI and farming

The official estimates for England's harvest 2026 are in, and they don't make happy reading. Provisional figures from the government show that it's the smallest harvest of both barley and oats since 2012. Wheat saw a small increase with losses in the south and east offset by a better harvest further north, and oilseed rape had a better year with a 6% increase in yield. All week we're talking about boundaries, the fences and walls which define farms and fields. Traditional Cornish hedges are an earth bank sandwiched between two stone walls - not what you might expect from the word 'hedge'. Many of these hedges were lost to make fields bigger during the mid-twentieth century push for food production. Others have collapsed into disrepair, but there’s now a push to restore and appreciate Cornish hedges anew. The Scottish National Party insists that its plan to introduce a price cap on some essential foods will go ahead; the initiative has been described as 'a potty gimmick' and criticised by retailers, farmers and food and drink manufacturers. The SNP holds its annual conference in Aberdeen next week. The minister for agriculture, marine and the islands Jim Fairlie says capping food prices won't impact farmers. Artificial intelligence which is beginning to transform many aspects of our lives - so what's its potential for farmers? Producers are facing more challenges than ever, from drought and heatwaves to labour shortages and the spiralling price of fuel and fertiliser. We visited a robotic dairy on the Somerset/Devon border to ask if AI will bring the fourth agricultural revolution. Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Rebecca Rooney
6d ago

08/10/2926: Fly tipping, History of barbed wire, Energy from heat

Half of farmers say they've had rubbish fly tipped on their land, and the majority of those asked say the problem is getting worse. These are the results of a survey of 512 farmers in England and Wales by the National Farmers Union - which is campaigning for more and stronger deterants to tackle the problem. The latest government figures show a 9 per cent year on year increase in fly tipping reported by local authorities in England between 2023/4 and 2024/5. There’s an old saying that good fences make good neighbours and all this week on Farming Today we’re looking into a slightly leftfield subject, the boundaries farmers use between their own farms and others, and, within their own farm. Fencing - or hedging or walls - are crucial to farmers. Today - the fence that tamed the American ‘wild west’, still used by farmers across the world today - barbed wire. A company from Shropshire has invented a new material which it claims could save chicken farmers thousands of pounds. Zero Charge Technologies wants to harness the waste heat generated in chicken sheds to produce free electricity. It says it can do this with a substance called Delta T- an alternative to solar panels - which can also be fitted on roofs, and will generate power from waste heat day and night. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.
Oct 7

07/10/26 Sugar beet, flagstone walls, dairy show.

After months of negotiations, British Sugar and the National Farmers Union have agreed a price for sugar beet farmers for 2027/28. It's lower than last year, with a one-year contract paying £28.50 per tonne for up to half of the contract tonnage. This compares with £30 a tonne for up to 65% on the current crop, and that's lower than the year before. So the price is falling. Sugar beet is grown mainly in Eastern England and all the crop is processed by British Sugar, sold under the brand Silver Spoon. The crop is planted in the spring and harvested between October and February. Earlier this year British Sugar announced it would close its oldest processing plant at Cantley in Norfolk next February. We speak to the NFU Sugar Beet Chair who negotiated the deal. This week we're looking at boundaries - ways of enclosing land to de-mark ownership and keep livestock in, or out! Different regions make use of whatever material is available , and in the far north of Scotland farmers traditionally used a very particular style of stone dyke that can bring to mind the upright flat slabs you're more likely to see in graveyards. We visit a farm in Caithness to find out how these flagstone boundaries were made and maintained nowadays. Dairy farming has faced one of its most challenging years: heatwaves and drought have affected the cows and the grass; milk prices have fluctuated; and bluetongue disease has hit herds too. There's plenty to discuss as hundreds of dairy farmers head to The Dairy Show at the Bath and West showground. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney
Oct 6

06/10/26 Rural connectivity, dry stone walls, Conservative party conference.

The Farmers Union of Wales says it's very concerned about new rules which they say could see rental incomes cut by 90%. The FUW estimates that a revaluation of thousands of existing agreements could affect 15,000 masts, and if the changes put off farmers going into mast agreements, connectivity in rural Wales could be hit. We hear from a sheep farmer in Radnorshire, who's had a mast on his land for more than 20 years but the rent for it has been halved. As we continue our look at boundaries this week, we turn our attention to one of the most familiar and admired feature of our countryside - the dry stone wall. The tradition of constructing walls without mortar dates back centuries, but most existing walls date from the 18th and 19th centuries when large tracts of land were enclosed for livestock. The Dry Stone Walling Association estimates there are approximately 70,000 miles of dry stone walls in the UK but just a few hundred people with the skills to repair, maintain and build new ones. We meet one of them, in the Cheviot Hills of Northumberland. The Conservatives have said they'll get rid of Natural England and the Environment Agency if they win the next election. The Environment Agency is responsible for prosecuting those who break regulations on water quality and environmental standards and Natural England was set up to protect wildlife and landscapes. Wildlife and environmental campaign groups have reacted strongly to the idea that these agencies should be abolished, arguing there needs to be more regulation, properly funded. We speak to the shadow farming minister at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

See All (26)

Anna Hill

Host
Anna Jones

Host
Caz Graham

Host
Sybil Ruscoe

Host
Charlotte Smith

Host
Adrian Ramsay

Guest
Gwen Rees

Guest
LLyr Griffith

Guest
Simon Willcock

Guest
Mike Mallett

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.