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The Government’s announcement that the seasonal worker visa scheme is being extended for five years has been welcomed by farming organisations. It comes as part of DEFRA's response to an independent review into Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain which was published last summer. Also in that response is a commitment to "turbo-charge" investment in automation with an extra 50 million pounds of funding for new technology for automating pack houses and to improve robotic pickers.
Jon Old’s family own around 16 hectares of watercress beds across Hampshire and Dorset. Their watercress ends up on the shelves of major supermarkets but since 2010, they’ve also been growing something else: wasabi. Wasabi is particularly difficult to grow - Jon calls it the the “Goldilocks Crop” because everything has to be just right!
And our whistle-stop tour of farming in the West of Europe with Cornish farmer and Farming Today journalist Stuart Oates concludes on the Coast of Portugal, where one of the crops he discovers is rice.
Presented by Caz GrahamProduced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons
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The boss of Waitrose has told Farming Today that the value of food needs reappraising and that in some cases higher prices should be considered. It comes as the supermarket announces that from 2035, it’s UK produced meat, milk, eggs and fruit and veg will come from farms that practice regenerative farming. There is no precise definition for regenerative agriculture, but it focuses on improving soil health by reducing or removing cultivation, growing cover crops to protect the soil and using fewer chemical inputs. It can also involve re-integrating livestock into an arable system. So what will it mean for the 2300 farmers who supply Waitrose?
The Government needs to take “urgent action” to meet it’s own targets for cleaning up our waterways…according to a new report from the Office for Environmental Protection. The Government has committed to bring 77% of England’s surface water bodies, like rivers and lakes, to a good ecological condition by 2027…but the OEP says without a significant strengthening in the enforcement of environmental law, that figure will be more like 21%.
More than 500 workers at a tractor factory in Basildon in Essex are to go on strike across the next three weeks over pay. The CNH factory produces New Holland tractors that are shipped all around the world.
And our European road trip continues with a hunt for the farmer who produces the world's most expensive ham.
Presented by Caz GrahamProduced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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The King Charles III England Coast Path was named to celebrate the coronation last year - and the plan was to make 2,700 miles of coastal path available to walkers. But, on the Isle of Wight, the Ramblers Association says some landowners won't allow access for the path, so it will have to detour away from the coast. One of those is the Osbourne House Estate - the former home of Queen Victoria, which was given to the nation in 1902.
A bio-tech company has developed a new technique to enhance carbon capture in the soil. Crushed basalt rock can added to soil to capture carbon in a process called "enhanced rock weathering". Now, FabricNano has developed a protein powder made of enzymes which are already found naturally in the soil, which speeds it up.
And for farmers struggling with low prices, selling produce direct to the consumer can be a solution. But platforms to access markets large enough to sell entire crops, have been thin on the ground. We hear from farmers in Southern Spain who are now selling hundreds of tonnes of their fruit directly to consumers across Europe every year through a website called Crowdfarming.
Presented by Anna HillProduced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons
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The RSPB says it is "vital" that a UK ban on fishing for sandeels in the North Sea remains in place. The ban, which stops sandeel trawlers fishing in English and Scottish sections of the North Sea, came into effect in April following a long campaign by conservationists concerned about declining seabird populations, particularly puffins and kittiwakes. Fishermen in Denmark are supporting a challenge by the European Union to the UK ban, claiming they have lost half of their fishing grounds because of the new restrictions.
Farmer confidence is at an all time low; that's according to a new survey published by the National Farmers' Union. It says the wet weather has had an impact, but farmers also point to worries about the future of their businesses. 65% of the 797 farmers surveyed at the end of last year say profits have fallen or that their businesses may not survive. 86% expect the phasing out of direct subsidy payments to have a negative impact on their farms, and 80% expect regulations and the price of inputs to hit their businesses.
We visit the heart of the global wine industry in France. While in the UK wine production has become a thriving business, in Bordeaux things aren't looking so good.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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Just what happens when a foreign billionaire buys a vast tract of the Scottish Highlands and sets about changing it? Does Scotland’s biggest landowner Anders Holch Povlsen dictate everything that happens on his 80,000 acres of the Cairngorm National Park? Is he making money from it? Richard Baynes has been to the heart of Povlsen’s Wildland estate, talking to those charged with restoring nature on it and finding out how they work. Produced and presented by Richard Baynes.
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New physical checks have been brought in on some imports of food and plants from the EU. Products deemed high or medium risk now have to be inspected - including live animals, meat and some plant products. We report from a border control post to find out how it works.
An investigation is under way following the large scale illegal dumping of waste at a site in Kent. Local residents describe a steady stream of lorries carrying waste being brought to the site.
And the largest cider manufacturer in the UK - Heineken - has ripped up thousands of apple trees in a 140 acre orchard in Monmouthshire. The orchard was planted by Bulmers - which is now owned by Heineken - more than twenty years ago. Some local people have raised concerns about the effect on ecosystems in the area, but the company says it’s selling the land due to a fall in the cider market.
Presented by Charlotte SmithProduced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons
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The latest figures from Defra show nearly 20,000 badgers were killed across England last year, as part of the Government's policy to tackle TB in cattle. Badger campaigners say that the continued culling is leading to local extinctions. Defra says there are no easy answers, but badger culling "has proved highly effective and needs to remain a part of our holistic approach".
Jeremy Clarkson says if he wanted to make money from his thousand acre Oxfordshire farm he'd put as much as possible into government environmental schemes. Instead he's turned it into a TV show and for the third series, which starts today, he's gone into pigs.
Fusarium basal rot: its a fungus and apparently the single biggest problem facing the country's onion growers. This week we're looking at crop pests and diseases and the efforts being made to combat them. Researchers are looking into technology which can sniff-out early stage disease.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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An investigation is under way into a case of large-scale illegal waste dumping in Kent.
According to a House of Lords committee report, up to a third of veterinary medicines currently used in Northern Ireland could cease to be available to farmers when a grace period ends next year.
A Natural Products BioHub has been launched at Swansea University, which will support researchers and businesses specialising in pesticides which control pests without the need for chemicals.
Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced by Alun Beach
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New physical checks have been brought in on some imports of food and plants from the EU. Products deemed high or medium risk now have to be inspected - including live animals, meat and some plant products. Inspections can be done either at Government run sites or at commercial facilities - we report from both to find out how it works.
The major political parties are all competing for the rural vote ahead of the local elections. A combination of councillors, mayors and police and crime commissioners will be selected across England and Wales.
And, blackgrass is a weed that can grow amongst fields of commercial crops, competing for nutrients in the soil, and reducing yields. We meet a team of scientists at Rothamsted Research who are looking into how to tackle this pernicious weed.
Presented by Anna HillProduced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons
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New border checks for imports of food and plants coming into the UK from the EU, start 30th April 2024. Some farming groups have been calling for these checks for some time - saying they will give producers here more of a level playing field with EU producers, because UK exports have had similar checks since Brexit. But some importers say inspection costs are prohibitive.
We hear from the conference to celebrate the World Organisation for Animal Health's 100th anniversary, where avian flu is on the agenda.
And, we’re getting to the time of year where young plants in the field are susceptible to pest damage. Rather than rely on chemicals to fight them off, under the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which is part of England's new farm payment system replacing EU subsidies, farmers can be paid for using "Integrated Pest Management". We visit a farm to hear how it works.
Presented by Anna HillProduced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons
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Illegal fishing on rivers and watercourses is on up according to the police, who are stepping up patrols with other agencies. Angling clubs pay thousands of pounds every year to stock rivers with fish for members and taking fish without permission is theft. Better training of police in poaching laws has led to a recent spate of convictions and a legal first for volunteer river bailiffs.
MPs have highlighted the impact of changes in welfare payments on farmers. Farmers historically claimed tax credits to boost low incomes, but the system has changed and they now apply for Universal Credit. But eligibility is calculated using monthly income and expenditure, which doesn’t sit well with farm businesses where these can vary enormously depending on the season. The transition process has been described as a nightmare which is having an impact on farmers mental health.
Around 38 million acres of Ukrainian farmland has now been rendered too dangerous to farm by Russian mines. According to the Mines Advisory Group charity there have been more than a thousand mine accidents in Ukraine since 2022, with farmers making up one of the largest single groups of casualties.
From Welsh government plans to get them planted on farms to the ever missed English planting targets and the recent cuts to the budget for planting in Scotland, trees are the subject of much debate in rural areas. All this week we've been discussing trees and despite our fondness for them and need for timber, we still don't like commercial forestry.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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The National Sheep Association says it has no confidence in the Red Tractor assurance scheme's executive.
MP's have highlighted the impact of the changes in welfare payments on farmers, who historically claim tax credits to boost low incomes.
A tree nursery manages to combat the adverse weather conditions, and a breed of cattle found on a remote Scottish island
Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced by Alun Beach
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Fishing is a very popular pastime. In England alone, the Environment Agency issued more than 900,000 fishing licenses between March 2022 and April 2023. But illegal fishing on rivers and watercourses is on the up, according to the police, who are stepping up patrols with other agencies. Angling clubs pay thousands of pounds every year to stock rivers with fish for members and taking fish without permission is theft. Better training of police in poaching laws has, however, led to a recent spate of convictions and a legal first for volunteer river bailiffs.
A new housing development in Essex is welcoming some new arrivals, but they're not excited home-owners. That’s because houses on the estate at Manningtree come complete with their own flock of sheep and a full-time shepherdess.
We’re talking about trees all this week and today it’s the threat to our trees from pests, pathogens and disease. Climate change, pollution, land use change and invasive species are all making trees more vulnerable to pests and diseases, like ash dieback. It was first detected in the UK back in 2012, since then it’s swept across the country with devastating effect on our third most common broad-leaved tree. According to the Woodland Trust, ash dieback will eventually kill up to 80% of ash trees across the UK. Dead trees are dangerous trees, so local authorities are spending millions of pounds managing trees that are deemed unsafe.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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The Labour Party has launched a Rural Crime Strategy, saying crime is rising faster in rural than urban areas. Research commissioned by the party, and based on information from the House of Commons Library, shows rural crime has risen by a third since 2011, compared to a rise of 24% in urban areas. Labour says the new Strategy would include increasing rural police presence by 13 thousand community and neighbourhood staff. We hear from the Shadow Policing Minister.
In February, we reported that Scotland’s forestry grant scheme was facing a 41% cut, lopping £32 million off the funding to help pay for new woodlands. Two months on, what is it meaning for rural communities?
And, deer can strip bark from trees, making them more vulnerable to disease. They can also eat young trees, killing them before they’ve had a chance to grow. DEFRA released its consultation on a Deer Management Strategy back in 2022 - but it still hasn't been published. We look at what it could contain.
Presented by Anna HillProduced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons
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Around 38 million acres of Ukrainian farmland has now been rendered too dangerous to farm by Russian mines. According to the charity the "Mines Advisory Group", there have been more than a thousand mine accidents in Ukraine since 2022 - with farmers making up one of the largest single groups of casualties. We hear from the man in charge of clearing land mines there.
Farmers can be paid to integrate tree-planting into their farm management plans through Government schemes like Countryside Stewardship. We visit two farmers in the Lake District who are being advised by The Woodland Trust on how trees and food production can go hand in hand.
And an environmental charity in Germany, which invests in projects around the world, is donating more than a million euros to re-wet peatlands in England. We speak to NABU about what the UK offers.
Presented by Anna HillProduced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons
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Today trees: from Welsh Government plans to get them planted on farms, to the ever missed English planting targets and the recent cuts to the budget for planting in Scotland, trees are the subject of much debate in rural areas. Despite our fondness for them and need for timber, we still don't like commercial forestry. Foresters warn the public's perception is hampering efforts to grow more timber. We get an overview of the state of British woodlands.
The Scottish Government wildlife agency NatureScot has been holding advice sessions on wild boar and providing help for farmers and crofters dealing with them. Concerns are growing about the damage they do to grazing areas. It's claimed they kill and eat sheep and lambs, and farmers believe the Government should have taken action years ago.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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Wales' new Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs says his first job it to listen to farmers. It comes after unrest and large protests in Wales by farmers, angry about the Welsh Government's approach to farming. In particular, the way its tacking TB in cattle, stricter rules on pollution and the Sustainable Farming Scheme, which will replace EU subsides in Wales and requires farmers to plant trees on 10% of their land. We put their concerns to Huw Irranca-Davies.
The UK Government has admitted that it unlawfully issued some licences for releasing game birds last year. The campaign group Wild Justice challenged the licences granted in the Deben Estuary in Suffolk and Breckland in Norfolk. While DEFRA concedes that it didn’t follow Natural England's advice and that the assessment it carried out wasn’t in line with the rules – it strongly refutes Wild Justice's claim that the decisions 'were tainted with the appearance of bias'.
And we visit a farm in Herefordshire where they rear tens of thousands of worms to sell for live bird feed, for improving the soil, and for composting.
Presented by Charlotte SmithProduced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons
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Most UK dairy farms are failing to meet environmental regulations aimed at protecting rivers from pollution; so says the campaign group River Action which has used freedom of information requests to find new data. It says dairy farms are one of the biggest causes of river pollution. The National Farmers' Union says farmers are getting better.
Companies importing food to the UK say the Government's plans to bring in physical checks for food coming from the EU is going to lead to higher prices, and eventually less choice.
All this week we're talking about diversification, and for farms which are near towns or cities attracting visitors onto the land can be profitable. We hear how a Devon farm has diversified into Halloween pumpkins.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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The Government has admitted that it unlawfully issued some licences for releasing game birds last year. The campaign group Wild Justice challenged the licences granted in the Deben Estuary in Suffolk and Breckland in Norfolk, saying that ministers had ignored the advice from the wildlife regulator Natural England, and that a proper assessment of the impact hadn't been carried out. By law under the Habitats Directive there must be an assessment of the impact of any release near Special Protected Areas, and advice from Natural England must be taken into account for a licence to be granted. While Defra concedes that it didn’t follow Natural England's advice and that the assessment it carried out wasn’t in line with the rules, it strongly refutes Wild Justice's claim that the decisions 'were tainted with the appearance of bias'.
A new assessment of the UK vegetable oil harvest has been made and found that oilseed rape production this year could be reduced by as much as 38% compared to last year, partly due to less area planted but also because of the wet weather. Added to that, production of olives in Southern Europe is also facing climate challenges, and the price of olive oil has shot up.
Some farmers coping with challenging weather will be thankful if they have income from a diversification on the farm. All week we're hearing how farms are running extra businesses alongside their core work. Tens of thousands of worms might not be the first thing you’d think of to help a traditional farm survive. But near Hereford, the Gorringe family have set up a sideline which is helping prop up their arable and beef business.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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A total wipe-out of crops is now a possibility for some farms - it follows the record rainfall over recent months. Crops on thousands of acres of highly productive land have been destroyed and even now fields are too boggy for machinery to harvest or plant crops for the months ahead. So what impact will this have on our fresh produce supply chains?
Tenant farmers "can't be left to go by the wayside" - that's the message from the NFU Tenant Farmer Conference. English farmers who rent some - or all - of the land they work face many challenges at the moment. From landlords taking land back for solar farms or the ELMs environmental schemes, to rising rents and the phasing out of subsidy payments under the basic payments scheme or BPS.
And we visit a former dairy farm where cattle barns have been turned into a microbrewery, a taproom and a wedding venue.
Presented by Charlotte SmithProduced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons
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