Episodes
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The poultry industry is calling for animal welfare and food production to be prioritised, as pressure increases on water supplies. This follows the closure of a chicken processing site in Devon due to a lack of water.
All week we're looking at England's post-Brexit farm payment schemes, which reward farmers to farm more environmentally. We hear concerns that money will be tight and many farmers may miss out.
And retail prices of chocolate should stay high to give farmers in west Africa a future, says the CEO of Tony’s Chocolonely.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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A new trade deal is signed with Switzerland: it's welcomed by farmers, but will it go any way to combat a significant downturn in food and drink exports, while imports are on the rise?
The Farming In Protected Landscapes scheme is part of the new system of farm payments being developed in England to replace the old EU subsidies. We hear how hill farmers are using it to help keep their business afloat.
How a crackdown on deer can help keep the banks of Loch Lomond bonnie.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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Missing episodes?
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Tinderbox conditions on fellsides and moorland have led to wildfires across the country. We hear from farmers in the centre of the blaze.
This week we're looking at England's post-Brexit farm policy. The Sustainable Farming Incentive is the main subsidy scheme, which rewards farmers for environmental actions. It's up and running again after it was abruptly suspended in March last year, and Defra has just announced that 75% of the funding available in the first window, for smaller farms, has now been allocated. Will the budget stretch to meet farmers' ambition?
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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Pig farmers in Scotland have welcomed a £2m emergency support package from the Holyrood Government, but say it's not enough to stop them losing money. An outbreak of African Swine Fever in Spain has led to an oversupply of pork across Europe which is significantly driving down wholesale prices. Farmers in Scotland and across the rest of the UK say they're losing thousands of pounds a week.
We’re visiting some of the UK’s biggest agricultural shows throughout the summer, and this week we'll be at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate. We’ve already been to the Highland Show, the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland and we’re off to the Royal Welsh in a couple of weeks. Agricultural policy is devolved in the UK nations and alongside visiting these shows we’re taking a detailed look at policy in each of the nations.
To adapt to sweltering temperatures, arable farmers are harvesting in the middle of the night and livestock farmers are busy keeping animals cool and well watered. We hear from a dairy farmer who says the heat is affecting milk yields.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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How practical would it be to grow our food underground? It’s a question being investigated by researchers at the University of Shefffield who are growing crops more than a kilometre below ground-level in a working mine near Whitby.
The Environment Agency has produced its first ever annual report into agriculture and water in England. Taking data from the last five years, it assesses the impact of agricultural pollution from farms, and how water availability is being managed. Non-compliance with water regulations has dropped, but 40% of farmers are still breaking the rules.
We’ve been taking a close look at commercial fishing all this week. Ten years on from the Brexit vote leading to the UK leaving the EU, some in the industry say that decision has had a lasting impact on their businesses, and not a good one. We hear from a scallop business in Scotland which says the industry needs more support.
Many of us have been sweltering in the third official heatwave of the summer. For farmers with livestock, there's the continual worry that their animals might be overheating, or not drinking enough water. We speak to a farm vet about the impact heat stress can have on the health of livestock and the fertility of cows.
Many farms have an education string to their bows nowadays but perhaps not quite on the scale of a farm near Kendal that’s been hosting primary school visits for the Westmorland County Agricultural Society for the last 25 years. Hundreds of children from 42 different schools flock to Roger Mason’s farm to learn what producing food is all about.
Presenter = Caz GrahamProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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Calls for wider bans on fishing with heavy gear that drags along the seabed to protect dolphins and porpoises.
We visit Hugh Lowe Farms in Kent, who have been providing strawberries to Wimbledon for over 25 years.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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How practical would it be to grow our food underground? It’s a question being investigated by researchers at the University of Shefffield who are growing crops more than a kilometre below ground-level in a working mine near Whitby. They’re collaborating with Farm Urban, a company that specialises in vertical farming, but usually going up vertically rather than down; and they reckon this is the world’s deepest vertical farm.
We’re taking a close look at commercial fishing all this week. Ten years on from the Brexit vote leading to the UK leaving the EU, some in the industry say that decision has had a lasting impact on their businesses, and not a good one. We hear from a scallop business in Scotland which says the industry needs more support.
This year, the Royal Horticultural Society’s annual show which is usually at Hampton Court has upped sticks and moved to the Badminton Estate in Gloucestershire. It’s not just a good excuse for some of us to get out the floaty dress and sunhat for a summer’s day out, events like this are an important showcase for the commercial nurseries who grow and sell the plants we buy for our gardens.
Presenter = Caz GrahamProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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The Environment Agency has produced its first ever annual report into agriculture and water in England. It takes data from the last five years, to assess the impact of agricultural pollution from farms, and how water availability is being managed. Over the last five years there've been 19,018 inspections and 49 serious category one pollution incidents caused by farming. Non-Compliance with water regulations has dropped, but 40% of farmers are still breaking the rules. We speak to the Deputy director of Agriculture and Land at the Environment Agency. Fishing communities around the UK say they are struggling to survive because of multiple pressures on the sector. All week we're talking about the fishing industry, from marine conservation to the cost of getting a catch. Along the coast of County Down, in Northern Ireland, boats are increasingly tied up in harbour because their owners say it's not worth putting out to sea.
Many of us have been sweltering in the third official heatwave of the summer. For farmers with livestock there's the continual worry that their animals might be overheating, or not drinking enough water. However the heat and lack of grass, can have wider implications than you might imagine for animal health. We speak to a farm vet about the impact heat stress can have on the fertility of cows.
Presenter = Anna HillProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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It seems we might have started a particular conversation about the very dry harvest in parts of the country. We spoke to a farmer, whose feed barley was a third drier than it should be. As a result, his crop was going to weigh less which means he'd get less money for it. Now he is considering adding moisture to the grain, after it leaves storage. We ask an arable expert whether that's something we'll see in future, and whether it's a good idea.
We're discussing many of the challenges the fishing industry faces throughout the week. For those working in the sector, the pressures can be huge, from extreme weather to rising costs and unpredictable catches. Many fishermen run small family businesses in what can be a precarious enterprise. So how do you remain resilient when there are so many changing factors? We find out about a health initiative in Wales to support fishing communities.
Many farms have an education string to their bows nowadays - but perhaps not quite on the scale of a farm near Kendal that’s been hosting primary school visits for the Westmorland County Agricultural Society for the last 25 years. Hundreds of children from 42 different schools from a 30-mile radius flocked to Roger Mason’s farm to learn what farming’s all about. It’s a huge event spread over two days with 300 volunteers from the Agricultural Society alone, not counting the hundred or so teachers and parents who help out too.
Presenter = Anna HillProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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Farmers who graze their livestock on what’s called Common Land in England were being excluded from the government’s new farming environmental support schemes - not because they didn't qualify, but because the Rural Payments Agency's computer system wasn’t up to the job of processing their applications. However, campaigners say that the system's being changed and commoners will now be able to apply.
Changing sea temperatures, rising fuel costs and offshore windfarms are all challenges for the fishing industry. All week we'll be exploring the state of the sector. We start off by asking the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations about fishing stocks, recruitment and an octopus bloom off UK waters. ,
The combination of higher fertiliser and fuel prices, and challenging weather mean farmers have their thinking caps firmly on their heads when considering long-term options for how they farm in the future. Should they use less fertiliser and fuel, to save costs and help the environment and can they do that, while still producing enough of the food we all need? We bring to together a buying cooperative, a university professor and a potato grower to discuss.
Presenter = Anna HillProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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Ten years of the regenerative farming festival Groundswell - we talk to farmers who were at the first event about how it's changed the way the farm.
Chris van Tulleken says farmers and doctors want the same thing, for people to want to buy more real, unprocessed food.
What will the Government's new 25 year Farming Roadmap mean for farmers? We ask the Secretary of State.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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Ten years of the regenerative farming festival Groundswell - we talk to farmers who were at the first event about how it's changed the way the farm.
Chris van Tulleken says farmers and doctors want the same thing, for people to want to buy more real, unprocessed food.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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We speak to the Environment Secretary about the government's new farming roadmap for England. It's 25 year plan and ministers say it'll give farmers the long-term clarity they need and access to the tools, technology, skills and supply chains 'to innovate, invest and grow with confidence for generations to come.' We find out what farmers at the regenerative farming event Groundswell think of it, and discuss food security and global volatility. Experts argue that the UK can't have a 'business as usual' approach to growing food and food production should be a priority.
All week we're talking about soil. Maize has become a controversial crop in recent years, in part because of its potential to cause soil erosion. In Devon, an on-farm trial is underway to grow maize interspersed with strips of mixed plants known as a 'living mulch', to protect the soil.
Presenter = Charlotte SmithProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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A new code of practice for the controlled burning of moorland in Scotland, which was due to be published on 1st July is being delayed, amid protests from gamekeepers that it won't work. Muirburn, as the controlled burning is known, is used by many gamekeepers to manage sensitive moorland to enable habitat for grouse, for shooting on many estates. Gamekeepers say it also reduces the vegetative load, which helps prevent wildfires. The Muirburn Code has been drawn up after months of work with stakeholders, including gamekeepers and conservationists. The document's been overseen by NatureScot, Scotland's national environment agency, but The Scottish Gamekeepers Association says the draft code falls short
Very little rain, very high temperatures and a lot of sunshine means some farmers have started one of the earliest harvests many can remember - and the grain is so dry some farmers are talking about re-wetting it when it comes out of storage.
All week we're talking about the most important part of growing anything - the soil. One way to improve it is to grow another shorter plant among the main cash crop, to keep the soil covered. We visit a farm in Northamptonshire which has been running extensive trials to see how inter cropping could benefit the soil.
Presenter = Anna HillProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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The organic certification body, the Soil Association, is warning it may withdraw from the farmed salmon sector unless higher standards are met. The organisation says while current standards are being satisfied, that's not driving the improvments in the industry that they want to see. They cite high fish mortality, unacceptable levels of sea lice, and the use of harmful chemical treatments. The industry body says its salmon farmers are committed to the highest standards of fish welfare and environmental responsibility. As we take a closer look at soils all this week, today we meet two Sheffield university researchers who are investigating the properties of micorrhizal fungal networks, which bind together millions of micro organisms - the protection of which many see as the solution to soil health.
And as the climate becomes more extreme, the management of water in farming will become more vital than ever. With this in mind, a pilot study has been taking place in Shropshire to assess how technology can help farmers pre-empt risks from flooding and drought. Scientists have even developed an app to give landowners a better idea of what they might face.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.
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Calls for more government action to protect water supplies for farming.
A series of workshops are taking place across Wales this year to collect hyper-local place names, particularly in rural areas.
Later this week we'll be at Groundswell, the regenerative agriculture festival now in its 10th year. Regen ag puts an emphasis on soil, so this week here on Farming Today it's all about earth.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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This week farmers have coped with heavy thundery rain and record breaking temperatures. We hear from a pig farmer keeping his stock cool, a livestock auctioneer who's had to cancel sales due to the heat, and a major potato and beetroot grower contemplating an irrigation bill of £3 million this year. But for winemakers the sunshine has come at just the right moment.
The Government has invested in strategic teams of specialist firefighters in England and South Wales to tackle wildfires. The Fire Chiefs Council's wildfire expert tells us the teams are trained in techniques to cope with a ferocity of fire becoming more common due to the effects of climate change.
Despite all the Prime Ministerial flux the Government revealed its long term (and long awaited) vision for farming: England's Farming Roadmap 2050. The idea is to have a 25 year vision for agriculture, to give farmers certainty 'beyond the next harvest'. It was the brainchild of Steve Reed when he was secretary of state for the environment. Two years down the line, the current incumbent, Emma Reynolds announced the plan in the House of Commons this week.
Aberdeen hosted the first Global Agritourism Conference this week. Anna Hill met some of the delegates to hear about farm tourism in India, Ukraine, Italy, and Canada.
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Northern Ireland is 'largely' missing the targets in its own Environmental Improvement Plan. A report from the environment watchdog, the Office for Environmental Protection, says of 38 targets, just two are likely to be met and that ministers must now move from 'planning and strategies into delivery'.The heatwave isn't a problem for everyone - it's mostly welcome in vineyards. Some had a difficult spring with badly timed frosts, so winemakers are glad to see the sun at an opportune moment.We've been looking at the tourism businesses farmers have diversified into. There is a huge variety, everything from the familiar b&bs to off road experiences and walking with llamas. Today we visit a farm campsite.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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'The most significant moment for English agriculture since the Second World War'; that's the Government's claim for their Farming Roadmap which has just been released. We hear reaction to the long awaited 25 year vision for agriculture.
The Climate Change Committee's annual report on the UK's greenhouse gas emissions says while agriculture is moving in the right direction, emissions aren't falling fast enough and adaptation is needed as well as mitigation.
How farmers are coping with pigs in the heat.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton
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Aberdeen is hosting the first global agritourism conference. It's the brainchild of Caroline Millar who runs an agritourism business from her family farm in Scotland. Delegates from around the world have been exploring how producers can make more money by opening up their farms to visitors.
Presenter = Anna HillProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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