Farming Today

• 26/04/2025 Farming Today This Week: Agroforestry, Planning, Rare Breeds, EU food Imports

  Restrictions have been introduced on what visitors and returning holidaymakers can bring into the UK, in response to concerns about foot and mouth outbreaks in Europe. Meat and dairy products cannot be brought back from Europe into the country, and the new rules cover everything from cured meats and cheeses to sandwiches. The aim is to prevent a foot and mouth outbreak here in the UK. But are the new restrictions being made clear enough to the public?The government's Planning and Infrastructure Bill aims to streamline the planning system, making it easier for developers to speed up big building projects. This week, the government tabled an amendment to the bill which removes statutory consultees from the pre-application process, with the aim of speeding things up. However, the Wildlife Trusts have warned that the plans would be disastrous for both the natural world and big building projects.This week, the Rare Breeds Survival Trust published its latest watchlist - an annual situation report for rare breeds. Whilst there is good news for some native livestock breeds, the watchlist has highlighted that others are in decline. Agroforestry means putting farming and forestry into the same field, with the aim of improving soil and biodiversity as well as growing food. The term encompasses a wide range of approaches, from growing arable crops to grazing livestock, all alongside trees. We hear from farmers who are implementing different agroforestry systems on their very different farms.

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• 25/04/25 Concerns around lack of awareness of EU food import ban, trade talks, agroforestry

  Concerns about foot and mouth outbreaks in Europe have led to restrictions on what visitors and returning holidaymakers can bring into the UK. Meat and dairy products cannot now be brought back from Europe into the country, the aim being to prevent an outbreak here. That rule was introduced on the 12th of April this year and covers everything from cured meats and cheeses to sandwiches regardless of whether it's packaged or not. But over the past couple of weeks listeners have been getting in touch to say that there hasn't been much publicity about it, and that at ports and airports they're not seeing signs or inspections.Talk of tariffs is giving way to talks about a trade deal between the UK and the USA, so we try to work out what that might mean for food and farming. The Government says it's not going to negotiate on food standards. But given that the US exported goods worth $92 billion to the UK last year and food exports made up just $3 billion of that, how strong a voice can UK food and agri-business have in any negotiation? When James Colston took on the management of Arisaig farm in the West Highlands of Scotland, more than 30 years ago, he never imagined he'd become obsessed by the wonderful world of a small endangered butterfly species, the chequered skipper. But that's what happened, and by introducing both trees and what he calls 'cow power' to the woodlands he has changed the 10,000 acre hill farm. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

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• 24/04/2025 Warning that changes to planning bill threatens nature; calls for a rare breeds ministerial roundtable, silvopasture

  A government amendment to its planning bill would be disastrous for both wildlife and big building projects; that's the warning from the Wildlife Trusts which wants ministers to reconsider. The Rare Breeds Survival Trust releases its latest watchlist today, and says that while there is good news for some native breeds, others like the Manx Locton sheep are falling in number. It wants the Government to re-establish a Ministerial Native Breeds Roundtable. Today we are looking at a silvopasture project in Wales, as part of our week on agroforestry. Silvopasture combines trees, livestock grazing and pasture management. Tom Clare and Jacqui Banks who farm in North Pembrokeshire use badger faced sheep in their system which they've been running for a decade. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

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• The rise and rise of beef prices, carp growing, agroforestry

  Charlotte Smith examines what's behind 2025's unprecedented increase in prices paid to UK beef farmers. According to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board fewer cattle are being farmed in the UK, and beyond. This week Farming Today is taking a closer look at Agroforestry, the approach which combines farming crops or livestock with trees. And, big fish, big money: we visit a carp grower in Yorkshire.Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

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• 19/04/25 Farming Today This Week: wildfires, British farm standards, EU meat imports ban, vertical farms, sheep shearing

  If you're travelling in mainland Europe this Easter and thinking about possibly bringing back some local delicacies, think again. Following outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in Germany, Hungary and on its border with Slovakia, restrictions on the food you're allowed to bring in, have changed significantly. You are now not allowed to bring in meat or dairy products from any EU country, except for poultry. So how great is the potential for cured meats or cheeses in your suitcase to transmit foot and mouth?Some of the UK's rarest wildlife is being "torched alive" and pushed closer to extinction after weeks of intense grass fires, conservationists have warned.There has been a bit of talk about trade deals this week, with the the US Vice President JD Vance talking about a prospective UK/US agreement, and that's making farmers nervous. They worry that agreements risk undermining them and this week raised concerns over a deal with India, saying it mustn't allow imports of cheaper food, produced to lower standards. The company behind one of the UK's biggest vertical farms has closed. The Jones Food Company which ran indoor farms in Scunthrope and Gloucestershire, as well as a development centre in Bristol, called in the receivers after failing to find new investors. Vertical farms grow crops, mainly herbs and salad leaves, inside on shelving, using special lights to create a warm humid atmosphere which reduces growing time in comparison with conventionally grown crops. But with a number of companies going bust in recent years, is this a viable way to grow food?And as spring is springing, we talk sheep shearing in West Dorset.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

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