Afleveringen
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The NFU has confirmed it sent a private letter to the Prime Minister, raising concerns over a prospective trade deal with the Gulf States. It said the deal could open the UK up to imports of low-welfare meat from the Gulf, and more importantly, many other countries around the world. Although meat from the Gulf States might come up to UK hygiene standards, some welfare groups are concerned about the conditions animals are kept in, and the intensive nature of production, especially poultry.
Annual payments farmers in England receive based on the amount of land they have will be capped at just £600 next year. New details have emerged after last week's Spending Review.
And there’s evidence that humans have been using seaweed as a fertiliser for thousands of years. When chemical fertilisers were developed a century ago, that use of seaweed largely died out, but for some, it's making a comeback.
Presented by Anna HillProduced by Heather Simons
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Anna Hill finds out how new farming technology could mean more jobs, not fewer. A new report from The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture says the expansion of artificial intelligence apps collecting data and providing real-time advice will mean recruiting and training more people, to give farmers technical support.
In Northern Ireland, stealing farm animals is being linked to organised crime, and it seems the current high stock values are making them even more attractive to criminals.
As arable farmers wait for their crops to ripen in the fields, many are watching grain prices carefully. Grain isn't just a domestic commodity, but is traded worldwide...and aspects like exchange rates, and President Trump's new tariffs make a big difference to the price.
And we visit the Scottish Association for Marine Science in Oban, where scientists are embarking on a new five-year international research project looking at the economics of extracting various products from seaweed, as well as assessing the climate resilience of different species...and even training up new seaweed farmers.
Presented by Anna HillProduced by Heather Simons
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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A Scottish abattoir has closed with the loss of 90 jobs. Scotbeef at Inverurie has been shut. The company says an operational review concluded it was necessary to protect the long-term future of the business amid industry challenges. Earlier this year the number of cattle in Scotland fell to its lowest for a decade and farming groups called for government support to rebuild the national herd, warning that some abattoirs might close because they'd become uneconomic.
All this week, we’ll be talking about seaweed. At the Holkham estate in north Norfolk, a trial funded by the WWF and the Co-op foundation has been trying to prove that the use of seaweed based biostimulant can reduce the need for artificial nitrogen fertiliser, without affecting yields. If successful it could present a way for farms to reduce costs, and minimise the negative side effects of overusing fertilisers.
The cost of rural crime has fallen. New figures from the insurers NFU Mutual show a 16.5% fall last year - the costs are put at £44 million in comparison with £53 million the year before. The biggest fall is in the theft of agricultural vehicles, and the number of animals killed or injured in dog attacks was also down, by a quarter, but livestock theft remained high.
Presenter = Charlotte SmithProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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Livestock moving into Wales from England will have to be tested for the disease bluetongue from the first of July, after the Welsh Government decided not to join England in a nationwide restriction zone. Wales and Scotland have no cases of bluetongue so far this year and hope testing and vaccination will keep it out. But livestock organisations say it'll cause chaos at the borders with huge delays and financial losses for farmers. This week the Chancellor unveiled her spending review, which resulted in relief among some farmers, who'd feared big cuts in budgets for environmental projects. In the event, while there is a cut, it's not as big as many had feared - £2.7b will go to sustainable farming and nature recovery in England; there's also investment in flood defences. Defra though is facing cuts to its own budget of 2.7%, which some worry will land on arms length organisations like Natural England and the Environment Agency. All this week we've followed the journey of a loaf of bread from seed to milling into flour. We find out what challenges seed breeders and farmers face in producing the perfect grain of wheat.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.
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Livestock moving from England to Wales will have to be tested from next month. The Welsh Government says that once the whole of England becomes a restricted zone for the bluetongue disease on the first of July, animals will have to test negative for the disease before they can go into Wales. There have been no cases of bluetongue in Wales, or in Scotland this year. There the government also decided earlier this month that animals should be tested if they're coming from a restricted zone. Earlier this week the Livestock Auctioneers Association warned on this programme that limiting the movement of animals across the boarders would be 'catastrophic'.
As the UN Oceans summit in Nice draws to a close, it's hoped that more countries will ratify a High Seas Treaty and so bring it into force. This agreement was made two years ago to put 30% of international waters into marine protected areas by 2030. However even within those areas, bottom trawling is allowed. Bottom trawling is already banned in some English waters and the government is consulting on plans to extend that ban. We speak to Michael Kaiser professor of fisheries conservation at the Lyell centre at Heriot Watt University.
All week we've been following the journey from field to bread bin - and today we're at the millers. 85% percent of the wheat used for our bread is grown and milled in the UK. We import about 15 percent of bread wheat from Canada and Germany. We visit a miller in Essex who can trace his milling roots right back to the Domesday book.
Presenter = Charlotte SmithProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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Farmers say they're relieved that feared cuts to nature-friendly farming budgets didn't materialise during the chancellor's spending review. More money has been allocated to farming schemes, though Defra's budget itself is facing cuts of 2.7% in real terms. We speak to the Wildlife Trusts and the National Farmers' Union.
The biggest event in the arable farming calendar - Cereals - is being held in Lincolnshire. We speak to the host, and learn about new drone technology to help spray delicate crops.
And Defra has announced badger culls will continue in 11 areas of England. The Labour government has pledged to end them by the end of the parliament, instead stepping up vaccination of badgers and other measures. But the chief vet has advised it's too soon to end culling.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.
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There are calls for Wales and Scotland to join England in imposing a country-wide bluetongue restriction zone to try to contain the virus. Neither Wales nor Scotland currently have cases of the disease, which affects sheep, cattle and goats; if they don't join the restriction zone, livestock will effectively be banned from crossing the borders. This week we’re following the journey of a loaf of bread ...from seed to shelf. So far we've heard about developing wheat seed and growing the crop. Today it's time for the harvested grain to be cleaned and stored. Camgrain in Cambridgeshire was set up in 1983 by a group of farmers who wanted to pool their grain and market it together. Over the last 40 years the farmer owned co-op has grown and now has 500 members.DEFRA has announced that £14 million is being made in a one-off payment to boost the use of unharvested and surplus food, to be made available to 12 re-distribution charities, including Fare Share and The Felix Project. Fareshare says some of it will be used to help farmers bring in uncommercial harvests and transport it to communities.Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.
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As the UN Ocean Conference continues in Nice, the Marine Conservation Society aims to remind us that all land and river-based pollution, including agricultural run-off, will end up in the ocean. They're calling for a more joined-up approach to farming and fishing more sustainably.
Scientists at Rothamsted Research have genetically modified an oil seed plant with a red flax to create fish feed that provides antioxidants and the red colour in salmon and shrimp. Though not authorised in the UK, the GM crop would be an alternative to the chemicals currently used.
And it's the second day in our journey of a UK loaf of bread from seed to slice. Today we're with a wheat farmer in Norfolk.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.
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Grimsby could become home to the UK’s first large-scale onshore salmon farm. A judicial review has upheld North East Lincolnshire council’s decision to grant it planning permission. An animal rights group had challenged the development on fish welfare grounds. However a high court judge ruled that animal welfare concerns could be a key planning consideration in future planning cases.
This week we’re following the journey of a loaf of bread, from seed, to the field, to the mill and eventually the shelf in the shop. The wheat used for bread has to be high in protein and have specific qualities to make good dough. It’s known as Group 1 Wheat. We visit a seed breeder in Cambridgeshire where bread-making varieties of wheat are developed.
Most commercial poultry farmers keep chickens for either egg-laying or meat production, and that specialisation is the way modern poultry farming has operated for decades. But does it have to? A group of farmers are now looking into the use of ‘dual-purpose’ heritage poultry breeds that can be used for both eggs and meat. They say that if these birds were farmed more widely it could also stop the cull of the male chicks which aren’t wanted in egg-laying flocks. Six farms are taking part in field trials run by the Innovative Farmers group.
Presenter = Caz GrahamProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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The government is unlikely to be able to cope with a severe outbreak of animal disease like Foot and Mouth, according to the National Audit Office. In a new report, it says key public bodies including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, have been working so hard to manage outbreaks of diseases like avian flu over the last six years, that long term resilience is being undermined and there is no long-term strategy.
The artificial fertilisers that farmers put on their crops are generally produced using the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch method. The process has a large carbon footprint, but we find out about research to find a biological alternative to chemical fertiliser.
And we meet cattle foot trimmer, Dave Phillips from Dorset, who will be representing England at this year's World Foot Trimming Cup!
Presented by Anna HillProduced by Heather Simons
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A new law which is intended to protect nature and reverse the loss of wildlife has been introduced by the Welsh Government. The Environment Bill aims to allow members of the public to challenge organisations in Wales, including councils, on environmental issues such as water pollution. If passed, it will set up a new Office of Environmental Governance, to enforce environmental law, and Ministers in the Senedd will have to set targets to reduce pollution and manage ecosystems.
We visit Down Land Traditional Meats in West Sussex, where the owner says increasing financial strain and red tape is putting the future of small abattoirs at risk. The closure of abattoirs has been a long standing trend - in the 1970s the UK had 2 and half thousand abattoirs...but that had dropped to just 203 by 2023.
And we find out about a high-tech cattle handling crate that incorporates software to monitor animals. It can minimise manual handling by drafting animals - where a herd is separated into smaller groups - by itself.
Presented by Anna HillProduced by Heather Simons
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There are concerns from wildlife and farming groups that the upcoming Spending Review will see the budget for nature-friendly farming schemes being cut, with money targeted only at smaller farms. We hear from farmers about what that could mean.
We visit a falcon breeding facilities which supplies birds to the Middle East for the sport of falcon racing.
And £5 million pounds is on offer as part of the Farming Innovation Investor Partnerships competition, which offers government money alongside private investment to agri-tech companies.
Presented by Charlotte SmithProduced by Heather Simons
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The Environment Agency says the north west of England is in drought. One farmer tells us this year's crops are already ruined because of a lack of water.
Two proposed reservoirs have been given 'nationally significant' status by the government to speed up the planning process. Decisions on the Lincolnshire Reservoir which is planned for an area near Sleaford and the Fens Reservoir near March in Cambridgeshire will now be accelerated. Ministers say the law will also be changed so that in the future all projects which are, as they put it, 'fundamental to national water resilience' will automatically be designated as 'nationally significant'. Farming communities are concerned about the impact on productive farmland, and one farmer says the Lincolnshire scheme will wipe out her home and her business.
All week we're talking about the nation's national parks. The Scottish Government's decided not to go ahead with plans for a new national park in Galloway. After a long legal battle supreme court judges ruled that wild camping is allowed on Dartmoor, we speak to the park's chief executive. In Wales we report on a nature recovery project in Pembrokeshire which works with farmers to enhance farmland by the coast. In The Broads Norfolk farmers and environmentalists are trying to tackle the damage being caused by deer.
Golden Eagles have been extinct in England since 2015 when a solitary bird died in the Lake District. But could that be about to change? A conservation project in the south of Scotland which began in 2018 has seen a huge increase in the eagle population there, and some of those birds have begun exploring places like the Northumberland National Park where one was spotted just a few weeks ago
Presenter = Charlotte SmithProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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Plans for a new National Park in Galloway and Ayrshire have been dropped. The Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary, Mairi Gougeon, has announced that following a consultation, the park doesn't have enough support locally, and so will not go ahead.
In the Broads National Park in Norfolk, a rise in the number of deer is having an impact on habitats and farmland. A drone survey to asses the numbers has revealed as many as 20 per square km. Work is underway to generate a market for local venison to help support culling.
And we meet Vice Chair of the Rare Breed Survival Trust, Ryan Perry. He started off feeding the pigs at his local city farm in Gateshead at the age of 7, where he fell in love with Tamworths. Now he's on a smallholding where he keeps pigs, three breeds of sheep, goats, poultry and cattle...alongside a full time job in the NHS as a biomedical scientist.
Presented by Charlotte SmithProduced by Heather Simons
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Two proposed reservoirs have been given 'nationally significant' status by the government to speed up the planning process. Decisions on the Lincolnshire Reservoir which is planned for an area near Sleaford and the Fens Reservoir near March in Cambridgeshire will now be accelerated. Ministers say the law will also be changed so that in the future all projects which are, as they put it, 'fundamental to national water resilience' will automatically be designated as 'nationally significant'. Farming communities are concerned about the impact on productive farmland, and one farmer says the Lincolnshire scheme will wipe out her home and her business.
Golden Eagles have been extinct in England since 2015 when a solitary bird died in the Lake District. But could that be about to change? A conservation project in the south of Scotland which began in 2018 has seen a huge increase in the eagle population there, and some of those birds have begun exploring places like the Northumberland National Park where one was spotted just a few weeks ago
All week we're talking about the nation's national parks. There has been much debate over the past few years about the state of nature in the parks and how it can be improved while also supporting farming. In Pembrokeshire a nature recovery project was launched two years ago with the aim of enhancing biodiversity on farmland by the coast - we speak to those involved.
Presenter = Charlotte SmithProducer = Rebecca Rooney
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The Scottish Government is due to make a statement this week about whether Galloway is to get a new National Park - or not. Galloway, in the south west of Scotland, was chosen from five potential locations and the first round of consultation on the plan was completed earlier this year, with its report now being considered by Scottish ministers. We hear from those in favour and against.
Farmers who supply wheat to Britain’s biggest bioethanol plant have been told it may have to close unless the government intervenes. Bioethanol is added to the E5 and E10 petrol you see at the pumps to reduce its carbon emissions - it's made by fermenting wheat to make alcohol, with the leftovers being used for animal feed. Vivergo Fuels says it will be impossible to compete with subsidised American ethanol, after the recent trade agreement with the US promised to scrap tariffs on imports.
And as tractors get bigger and faster, how safe are they on our roads?
Presented by Caz GrahamProduced by Heather Simons
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All week we're looking at National Parks, last week the Supreme Court ruled that wild camping on Dartmoor is legal. Some areas, however, are dealing with anti-social behaviour and 'fly camping'. We talk to Kevin Bishop CEO of Dartmoor National Park who also sits on National Parks England about the challenges.
The prolonged dry spell has had affected the growth of crops and water levels in rivers and reservoirs, but what about wildlife? We ask the British Trust for Ornithology what impact it's likely to have on wading birds and also discuss their new report which examined the impact of bird flu on wild birds like swans and barnacle geese.
Plastic pollution is contaminating insects at the base of food chains, raising fresh concerns about the long-term impacts on wildlife, according to a new study by the University of Sussex. Researchers have discovered fragments of plastic in a wide range of invertebrates, which are prey for small mammals like hedgehogs. Polyester fibres, commonly shed from clothing, were the most frequently detected type of plastic and scientists think it comes from treated sewage sludge used to fertilise fields. Presenter: Caz GrahamProducer: Rebecca Rooney
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Five years on from Brexit, the Prime Minister has re-set the UK's trade relationship with the EU, with a new, wide-ranging deal. In this programme Caz Graham looks at what it could mean for food, farming and fishing.
The UK and EU will now move towards an agreement which would reduce the paperwork and border checks involved in exporting foods like fish, meat and dairy, and fresh produce like plants and flowers. It also means the export of some products to the EU which has been banned since Brexit - like many farmed mussels and oysters, as well as sausages, burgers and seed potatoes - could now resume.
While many exporters have welcomed the deal, it's also lead to uncertainty over the future of Border Control Posts - facilities set up since Brexit to handle similar checks on imports. A senior civil servant confirmed this week that some such facilities could be decommissioned, and the industry want compensation.
Meanwhile, another part of the deal is focussed on fishing, and allows EU boats access to fish in UK waters until 2038. The Scottish Fishermen's Federation has called the deal "a horror show" - but the DEFRA Secretary told MPs this week that it's "reasonably good" for UK fishing.
Presented by Caz GrahamProduced by Heather Simons
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Veterinary medicine is not part of the agri-trade agreement sketched out between the EU and the UK earlier this week. It's left vets increasingly concerned that some veterinary medicines won’t be available in Northern Ireland after the end of this year when a ‘grace period’ under the Windsor Framework allowing medication from Great Britain to cross the Irish sea and be sold there runs out.
The warming of coastal waters means a change in the species that can thrive in them. Fishermen in the South West of England are reporting an invasion of octopuses turning up in lobster and crab pots. It's good news for some fishermen who are catching and selling the octopuses, but disastrous for others.
And getting bovine TB on a farm can be a huge financial blow and the emotional impact on farmers can be devastating. We visit one dairy farmer in Pembrokeshire who's been working with the Welsh Government to improve their policies on dealing with the disease, and the emotional impact it can have.
Presented by Caz GrahamProduced by Heather Simons
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