Farming Today

More government funding for security and extra spot checks is the only way to stem the tide of illegal meat being smuggled into the UK. That’s according to Dover Port Health Authority who say they intercepted more than 14.2 tonnes of illegal meat in the last week of March. It’s not just a health risk to those who might eat it, there’s also the danger of highly contagious animal diseases like swine fever and foot and mouth disease entering the country in contaminated meat. With foot and mouth outbreaks in both Greece and Cyprus last month, the threat to livestock here, is making farmers increasingly concerned. Scientists at the Lincoln Institute of Agri-Food Technology are using geothermal energy to grow crops under glass. Unlike ground source heat pumps, which make use of solar energy stored in the ground, geothermal energy takes heat from the earth’s core. We speak to the scientists and growers who are testing out new ways of producing strawberries all year round. Spring is in the air, or it certainly should be, and for arable farmers that means sowing the seeds that will grow up into this summer’s harvest. We’re going to take a look at spring planting all through this week. What kind of impact has the wet winter weather had on spring planting - and what about soaring fuel and fertiliser costs?Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Devon-based photographer Chris Chapman has been photographing Dartmoor and the people who live there for more than 50 years. He's turned his camera many times on farmers and agricultural workers to depict daily life in the countryside.Chris tells reporter Fiona Clampin about documenting the changing face of agriculture over the course of half a century, including in 2001 a series of harrowing images taken on one Devon farm at the height of the foot and mouth crisis. The resulting book, Silence at Ramscliffe, is a testament to the power of photography to capture history in the making. Produced and presented by Fiona Clampin.

Warnings that animal welfare is at risk on some Scottish Islands because of widespread disruption to ferry services.Ripples from conflict in the Middle East are felt in UK ports; the fishing industry is asking the Government for help with fuel costs. Every spring in a quiet corner of England on the Herefordshire Gloucestershire border carpets of wild daffodils can still be seen in the fields and woodlands, thanks to carefully managed farming and forestry practices. And as it's lambing time, so we’re learning the ropes with a student vet.Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Farmer Roger Corrigan is a born storyteller. Now in his 80s, he has spent all his life farming in Fermanagh and is full of tales about the changes he's seen and the characters, history and folklore of the area. Roger keeps cattle and sheep on his 460 acre farm in west Fermanagh and is a keen supporter of environmentally friendly farming. So, when he was invited to take part in a project which paired artists and farmers together to highlight farming and environmental issues, he was happy to work with one of his neighbours, potter Anna McGurn. Anna McGurn is a self taught potter who is passionate about working with local clay, so much so that she calls herself, 'Muddy Fingers McGurn'. "It's wonderful stuff, pliable and easy to work with and I love the fact that I'm shaping pieces about this land, from the very land itself," she says.Roger is not so keen on the clay. He says the plentiful, dark seams which run through County Fermangh's lakeland are the bane of every farmers life; thick and almost impossible to do anything with, particularly in wet weather.Anna and Roger's work is nearing completion and will be displayed in an exhibition alongside other farming/art collaborations later this year. Five farms in Fermanagh in Northern Ireland and County Leitrim in the Irish Republic are taking part in the scheme which is funded by the Creative Ireland Shared Island Programme and sponsored by the Ulster Wildlife Trust and the Leitrim Sustainable Agriculture Council. Produced and presented by Kathleen Carragher.

There’s concern that animal welfare may be at risk on some Scottish islands because of widespread disruption to ferry services. Eight ferries serving islands on the west coast of Scotland were out of service earlier this week. Calmac, Caledonian MacBrayne, the government owned company that runs them, describes the situation as critical with almost every island affected. NFU Scotland says there’s a risk vital supplies like feed and fertiliser won’t arrive on crofts and farms when they are needed most. We take a closer look at how all this is affecting businesses on the Isle of Barra, speaking to a haulier and the managing director of a shellfish company.There are 60 native breeds of sheep in the UK and DEFRA says 40 of those breeds are officially at risk, with fewer than 6000 breeding ewes according to their newly published ‘UK native breeds support’ list. Farmers who keep rare breed sheep often sell their meat for a premium at farmers markets or in box schemes, but the decline in the number of small abattoirs able to process small batches of carcasses means the numbers just don’t add up for some of those farmers now. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Fuel prices continue to dominate the headlines, the war in the Middle East has led to them shooting up in recent weeks, causing real concern to those in rural areas who aren’t connected to the gas mains and rely on oil for heating. The £50 million pounds-worth of emergency funds announced last month by the government to help vulnerable rural households are now being distributed by rural local authorities in England and through other mechanisms in the devolved nations. It’s all put a sharp focus on fuel poverty in rural areas. The Westminster Government has just published a new Statistical Digest of Rural England, which shows that the depth of fuel poverty in rural areas is almost twice that of in towns and cities. We know livestock produce greenhouse gas emissions - but we also know that the volume, or amount, of gas is affected by what those cattle or sheep eat. A new DEFRA-funded study has investigated upland sheep grazing systems to see if some forages produce lower emissions. The project compared 120 ewes, some pure Swaledales and some crossbred with Texels, on three different grazing systems in Wensleydale.1.3 million tonnes of fish were caught in the UK’s ‘Marine Protected Areas’, or MPAs, between 2020 and 2024. Greenpeace, who’ve calculated that figure from official sources, say it makes what should be havens of safety for marine life, little more than meaningless lines on a map. They argue that marine eco-systems are protected on “paper only” while industrial-scale fishing and boats with bottom trawling gear, that drags across the seabed, are still allowed in MPAs. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Livestock markets in England and Wales have reported record breaking figures for 2025. The latest numbers from the Livestock Auctioneers Association show that turnover was up almost half a billion pounds, to just under 3 billion in total, a twenty percent rise, year on year. That’s despite a reduction in the number of both sheep and cattle in the UK. We ask the Livestock Auctioneers Association why turnover has risen so much. All week we're looking at the sheep sector. Across the UK lambing is well underway, though some will have finished by now. With nearly 15 million breeding ewes, most having twins and some giving birth to triplets, it's an enormous task to get the lambs delivered safely. Many sheep farmers will recruit help in the form of family, vet students, and often those who just have an interest and want to learn. They'll often be matched up through the Lambing List - an online site set up by the National Sheep Association.As the Easter holidays begin, many of us will be taking the chance to get out into the countryside. The charity The Ramblers, which campaigns for walkers and countryside access, says that may be easier said than done. They’ve just launched a new campaign called "access denied". They want an end, they say, to what they describe as years of neglect to Britain’s footpath network, resulting in thousands of miles of paths missing, blocked or un-usable. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations is asking the Government for help with rising costs because of the conflict in the Middle East. The NFFO says it's difficult to pass on the hike in diesel prices to customers, because fish are sold at auction. It has written to the Minister for Food Security, Angela Eagle, pointing out that some European countries have already announced support packages to help with rising prices. By the end of last week, the average UK price of diesel for fishing boats had gone up by 75% since the beginning of March.Every spring around the villages of Kempley and Dymock carpets of wild daffodils can still be seen in the fields and woodlands, thanks to carefully managed agricultural and forestry practices. Our reporter Bob Hockenhull has been to take a look.Charlotte Smith finds out why this is a pretty good time to be a sheep farmer, according to the Chief Executive of the National Sheep Association.Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

The Government has opened a consultation on its proposals to ban trail hunting in England and Wales. Anti-hunt campaigners argue it’s a smokescreen for the continued illegal hunting of foxes. Country sports enthusiasts say trail hunting takes place within the law, and those who break it are prosecuted under existing legislation.As war in the Middle East continues to disrupt global supplies of fuel and fertiliser, there are concerns about CO2 shortages. CO2 is a by-product of fertiliser manufacturing and is used in food production. The Ensus bioethanol plant in Teeside closed last year but it's to start production again, with £100 million from the government. Seafood processors say they're concerned that imports of shellfish won't meet new regulations which recognise crustaceans like lobsters as sentient beings which can feel pain. Farmers and crofters are calling for more help to control geese. Warmer winters mean more geese are staying in Scotland over the winter and farmers say they're ruining crops and soiling grazing. Some species can be shot, but others are protected. NFU Scotland is calling for urgent action to help reduce their numbers.All week we've been taking a step back in time and looking at some of the pivotal moments in farming history. Victorian innovation and technology lead to big agricultural and social changes. As populations grew rapidly, farmers in the 19th century strove to advance the way they grew crops, bred more profitable animals and took advantage of new inventions.A farmers' choir has reached the semi finals of ITV's Britain's Got Talent. The Hawkstone Farmers' Choir wants to raise awareness of mental health in farming communities.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The Government has opened a consultation on its proposals to ban trail hunting in England and Wales. There’s already a ban in Scotland. The Westminster Government committed to stopping the practice in its Animal Welfare Strategy published in December. In trail hunting hounds follow a pre-laid animal-based scent. It replaced traditional fox-hunting after that was banned in England and Wales in 2004. Anti-hunt campaigners argue it’s a smokescreen for the continued illegal hunting of foxes. Instead they want ‘clean boot’ hunting, where bloodhounds follow the scent of humans, or strictly policed drag hunting using a non animal scent. Country sports enthusiasts say trail hunting takes place within the law, and those who do break the law are prosecuted under existing legislation.This week we’ve been taking a whistle stop tour through the history of farming. Today we’re up to the Second World War. When it broke out, it quickly became clear that the British Government needed to completely transform farming practices in order to protect the country’s food supply. The wartime changes would leave a lasting legacy in the form of a modernised, mechanised industry...not without some negative consequences.Presenter: Caz Graham Producer: Sarah Swadling

The Scottish Government's published details of its support system for farmers. Agriculture is devolved and since Brexit, each of the UK's four governments has set up its own system for financially supporting farmers. In Scotland, farmers and crofters have been digesting the details of the new five-year plan. Payments will be allocated up to 2031 with the biggest changes coming in the last year. It's been broadly welcomed by NFU Scotland but others have described it as 'stuck in the past.'  Leaders from the UK gas sector have written to the energy secretary urging the Government to help reduce the UK’s reliance on foreign gas imports. They say with war in the Middle East, ministers need to support the production of biomethane. Farming can play a significant part in producing biomethane as anaerobic digesters use a huge range of ingredients, including animal byproducts, non-food crops and food waste. All week we're taking a step back in time and looking at some of the pivotal moments in farming history. Victorian innovation and technology lead to big agricultural and social changes. As populations grew rapidly, farmers in the 19th century strove to advance the way they grew crops, bred more profitable animals and took advantage of new inventions. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee have called for the merger of the Environment Agency and Natural England. In a new report the committee criticises both organisations - saying that environmental regulators are 'spread too thin to protect nature while delivering reforms'. We speak to Wildlife and Countryside Link which represents dozens of conservation groups to see if they think a merger would work. Farmers and crofters are calling for more help to control geese. Warmer winters mean more geese are staying in Scotland over the winter and farmers say they're ruining crops and soiling grazing. Some species can be shot, but others are protected. NFU Scotland is calling for urgent action to help reduce their numbers. This week we've been taking a look back through history, to discover the foundations of our farming and landscape. If you've ever wondered why we have so many hedges or why rural Britain looks like it does today you have to go back to one of the most seismic events which happened over 200 years ago - The Enclosure Act. It not only shaped what we see in the countryside but also changed rural communities forever. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Conflict in the Middle East will continue to have an impact on global supply chains even after hostilities cease, so say The Agricultural Economics Society who are marking their 100th birthday at their annual conference in Oxford. Will it impact food prices in the supermarket too?Seafood processors say they're concerned that imports of shellfish won't meet new regulations which recognise crustaceans like lobsters as sentient beings which can feel pain. Under the Animal Welfare Strategy they must be dispatched before they're cooked, as painlessly as possible.All week we're taking a step back in time, and looking at the history of farming over the last couple of centuries. Today we're rewinding to experience the country's last remaining example of the medieval three field crop rotation system, in the village of Laxton in Nottinghamshire. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

A farmer with six hundred tonnes of potatoes he can't sell is blaming changing consumer tastes. GB Potatoes says this year is a “tough market” for growers, as a bumper crop this year has caused an oversupply.This week we're looking at the history of farming and what that tells us about what drives change in farming and food. One of the biggest seed and chemical crop protection companies in the world is expanding their operation in the UK.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton

The government's launched its long-awaited land use framework for England. It describes it as a "blueprint to protect food security". The farming minister says it won't tell farmers, developers or local authorities what they must do, but it will give them better, more comprehensive data - including the creation of a national soil map. What difference will it make? We hear from farmers, environmentalists and the Countryside Alliance who are worried about what it means for field sports.Rural households struggling to pay for heating oil are to receive government help with their bills. The war in the Middle East has had a massive impact on global supplies of oil, gas and fertiliser - pushing up prices. The Prime Minister has pledged to help people who have seen their bills soar: energy prices will be capped until the end of June; the cut in fuel duty has been extended until September; and the government's allocated £53 million to help vulnerable rural households with their heating oil bills. New laws to protect livestock from dog attacks have come into force. It's the first time the law around livestock-worrying has changed since it was introduced more than 70 years ago The changes include new powers for police; the use of DNA testing to identify dogs which attack; and dog owners can now be ordered to pay for the cost of seizing and detaining their dog. There'll also be scope to issue an unlimited fine - previously the maximum penalty was one thousand pounds. All week we've been looking at food processing - today we see how you add value to oats by turning them into a drink.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Computer says no - why nearly 4,000 farmers are excluded from the government’s new environmental support schemes. Scottish seed potato growers have been gathering in Dundee this week to hear how a 5-year long project might save their industry from the impact of a tiny but devastating worm, called the potato cyst nematode.We’re looking into how the food our farmers grow is processed all this week. Most of the beans and peas we grow for human consumption in the UK pass through just one large processing company. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

We get reaction to the Government's 'vision for how we use our land'. What difference will England's Land Use Framework make?And oats - they're increasingly attractive as a crop because they need relatively low inputs, are compatible with environmentally friendly rotations, and are rising in value in food markets. Like the oat drink market, for people looking for an alternative to dairy. All this week we are looking at food processing, and today we see how you get from an oat to a drink.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

The government's launched its long-awaited land use framework for England. It describes it as a "blueprint to protect food security". The farming minister says it won't tell farmers, developers or local authorities what they must do, but it will give them better, more comprehensive data - including the creation of a national soil map. There'll be support to grow more drought and flood resilient strains of crop - to help farmers adapt to a changing climate. We speak to farming minister Angela Eagle as she tours the crop research unit at Reading University farm. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Rural households struggling to pay for heating oil are to receive government help with their bills. The war in the Middle East has had a massive impact on global supplies of oil, gas and fertiliser - pushing up prices. The Prime Minister has pledged to help people who have seen their bills soar: energy prices will be capped until the end of June; the cut in fuel duty has been extended until September; and the government's allocated £53 million to help vulnerable rural households with their heating oil bills. We speak to the Rural Services Network which welcomes the support, but says a long term strategy's needed to reflect the extra costs of living and working in the countryside.New laws to protect livestock from dog attacks are coming into force. It's the first time the law around livestock-worrying has changed since it was introduced more than 70 years ago The government says livestock numbers have doubled since then, and more people are visiting the countryside with their dogs. The changes include new powers for police; the use of DNA testing to identify dogs which attack; and dog owners can now be ordered to pay for the cost of seizing and detaining their dog. There'll also be scope to issue an unlimited fine - previously the maximum penalty was one thousand pounds. We speak to a dairy farmer from Cheshire whose livestock have been attacked about the difference the new laws will make.All week we're looking at food processing. We visit one of Scotland's biggest venison processors to hear how the raw product is delivered to them and how they deal with wildly fluctuating supplies. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

New research reveals the impact of war on the soils of Ukraine, and in a country once called the breadbasket of Europe that could have long term repercussions. Farmers in South Wales are warning that “sheep will starve” if urgent steps aren’t taken to create access for suppliers cut off following a significant landslip. It has closed the main road to the village of Llanthony since the end of January.All this week we are looking at food processing. Food and drink is Britain's biggest manufacturing sector with an annual turnover of about £148 billion - that's according to the Food and Drink Federation which represents these businesses, and it warns that at the moment weak consumer demand and cost pressures make this a difficult sector to be in. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.