Farming Today

04/09/24 - NI water quality, farmer clusters and potato machinery


Listen Later

Less than a third of Northern Ireland's surface waterways are in good ecological condition, and targets to improve them by 2027 are likely to be missed. That's the conclusion of a damning report by the Office for Environmental Protection, which criticises lack of leadership at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland. The report says that despite a draft plan to manage waterways being drawn up back in 2021, it still hasn't been finalised, let alone implemented.

We visit one of the farms that's joined the Environmental Farmers Group, which was set up back in 2022 to bring large groups of farmers together in co-operatives, to bid for public and private finance to fund environmental projects across large areas. Nearly six hundred farmers across England have joined so far.

And the future of the potato industry in the UK faces many challenges. The crop is expensive to grow, especially as the weather becomes more volatile. It also needs clean land, so a gap of about six years is needed between crops, to avoid the spread of disease. We hear about the latest technological solutions to some of these issues as they go on show at an event in Lincolnshire.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Heather Simons

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Farming TodayBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5
  • 4.5

4.5

53 ratings


More shows like Farming Today

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,696 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

886 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,044 Listeners

Money Box by BBC Radio 4

Money Box

45 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,432 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,795 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,773 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,072 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,928 Listeners

Gardeners' Question Time by BBC Radio 4

Gardeners' Question Time

285 Listeners

The Food Programme by BBC Radio 4

The Food Programme

268 Listeners

The Food Chain by BBC World Service

The Food Chain

343 Listeners

Scotland Outdoors by BBC Radio Scotland

Scotland Outdoors

246 Listeners

Ramblings by BBC Radio 4

Ramblings

166 Listeners

The Plodcast by Our Media

The Plodcast

106 Listeners

Gardening with the RHS by Royal Horticultural Society

Gardening with the RHS

259 Listeners

Open Country by BBC Radio 4

Open Country

89 Listeners

Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

Sliced Bread

140 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

4,173 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,193 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

740 Listeners

The Farmers Weekly Podcast by Farmers Weekly

The Farmers Weekly Podcast

13 Listeners

Rare Earth by BBC Radio 4

Rare Earth

13 Listeners

FED by Farmers Podcast by FED by Farmers

FED by Farmers Podcast

33 Listeners