A wet winter and dry spring means cereal crops were hard to sow and grew slowly. The result: straw short in stature and in short supply, so greater costs for livestock farmers as they prepare for housing their animals this winter. We hear from a Hay and Straw Merchant about the difficulty of sourcing their product after a difficult year for cereal growers. Party conference season gets underway today, with Reform UK gathering in Birmingham. We discuss whether they sense electoral opportunity in disaffected farming and fishing communities. And Charlotte Smith visits a Kent farm growing fruit with a little help from some predatory insects.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith