Farming Today

07/03/25 - Rural connectivity, farmers co-ops and farming on an island


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Broadband speeds in rural areas are 26% slower than they are in urban areas and there are still parts of the country that have no mobile phone access at all. That's according to the Government, which has recently launched it's new ‘Digital Inclusion Action Plan’ to try and change that picture. They’re also looking to improve the digital skills of the 7.3 million people who they say lack the minimum essential digital skills for work. We find out what it could mean for rural Britain.

Our food supply chains can often have many steps - from farms and processors to wholesalers and retailers. Of course, everyone needs their cut, but farmers have long argued they deserve a bigger slice of the cake. We visit the SAOS conference - the umbrella organisation for all of Scotland's farm cooperatives - to ask how much difference forming co-ops can make.

And for those farming on the Isle of Eigg, in the Inner Hebrides, making an income from rearing livestock is difficult. We visit a 2,500 acre tenant farm where they keep sheep and cattle, but where it's the bio-diversity schemes that bring in the income.

Presented by Caz Graham

Produced by Heather Simons

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