Farming Today

13/01/23 Floods; Trucks to Ukraine; Muck spreaders.


Listen Later

Farmland on the Somerset Levels is flooded, but farmers say they feel everyone's better prepared than in 2014 when floods wreaked devastation on homes and businesses. They say the Environment Agency has been more pro-active installing extra pumps, rivers are not so silted and sluice gates are in operation. However, they say it will be vital to pump water off the farmland where it's collected, in case the rain continues. Also they say farmers whose fields are used as temporary reservoirs, should be reimbursed for that.
Trucks are perhaps the most useful bit of kit on a farm - from hauling a few bales to the school run, and now they're being put to use in Ukraine. Old four-by-fours, many from farms, are being driven out to the war zone and adapted for use in fighting the Russians. We spoke to Freddie from Ukraine Equipment, as he delivered a pick-up to the Donetz region and also to Yarislav, an officer in the Ukraine army.
All week on Farming Today we've been talking about machinery. Paul Joseph is a farmer and contractor, who's invested in kit worth millions over the years, and in 10 fulltime staff to use it. They work on 70 farms around Wiltshire and do everything from cutting silage to harvesting. But this time of year - when the weather permits - it's muck spreading. It's pumped from lagoons and applied to crops - and as fertiliser prices soar, using hi-tech machines to apply it precisely is more important than ever.
Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer - Rebecca Rooney
...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

54 ratings


More shows like Farming Today

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,907 Listeners

The Archers by BBC Radio 4

The Archers

1,085 Listeners

From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4

From Our Own Correspondent

377 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

855 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,072 Listeners

Wake Up to Money by BBC Radio 5 Live

Wake Up to Money

52 Listeners

Money Box by BBC Radio 4

Money Box

44 Listeners

The Martin Lewis Podcast by BBC Radio 5 Live

The Martin Lewis Podcast

77 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,577 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,807 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,752 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,026 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

47 Listeners

Gardeners' Question Time by BBC Radio 4

Gardeners' Question Time

283 Listeners

The Food Programme by BBC Radio 4

The Food Programme

261 Listeners

Scotland Outdoors by BBC Radio Scotland

Scotland Outdoors

255 Listeners

Ramblings by BBC Radio 4

Ramblings

157 Listeners

The Bottom Line by BBC Radio 4

The Bottom Line

39 Listeners

The Plodcast by Our Media

The Plodcast

109 Listeners

Gardening with the RHS by Royal Horticultural Society

Gardening with the RHS

273 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,234 Listeners

The Missing Cryptoqueen by BBC Sounds

The Missing Cryptoqueen

1,029 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

791 Listeners

The Farmers Weekly Podcast by Farmers Weekly

The Farmers Weekly Podcast

12 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,010 Listeners