Farming Today

14/12/24 Farming Today This Week: Farmer protests, tomato import checks, dairy farmers leaving, Christmas turkeys


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Farmer protests over the Government's proposed changes to inheritance tax have continued this week, with rallies around the country and around 600 tractors making their way into central London on Wednesday. They arrived just as MPs were discussing the issues at the House of Commons' Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee, which was looking at inheritance tax as part of a wider inquiry into the future of farming.

Fruit and veg importers say a shortage of government inspectors at ports is reducing the shelf life of products and the current system risks spreading plant disease.

Nearly 6% of dairy producers across the UK left the industry in the last year, according to Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board figures. In Wales the figure is even higher at 17%, according to NFU Cymru. The amount of milk produced has stayed about the same, but the number of individual dairy farms has fallen.

'Tis the season when Christmas turkey farmers are at full stretch across the country, as they get their birds ready for sale. Two years ago it was a very different picture: there were warnings that there could be a turkey shortage after millions of birds died or were destroyed because of avian flu. We visit a producer in Norfolk who lost thousands of birds to the disease. This year, he's back on his own farm, rearing thousands of free-range birds once more.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

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