The British Veterinary Association and the Pig Veterinary Society have issued a new joint statement calling for farrowing crates to be banned. They say they should be phased out over the next 15 years to give the industry a chance to adapt. Farrowing crates are the small pens that 60% of sows in the UK are kept in around the time they give birth, to ensure the safety of their piglets. Animal welfare campaigners have been saying they should be banned for years, but farmers have concerns that replacing them with alternative systems will not only endanger the lives of piglets but also be costly and will put them at a disadvantage to farmers in other countries where the crates aren’t banned.

Conservation groups are urging ministers in Scotland to reject plans for an offshore windfarm which the developer predicts will kill tens of thousands of seabirds.  Five charities, led by RSPB Scotland, have written to the first minister to argue that approving Berwick Bank in the Firth of Forth would undermine efforts to protect nature.  SSE says it has already amended its designs to minimise any potential risks to Scottish seabirds. 

All week we've been discussing pulses, the dried seeds from plants like beans, lentils and peas all this week. Most of the pulses we buy in the shops are grown overseas. They’re a valuable source of protein and there’s a growing market for protein rich products in groups including runners, gym-goers as well as vegans So could UK farmers cash in? We visit a company which processes home-grown and imported pulses.

Presenter = Caz Graham