Farming Today

24/3/25 National pesticides action plan, egg week overview, forced rhubarb


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The UK has set a pesticide reduction target of 10% over the next five years. The UK Pesticides National Action Plan from all four UK governments says it will support farmers and growers to reduce the potential harm from pesticides, so rather than farmers using 10% less, the plan wants more sustainable use which reduces the impact on the environment by 10%. While environmental groups have welcomed the plan they describe the target as modest. The government says that UK farmers reduced pesticide use by 60% between 1990 and 2020, at the same time worldwide use in agriculture increased by 90%. We speak to the Nature Friendly Farming Network.

Every year we consume nearly 12 billion eggs in the UK, according to the egg industry, with the vast majority produced in this country. All week we're looking at eggs, from colony cages to free range. We speak to the British Egg Industry Council about demand, different production systems and hen welfare.

Q: Which crop originates from Siberia, grows in the dark and is picked by candlelight?

A: Forced Rhubarb.
Supermarket sales of the crop are surging. The majority of it comes from a small area of West Yorkshire known as the rhubarb triangle, we meet a fourth generation grower near Leeds.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith

Producer = Rebecca Rooney

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