Country Focus

It's that time of year again! The pinnacle event in the British agricultural calendar - the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show get underway this week and kicking off BBC Radio Wales' coverage for the week ahead, Country Focus presenter Caroline Evans is joined by BBC Wales' Environment and Rural Affairs Correspondent, Steffan Messenger, live at the showground in Llanelwedd.

Bracken control - National Farmers Union Cymru calls on the Welsh Government to urgently review a decision to refuse authorisation of a herbicide to control Bracken this season.

Blanket bog restoration - last year, the Welsh Government tripled its annual peatland restoration target to 1800 hectares a year but conservationists working on a project to restore blanket bog surrounding Lake Vrynwy say they're struggling to find contractors with the right skills in peatland ecology and experience.

Preserving World Heritage status at Blaenavon.

Seagulls - love them or loathe them? In our focus on Birds of Conservation Concern in Wales, how a little understanding and tolerance might help the fortunes of the Lesser Black Backed Gull.

Regenerative farming - it's a catch all buzzword that's being used in the agricultural sector and the media, but what does it mean in practise and how can it benefit the environment? Ahead of next week's Royal Welsh Agricultural Show Caroline Evans visits Sealands Farm, St Brides Major in the Vale of Glamorgan and home to arable farmer, Richard Anthony and family.

Stricter regulation on the release game birds in Wales is under consultation - we hear the arguments for and against greater control.

Swansea scientists invent a new way to store and decarbonise heat with a little help from seaweed!

Let's hear it for the Kittiwake! - we head to Skomer Island for this month's bird of "conservation concern in Wales".

And after a 30 year absence Caerphilly cheese is being produced in it's home town.

No drought warnings are expected in Wales this summer, according to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water but there's still a need for us to be careful with our water usage.

We meet growers from the Wales Seed hub, growing local seeds for resilience. How Wales is home to a number of rare plants but some are under threat - we visit the Rare British Plants Nursery in Builth Wells and hear about efforts to conserve them. And in it's 100 anniversary year the British Bryological Society invites you to celebrate with a photography competition ....of Bryophytes!

Welsh Government plans for a tourism levy on holidaymakers are set to be be put before the Senedd in the next 2 years - but will it be a boost for the rural economy or a bitter blow to the industry? Why parking on the beach at Newport Sands in Pembrokeshire is no longer permitted. We meet the designer of an innovative, flat pack water tank and as part of our "Birds of Conservation Concern in Wales" the experts are out looking for the Grasshopper Warbler!

We hear how on farm weather stations can improve agricultural practises and lessen pollution in our rivers. We meet the expert who says good-quality soil can help save the planet. Welsh watercress enjoys a revival as growers network together and the multi (re) uses of coffee grounds!

We speak to the chief vet for Wales. Avian influenza protection zones are placed in and around a major game breeding farm in Powys. From farm to fork, via a vending machine, selling local produce directly to customers. We meet Jinx, the UK’s first conservation detection dog and his handler in Pembrokeshire and track down the Welsh bagpipes, surely fit for a king!

Wildlife and rural crime can come in many forms from the theft of agricultural equipment to the destruction of wildlife and their habitats and much more in between. But, are we leading the way in tackling it? Caroline Evans visits the Wales Wildlife & Rural Crime Conference being held at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwedd, Builth Wells where government minsters, police forces and delegates from conservation and rural organisation gather for the launch of a "made in Wales" strategy to tackle wildlife and rural crime.

We're treading the boards this week as Caroline Evans meets the cast and crew of Erwood YFC, - this year's Welsh winners, as they rehearse for the National Young Farmers Club championships. Written by director and producer Samuel Powell, "Read all about it" focuses on a rural community and tells the stories and experiences faced by many over the past few years, from COVID-19, to the Ukraine war and the cost of living crisis. The club go on to represent Wales at the national finals on April 22 in Leamington Spa, along with Montgomeryshire YFC.