The 2024 wheat harvest is the second worst since records began in 1983, according to DEFRA. That won't be much of a surprise to famers across the country who have battled wet weather which has destroyed some crops and disrupted planting plans and harvest. What will it mean for farm businesses and consumers?

We visit a trial in Cornwall which is testing if twine made from sisal could be an an eco-friendly alternative to wrapping bales of hay and straw in plastic netting. Sisal twine is made from plants and was traditionally used by farmers until it was replaced by plastic. 

And vineyards are preparing to start harvesting their grapes at this time of year. We get a snapshot of this growing sector.

Presented by Charlotte Smith

Proposals for abattoirs to take on more of the cost of vets and meat inspectors are 'excessive and dangerous' according to the meat industry. The Association of Independent Meat suppliers or AIMS which represents both big and small slaughterhouses, says the Food Standards Agency's plan to remove or reduce the discount offered to smaller abattoirs risks 'single-handedly destroying the foundations of the British meat industry. The FSA have urged people to take part in their consultation.

Farmers are getting the highest price for their beef animals in England and Wales, for ten years. Part of the reason, according to Meat Promotion Wales, is growing domestic demand. We speak to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.

Some Welsh farmers claim they're having to choose between the risk of polluting rivers or breaking the law, ahead of a controversial muck-spreading ban. New rules forbid slurry spreading across Wales from mid October to January, in an effort to protect water quality.

After a record breaking year of rainfall across many parts of the UK water management has become an ever pressing issue for farmers. In Wales, it's a year since the launch of the Welsh Government's Natural Flood Management Accelerator programme. We visit a natural flood management project that's part of the two-year £4.6 million pound programme.

Conservationists in Devon are working with Natural England to see whether there could be some kind of financial support for farmers who make space for beavers on their land as part of natural flood management.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith

The government has published its Employment Rights Bill - so what will it mean for farmers and the staff who work for them? Its key proposals include protection against unfair dismissal from day one, flexible working, improved rights for sick pay, bereavement and parental leave, and a move to regulate zero hours contracts. Most of the planned changes won’t take effect until 2026 and there’ll be a period of consultation between now and then.

Conservationists have long argued that the reintroduction of beavers can help reduce the risk of flooding - the dams they build slow the flow of water in rivers, holding it back from built-up areas further downstream. Well, beavers have been living wild on the River Otter in East Devon for at least 16 years, but last year, there was significant flooding in the area.

And some Welsh farmers have claimed they are having to choose between the risk of polluting rivers or breaking the law, ahead of a controversial muck-spreading ban. New rules forbid slurry spreading across Wales from mid October to January, in an effort to protect water quality. NFU Cymru says there is "enormous concern" after wet conditions have hampered efforts to empty slurry stores ahead of the deadline. But the organisation representing Welsh rivers' trusts say farmers have had years to prepare for the changes.

Presented by Caz Graham

How best to stop the spread of a tiny beetle that could have a huge impact on the future health and profits of UK forestry? From the end of this month all new planting of spruce, with a handful of exceptions, will be banned across much of the south east of England. The restrictions form part of the Government's plans to control the bark beetle, a pest which has caused significant damage to forests across Europe. It was first found in the UK in 2018, this latest measure is a new addition to current rules restricting the felling and movement of spruce trees, their bark and their wood.

Environmental groups say the Scottish Government is failing the nation’s marine environment by leaving large areas of the seabed unprotected. It’s ten years since the introduction of Marine Protected Areas, but restrictions have still not been fully implemented.

We're talking about how we manage water in the landscape all this week, so we’ve been to see how re-wiggling a river works on a restored floodplain in Wiltshire.

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

We cannot achieve food security or climate stability without restoring nature according to a new report from Natural England, which outlines the value of the natural world to our society and our economy. The State of Natural Capital Report says the wildlife and countryside in England should be seen as a 'National Wealth Service' - an economic asset which is vital to national prosperity. It puts a figure on the value of some natural services - for instance it claims pollination is worth around 500 million pounds to agriculture.

Thames Water wants to build a new reservoir near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, which could hold 150 billion litres of water! It would cover 4 and half square miles and the company says it would secure future water supply for 15 million people across the South East. But local campaigners say Thames Water should focus on reducing water leakage, before building it. We hear from one farmer facing a compulsory purchase order of some of their land if the plans are approved.

And farmers are getting the highest price for their beef animals in England and Wales, for ten years. Part of the reason, according to Meat Promotion Wales (Hybu Cig Cymru), is growing domestic demand.

Presented by Anna Hill

More than a million pounds is being given by the Government to the Food Standards Agency, to decide what needs to be put in place to ensure new, "cell-cultivated" foodstuffs will be safe to eat. We hear from the FSA's Chief Scientific Advisor.

The long-running case about whether the public can 'wild camp' on Dartmoor, will be heard in the Supreme Court, where a final determination will be made. The dispute is between Dartmoor National Park and landowners Alexander and Diana Darwall, who own Stall Moor common on south-west Dartmoor.

It's one year since the launch of the Welsh Government's Natural Flood Management Accelerator programme - a 2-year, £4.6 million investment in nature-based solutions to reduce flooding. We visit one of the 23 projects.

And people living in a small coastal community near Robin's Hood Bay in North Yorkshire say they fear being cut off this winter, after a landslip caused the closure of the only road in and out of their village. It's not yet known when the road will be fixed. In the meantime the council has set up an alternative route - a 12 mile diversion via a former railway line - but, locals say it's unsuitable and potentially unsafe during the winter months.

Presented by Anna Hill

Plans to get abattoirs to take on more of the cost of vets and meat inspectors are "excessive and dangerous" according to the meat industry.

All week we're going to look at water management. After a year that has seen storms and vast amounts of flooding, how we respond to weather events in future as the climate changes is a hot topic. We speak to one of the scientists leading a new, government funded research project. Using cutting edge technology the new Flood and Drought Research Infrastructure will measure flooding and droughts to create models that will allow us to predict them, and to find out how we might be able to reduce their impact in the future.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith

Poultry keepers say they can't access government websites to register their birds. From 1st October anyone who keeps birds has to register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, to help with monitoring bird flu outbreaks, even those with just one or two chickens. Failure to comply could mean a fine of £2,500. However bird owners who've tried to register say the system is not working. Defra says it's had a high number of applications and is working at pace to process them.

Dairy farmers are finding it a 'real struggle' to recruit new staff, according to industry experts, The farmer-owned dairy coop Arla spoke to nearly 500 UK dairy farmers and just under 90% of them said they had advertised jobs and had few or no applicants at all. So what’s holding young people back from a life working with dairy cows in a career that can also involve robotics, veterinary science and data analysis to mention just a few of the skills involved in modern milk production?

The UK is 97% self-sufficient in carrots, according to the British Carrot Association, but poor weather over the last year has meant supermarket shelves stocked with bags of carrots imported from China, Israel and other countries. Is that a trend that’s likely to continue?

We’ve been talking about deer all this week, their impact on the environment and how to manage their growing population.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Poultry keepers say they can't access government websites to register their birds. From 1st October anyone who keeps birds has to register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, to help with monitoring bird flu outbreaks, even those with just one or two chickens. Failure to comply could mean a fine of £2,500. However bird owners who've tried to register say the system is not working. Defra says it's had a high number of applications and is working at pace to process them. It says it will be improving its technology to make it more effective for people to register.

Fishermen in the South West of England say they are "beyond frustrated" by proposals to expand offshore wind farm sites off the coast of Devon and Cornwall. The Crown Estate's latest plan includes thousands of square miles off Land's End and the Isles of Scilly, currently prime fishing grounds, and an expanded zone off north Devon. Fishermen claim they - and other EU boats - will be squeezed into ever more pressurised fishing grounds. Meanwhile, those in favour of an expansion of offshore wind are wondering why it's taking so long to get anything off the ground.

All week we've been talking about deer, just like cattle, wild deer are susceptible to tuberculosis, and there’s concern that they could transmit the disease to other wild deer, and cattle. In the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, a group of farmers, land owners, vets and deer-stalkers are one year into a project, looking into this. They’re monitoring the prevalence of TB in wild deer through drone surveys and blood tests, and giving hands-on training on how to spot TB in deer carcasses.

Presenter = Anna Hill

Dairy farmers are finding it a real struggle to recruit new staff, according to the farmer-owned dairy coop Arla. They spoke to nearly 500 UK dairy farmers and just under 90% of them said they had advertised jobs and had few or no applicants at all. So what’s holding young people back from a life working with dairy cows in a career that can also involve robotics, veterinary science and data analysis to mention just a few of the skills involved in modern milk production?

The UK is 97% self-sufficient in carrots, according to the British Carrot Association, but poor weather over the last year has meant supermarket shelves stocked with bags of carrots imported from China, Israel and other countries. Is that a trend that’s likely to continue?

We’re talking about deer all this week, their impact on the environment and how to manage their growing population. Trees and woodlands are a key tool for combating climate change, improving biodiversity, building flood resilience and increasing the UK’s supply of homegrown timber. But rising numbers of deer make planting more trees, and maintaining existing woodlands, a challenge because deer both graze on them and cause damage with their antlers.

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.