Thousands of discontented farmers gathered outside the seat of the Welsh Government, the Senedd, in Cardiff Bay, this week in what was probably the biggest farmer protest seen in the UK in recent years. They’re unhappy about various aspects of agricultural policy including the new Welsh Sustainable Farming Scheme, which is heading into its final week of consultation. The scheme is to replace the system of subsidies that operated under the EU’s common agricultural policy, and to claim it farmers need 10% of their land under tree cover and a further 10% used for wildlife habitat. Farmers say it's unworkable, but conservationists say it'll protect farming as well as nature.
We also look at the state of British Rivers. It coincides with the publication of the Rivers Trust's annual report, which shows that no single stretch of river in England or Northern Ireland is in good overall health. We hear about projects by charities and farmers that are aiming to improve the situation.  Presented by Caz Graham

02/03/24 Welsh farmers' protest; UK rivers' health

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

Science

New physical checks have been brought in on some imports of food and plants from the EU. Products deemed high or medium risk now have to be inspected - including live animals, meat and some plant products. We report from a border control post to find out how it works. An investigation is under way following the large scale illegal dumping of waste at a site in Kent. Local residents describe a steady stream of lorries carrying waste being brought to the site. And the largest cider manufacturer in the UK - Heineken - has ripped up thousands of apple trees in a 140 acre orchard in Monmouthshire. The orchard was planted by Bulmers - which is now owned by Heineken - more than twenty years ago. Some local people have raised concerns about the effect on ecosystems in the area, but the company says it’s selling the land due to a fall in the cider market. Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

04/05/24 - Farming Today This Week: Border checks, cider orchards and illegal waste dumping

The latest figures from Defra show nearly 20,000 badgers were killed across England last year, as part of the Government's policy to tackle TB in cattle.  Badger campaigners say that the continued culling is leading to local extinctions. Defra says there are no easy answers, but badger culling "has proved highly effective and needs to remain a part of our holistic approach". Jeremy Clarkson says if he wanted to make money from his thousand acre Oxfordshire farm he'd put as much as possible into government environmental schemes.  Instead he's turned it into a TV show and for the third series, which starts today, he's gone into pigs.  Fusarium basal rot: its a fungus and apparently the single biggest problem facing the country's onion growers. This week we're looking at crop pests and diseases and the efforts being made to combat them. Researchers are looking into technology which can sniff-out early stage disease. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

03/05/24 Latest badger cull figures, Jeremy Clarkson, sniffing onion disease

An investigation is under way into a case of large-scale illegal waste dumping in Kent.  According to a House of Lords committee report, up to a third of veterinary medicines currently used in Northern Ireland could cease to be available to farmers when a grace period ends next year. A Natural Products BioHub has been launched at Swansea University, which will support researchers and businesses specialising in pesticides which control pests without the need for chemicals. Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced by Alun Beach

02/05/2024: Illegal waste dumping; NI veterinary medicines; Natural pesticides

New physical checks have been brought in on some imports of food and plants from the EU. Products deemed high or medium risk now have to be inspected - including live animals, meat and some plant products. Inspections can be done either at Government run sites or at commercial facilities - we report from both to find out how it works. The major political parties are all competing for the rural vote ahead of the local elections. A combination of councillors, mayors and police and crime commissioners will be selected across England and Wales. And, blackgrass is a weed that can grow amongst fields of commercial crops, competing for nutrients in the soil, and reducing yields. We meet a team of scientists at Rothamsted Research who are looking into how to tackle this pernicious weed. Presented by Anna Hill
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

01/05/25 - Import border checks, local elections and blackgrass

New border checks for imports of food and plants coming into the UK from the EU, start 30th April 2024. Some farming groups have been calling for these checks for some time - saying they will give producers here more of a level playing field with EU producers, because UK exports have had similar checks since Brexit. But some importers say inspection costs are prohibitive. We hear from the conference to celebrate the World Organisation for Animal Health's 100th anniversary, where avian flu is on the agenda. And, we’re getting to the time of year where young plants in the field are susceptible to pest damage. Rather than rely on chemicals to fight them off, under the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which is part of England's new farm payment system replacing EU subsidies, farmers can be paid for using "Integrated Pest Management". We visit a farm to hear how it works. Presented by Anna Hill
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

02/03/24 Welsh farmers' protest; UK rivers' health

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