Farming Today

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) says three rare heathland birds are starting to recover. Its heathland bird survey - the first for 20 years - shows populations and spread of the nightjar, the Dartford warbler and the woodlark are improving. They looked into whether active management within specially protected areas was helping.

Beetles can be both welcome and unwelcome visitors to farmland. We recently reported that scientists at Rothamsted Research in Hertfordshire had created an app to help identify and then combat the troublesome cabbage stem flea beetle. Now a second team at the institute have launched...

An emergency by-law has been passed in Cornwall, to restrict the number of boats coming in to take advantage of the ongoing bloom of octopus on the south coast. It's been described as a 'gold rush' as huge sums are being made - Brixham fish market recently experienced a record catch of 103 tonnes - worth £400,000. But the octopus are also causing problems - eating crab and lobster and devastating that industry locally. It's hoped the new by-law will help those stocks recover.

The Royal Highland Show is taking place this week, so we're taking a closer look a...

The budget for the scheme which pays England's farmers for environmental work is revealed - but is it enough?

With production costs rising following the war in the Middle East, the National Farmers' Union is calling for government support with the price of fertiliser.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

The Department for Envrionment Food and Rural Affairs has announced how much money it’s making available to farmers in England through the Sustainable Farming Incentive - or SFI - for 2026. It’s something farmers and environmental organisations have been keenly anticipating. There’s a total budget of £240 million pounds., with the first application opening later this month. The SFI is the DEFRA ‘public money for public goods’ scheme that pays for farming in ways that protect and benefit the environment, support food production and improve productivity. Some farming and conservation groups say the budget isn't big enough.

And all t...

A cattle vaccine to protect livestock from bovine TB could be in use on farms in England by 2030. That's one of the aims outlined in a new strategy for the eradication of bovine TB. The government commissioned it and has just released the details. We hear from the farmer who chairs the Steering Group behind the strategy which aims to get rid of the disease on farm by 2038.

This week we are looking at cereals, with the current pressures on cereal farming such as high fertiliser and fuel costs, and an unusually hot and dry spring, finding...

Somerset's to get an extra £50m investment to help the county deal with flooding. The government is giving the money to the county council who will work in partnership with local drainage boards, communities, the Environment Agency and the Somerset Rivers Authority. Farming Minister Angela Eagle says it will enable farmers to better withstand the growing threat of floods.

Nearly 300 cattle in Scotland are due to be culled because their identification regulations haven't been followed. The Belted Galloways from Home Farm on the Falkland Estate in Fife cannot enter the food chain because they aren't properly registered. G...

How do you like your eggs? Brown or white? Sainsbury's has announced it's switching to white eggs for environmental reasons.

With high prices for energy and fertiliser but not for their crops, and after another dry spring, we ask how arable farmers in the UK are doing.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Dartmoor is famous for its semi-wild hill ponies that roam across the moorland. But concerns have been raised by the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association that new agri-environment schemes will require such a steep drop in the numbers of grazing livestock in the area that up to 93 percent of the ponies will be lost. We hear from the association's Secretary, Joss Hibbs.

Next year will be the last that farmers in England receive direct subsidy payments, based on how much land they farm. Direct payments have been particularly important for upland farmers in areas like the Lake District...

Concerns have been raised that new agri-environment schemes will require such a steep drop in the numbers of grazing livestock that 90% of Dartmoor ponies will be lost.

We’re talking about upland farming all this week, and this morning we hear how the phasing out of the old EU farm payments are affecting English hill farmers, with two generations of a Lake District farming family.

It’s twenty years ago this summer that a group of farmers put their heads together and decided to set aside a particular day when they’d all open up their...

A judgement from the High Court yesterday ruled that the Food Standards Agency has been 'unlawfully' charging abattoirs too much and that it wasn’t transparent enough about what it was charging for. The ruling comes after a legal challenge by the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers.

Developers of small-scale hydro-energy projects say the industry’s missing out on investment because of a heavy focus on wind and solar. Scotland in particular has long been a pioneer of cheap hydro-electricity, but companies say the current contracts to supply power are squeezing them out of the market.

Al...

The government has published fresh guidance for farmers and food businesses to help them prepare for the new sanitary and phytosanitary - or SPS - agreement between the UK and the EU. It's expected to take effect in a year's time. It's supposed to make trade easier, with fewer checks and less paperwork, but there are still many points in the agreement to iron out.

Peatlands are one of the most valuable sources of carbon storage and they provide important habitats for wildlife and plants too. Across Wales the National Peatland Action Programme is working to improve...

A new report says there should be plenty of opportunities for young people to take up training and jobs in land-based work - but there's a 'skills squeeze'. The study by Lantra, a charity which provides training and qualifications in land-based industries, says jobs are available but not being filled.

All week we're taking a closer look at upland farming across the UK. In Wales more than half the country is classed as uplands, from dramatic mountain ranges and blanket bogs to rolling heathland and moors. Unlike England, farmers still receive a basic payment from the Welsh...

The latest analysis of wildfires shows that last year the UK recorded its highest burned area on record, including the country's first documented ‘megafire’ in Scotland, that's a fire which covers more than 10,000 hectares. Researchers from the University of East Anglia led a team of international scientists looking into last year's fires round the globe, they say wildfires are getting more extreme, costly and disastrous. Though less land was affected, globally the fires resulted in more than 300,000 evacuations and the deaths of more than 90 people. .

A three million pound project backed by DEFRA which has been looking at h...

Its been a record breakingly hot week across much, though not all, of the UK, and that's brought probems for farmers, with crops struggling and livestock at risk of overheating. We ask what more extreme weather means for the future of British farming.

Independent UK pig farmers face an uncertain future according to the National Pig Association, which this week called for long-term committements from retailers, processors and the foodservice sector. It comes two weeks after the supermarket Morrisons said it will stop buying pigs from some of its farmers, because of an oversupply of pig meat...

Water is a main topic of conversation amongst farmers at the moment - because it's in short supply. Memories of the wet winter have been dried out by the recent hot weather and those growing crops or indeed relying on grass to feed their animals are all talking about rain which hasn't materialised. Environment Agency figures show that rainfall across England last month was 38% of the long term average. However, some areas got far less. We speak to an expert about what this means for water abstraction and growers who irrigate their crops over the summer using water from...

A new report shows that the cost of rural crime has fallen. Insurer NFU Mutual paid out £41.5 million in claims in 2025, compared to £44.1 million in 2024. However the theft of quad bikes has risen - and police warn that rural crime is organised and carried out by international criminal gangs.

They are a relic of a world long before Sat nav or even A to Zs, the black and white fingerposts which guided the nation’s first drivers to their destinations. Now largely redundant, many are in a poor state of repair and are disappearing from our rural land...

It’s been unseasonably hot over the last few days across much of the UK. Extreme heat means extra concerns for livestock farmers. The Irish government has issued guidance advising farmers not to transport animals in the hottest part of the day, and vets and farmers will be looking out for symptoms of heat stress in all livestock. We visit a dairy farmer in Cumbria to find out how his herd is faring.

Farmers in the east of England say they’ll have to start reviewing the way they plant crops after one of their driest Aprils on r...

Pig farmers in Scotland say 10% of their national herd has gone to waste because there's oversupply in the market. They're asking their government for help.

Churches across England can now apply for cash to get their leaky roofs fixed, or their stained glass windows repaired, under a new government grant scheme launched this month.

This week we are looking at local food systems. While many of us go to the supermarket, there are other suppliers trying to reach customers in a different way. We hear from some of them.

Presented by Anna Hill...

Crofting is embedded in life in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, but it's an unusual form of farming, with a family plot rarely able to provide a full living. Many crofters need additional employment to make ends meet. So, where did crofting come from, and how has it survived?

This year marks 140 years since the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886 was brought in to protect the rights of crofters and to mark the anniversary, Richard Baynes explores the dark past and brighter future of crofting life.

Produced and presented by Richard Baynes.

The cost of growing our food is still higher than before the conflict in the Middle East. To counteract some of that, the government's laid out a "Great British Savings" bonanza aimed at making life a little less expensive for everyone. There'll be cuts to tariffs on more than 100 food imports sold in supermarkets and fuel duty on red diesel will be reduced by a third. We visit a strawberry grower in Kent to find out how they're coping with rising costs.

A new trade deal has been announced with a group of six states in the...

We ask what the latest government cost of living measures mean for farmers.

How a Fenland farmer must decide whether to keep on his struggling family farm.

We've been talking flowers all week: the cut flower market in the UK is worth around £2.2 billion but the bulk of flowers sold in supermarkets and florists don’t come from British farms.

The BBC Food & Farming Awards are back and this year we’re teaming up again with the Archers for the ‘Archers and Farming Today Farming for the Future Award’. We’re looking for those peopl...

'The taps could run dry' - that's the warning from a new report by the House of Lords Select Committee on Environment and Climate Change. The report, in response to last year's drought, says water supplies need to be better managed to overcome the contrary challenges of drought and flooding, which it says are both a consequence of climate change.

Farmers have just had some respite from hikes in fuel prices with a government announcement that a cut on the duty on red diesel will last until the end of 2026. Despite that, the cost of growing our...

The Climate Change Committee has published a new report about the consequences of a 2% rise in global temperatures and what the UK needs to do about it. The CCC, which reports to UK government on adapting to climate change, says that by 2050, 92% of homes are likely to overheat, peak river flows will be up to 45% higher, and water supply shortfalls could exceed five billion litres per day. It points out that the cost of doing nothing is far greater than acting now, and it proposes investment of around £11 billion a year, split evenly between public and private funding. We a...

Researchers at Leeds University say a new study shows deliberate burning of moorland for grouse shooting leads to an additional half a million people, on average, being exposed to unsafe levels of particulate pollution - that's on top of the pollution cause by wildfires. The study was co-authored by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which is calling for a licensing scheme for controlled burning to be brought in for England. In Scotland a plan to bring in licensing was temporarily put on hold by the Scottish Government in the aftermath of extensive wildfires last summer. Moorland...

Today is final judging day at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, ahead of the show's opening to the public tomorrow. This year, the Great Pavilion will include a mini flower farm, to promote British production. The display's been created by 8 growers from the organisation Flowers From The Farm. It says, after years of the market being dominated by cheaper imports, interest in British flowers is burgeoning. Now, more producers are needed to keep pace with the new demand.

The UK's largest food and farm assurance scheme, Red Tractor, has had a difficult couple of years. Its new...

Too many pigs, not enough space: farmers struggling to sell their livestock.

New strategies for tackling the spread of animal disease. We ask, how much is being done to stop it getting here in the first place.

Vets' organisations are calling for a ban on imports of eggs produced by caged hens, and a phasing out of the legal 'enriched colony' cages in the UK.

And prize winning sheep at the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland.

Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

The Balmoral Show near Belfast is Northern Ireland's biggest agricultural show. It's held over four days and attracts more than 100,000 visitors. This year there are record numbers of livestock entries. We speak to some of them, including breeders who've brought backed the traditional Irish Moiled Cattle back from the brink. Presented by Louise Cullen and produced by Rebecca Rooney.

New strategies for tackling African Swine Fever. We ask how much is being done to stop it getting here in the first place.

Yesterday the King delivered his speech outlining what the Government hopes to achieve in its next parliamentary session, no matter who is at the helm. How much was in there for farmers?

A campaign has been launched to raise awareness of sepsis among farmers.

Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

The supermarket Morrisons has given notice to some of its pig farmers, because of an oversupply in the market. In a statement, Morrisons said it has to reduce the number of pig producers in its supply chain because of the challenging economic climate. An industry expert explains why the market's taken a downturn and how there are too many pigs and not enough space on farm as farmers struggle to sell their livestock.

Last year, a survey by the consumer group Which? voted Northumberland National Park the best in the country, with its history peace and facilities...

Farmers in Wales and Scotland are asking what last week's elections in Scotland and Wales will mean for agriculture. Neither Plaid Cymru in Wales nor the SNP in Scotland have ended up with an outright majority. In Scotland, Mairi Gougeon, the Rural Affairs Secretary, didn't stand for re-election, so a new appointment will have to be made. In Wales, Plaid Cymru have won 43 out of the 96 seats in an expanded Welsh parliament so are short of an outright majority. It means the Welsh pro-independence party will need the support of others to pass laws and a budget in future. S...

The UK's environment watchdog has warned that regulations designed to reduce water pollution from agricultural sources in Northern Ireland, urgently need to be strengthened. The Office for Environmental Protection, or OEP, has examined Northern Ireland's Nutrients Action Programme and says its measures haven't done enough to improve water quality.

Many students of farming get the opportunity to experience hands-on learning, with dairy, beef and arable. At Harper Adams University in Shropshire students not only get to learn how to tend a vineyard, but now they're able to drink their own wine, made with grapes from the University's...

The price of British wool has gone up. But does it even cover the cost of shearing? Below ground, we listen to new research on the sounds from worms and other creatures living in the soil. Above ground, we're out in the woodland listening to the dawn chorus. And we enjoy a medley of countryside sounds sent in by listeners.

The price of wool from British sheep is at a ten year high - on average farmers will see a 70 per cent increase on last year. However that will still only just cover the cost of shearing the sheep. The price is set by British Wool, which is owned by around 30,000 UK sheep farmers, and collects, grades, sells and promotes wool. It says the price rise is down to increased demand, and a worldwide fall in the number of sheep. Well if you've been out and about in the countryside in the last few weeks you may have seen...

The use of the herbicide glyphosate has been long debated, and it’s going to come under intense scrutiny in the coming months.  This summer, the Health and Safety Executive will launch a two-month public consultation on whether approval for the use of glyphosates should be renewed. In the EU, a decision was made in 2023 to renew glyphosate approval for 10 years, though with restrictions on how it can be used to dry off crops before harvesting. Here, the NFU and other farming organisations support the continued use of glyphosate-based weedkillers – including as a pre-harvest desiccant in cereals and oilseed rape. ...

A new propagation technique could help restore the ash tree to our landscapes. Scientists across the UK have been working to propagate saplings from resistant trees, but currently that takes between 2 and 5 years. Now researchers at the John Innes Centre have developed a speedier system, which they hope everyone could use, even at home, with the help of household bleach.

Campaigners are calling for a full-scale clean-up of beaches on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent following the discovery of a large quantity of illegally dumped clinical waste.

The University of Suffolk and a local...

Neolithic peoples made the transition from being nomadic hunter-gatherers to crop-growing farmers, and their diets are the subject of numerous studies.

Archaeological evidence informs us about the farming and foraging activities of these ancient peoples, but it's unusual to get a first hand taste of how it might have been to forage on the shore and land!

On the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, the arts organisation, Haar, facilitated an opportunity to sit down to an interpretation of a Stone Age feast - albeit with considerable artistic and culinary licence! The event was...

Farmers are hoping for more rain in May after an unusually dry and windy April in many part of the UK. The East of England had between 2 and 4 per cent of the expected rainfall last month. We hear from a farmer struggling to plant his crops. This week we look at agroforestry - that's farming with trees in the mix. We visit farms using trees for different reasons - including providing shade for livestock, adding nutrients to soil, and providing habitats for useful insect predators. And the UK's second largest greenhouse - which could replace 7 per cent of the...

Farmers are hoping that a dry April will be followed by a wet few weeks. Some parts of the country, notably in the East of England, have had between 2% and 4% of the expected rainfall last month. This feels a lot like last year when the dry spring led to a loss of yields and even failed crops and that hit the bottom lines of farming businesses. Some farmers are warning that without rain soon we could see the same again this year.

Less than a week to go now before elections across the UK. We've talked about...

Mixing trees and farming in agro-forestry: why the key to resilient farming could be trees. We're looking at this all this week and today we hear from a British pioneer.

A week today millions of people will head to the polls to vote in a number of local council and mayoral elections in England, while voters in Scotland and Wales will elect representatives to their national parliaments.  Farming policy is largely devolved to the governments in Edinburgh and Cardiff, and having heard the latest from the campaign trail in Scotland yesterday, today we turn to Wales.

A 40 hectare greenhouse has been given the go-ahead in Essex. It'll be the UK's second largest, and will be powered and heated by a domestic waste incinerator on the same site. The company says it will grow 28,000 tonnes of tomatoes a year, which will offset 7 percent of UK tomato imports from Southern Spain, Morocco and Holland. We visit a farm in Gloucestershire where they incorporate trees into everything they grow. Silvohorticulture uses the trees to provide shade, wind cover, and compost. And this week we're looking ahead to the upcoming elections in the UK. Today, what politicians are promising...