Farming Today

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.

The poultry industry is calling for animal welfare and food production to be prioritised, as pressure increases on water supplies. This follows the closure of a chicken processing site in Devon due to a lack of water.
All week we're looking at England's post-Brexit farm payment schemes, which reward farmers to farm more environmentally. We hear concerns that money will be tight and many farmers may miss out.
And retail prices of chocolate should stay high to give farmers in west Africa a future, says the CEO of Tony’s Chocolonely.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

A new trade deal is signed with Switzerland: it's welcomed by farmers, but will it go any way to combat a significant downturn in food and drink exports, while imports are on the rise?
The Farming In Protected Landscapes scheme is part of the new system of farm payments being developed in England to replace the old EU subsidies. We hear how hill farmers are using it to help keep their business afloat.
How a crackdown on deer can help keep the banks of Loch Lomond bonnie.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Tinderbox conditions on fellsides and moorland have led to wildfires across the country. We hear from farmers in the centre of the blaze.
This week we're looking at England's post-Brexit farm policy. The Sustainable Farming Incentive is the main subsidy scheme, which rewards farmers for environmental actions. It's up and running again after it was abruptly suspended in March last year, and Defra has just announced that 75% of the funding available in the first window, for smaller farms, has now been allocated. Will the budget stretch to meet farmers' ambition?
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Pig farmers in Scotland have welcomed a £2m emergency support package from the Holyrood Government, but say it's not enough to stop them losing money. An outbreak of African Swine Fever in Spain has led to an oversupply of pork across Europe which is significantly driving down wholesale prices. Farmers in Scotland and across the rest of the UK say they're losing thousands of pounds a week.
We’re visiting some of the UK’s biggest agricultural shows throughout the summer, and this week we'll be at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate. We’ve already been to the Highland Show, the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland and we’re off to the Royal Welsh in a couple of weeks. Agricultural policy is devolved in the UK nations and alongside visiting these shows we’re taking a detailed look at policy in each of the nations.
To adapt to sweltering temperatures, arable farmers are harvesting in the middle of the night and livestock farmers are busy keeping animals cool and well watered. We hear from a dairy farmer who says the heat is affecting milk yields.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.