Farming Today

The government's Drought Group has warned of ongoing problems in the year ahead unless reservoirs and rivers get enough rain in the next few months. The hot dry summer has pushed many farmers to re-evaluate how they use water. We speak to an expert who works with farmers and landowners to plan and manage water use. This week on Farming Today we've been looking at invasive species - from the Asian hornet which is killing our native honey bees, to Himalayan Balsam which spreads quickly and can choke waterways. We hear from people and groups trying innovative ways to control or eradicate non-native invasive flora and fauna. And the environment agency and police are criticised in a new report from the House of Lords Climate Change Committee. It says 38 million tonnes of illegal waste is dumped each year, yet few successful convictions are achieved. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.

A Government commissioned review of the problems with farm profitability, carried out by Baroness Batters, is due to be delivered to DEFRA soon. It comes at a difficult moment for the arable sector in particular. One of the UK's biggest farming companies, Velcourt, has recently given notice to a fifth of the landowners it works with, that it will either leave or restructure contracts following negotiations. Velcourt's Group Chief Executive, Nick Shorter, tells Charlotte Smith that a painful period of adjustment will lie ahead as arable producers adapt to the harsh economic reality of life without subsidies. He says continuing to grow wheat and other crops at a loss will be unsustainable for individual farmers and for the wider industry, and there could be new business opportunities on unprofitable land. As the land is gradually being replenished by autumn rain we meet the scientists measuring soil moisture using cosmic ray neutron technology.And, continuing our look at tackling invasive species, how the distinctive buzz of the Asian Hornet could be key in tracking down its nests.Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

The Land Reform Bill is being debated at Holyrood and members of the Scottish Parliament will be voting on what's been described as landmark legislation. If passed, the bill could allow the government to intervene in private land sales and require large estates to be broken up. The proposals are controversial with landowners and some opposition politicians. Defra has announced that an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone will come into effect in the north, central and east of England. Poultry keepers with flocks of more than 50 birds will be required to keep their birds housed. The Chief Vet says prompt action is needed to prevent further spread of the disease. Himalayan balsam is an invasive species which proliferates along riverbanks. Its spread has been very hard to control. Could a fungus hold the key to controlling it? Historic man made features that lie on farmland from ancient walls to Roman forts help form the character of our countryside. For farmers however, historic features on their land can often seem like a headache rather than something to celebrate because they need conservation standard maintenance and restoration which is expensive and requires specialist skills. Historic England's ‘Countryside Stewardship Heritage Service' wadvises farmers on how to get funding for this. We visit a farm in Cumbria where a 19th century bridge and an 18th century lime kiln are in need of some tender loving care. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Multiple failures from the Environment Agency, a lack interest from police and a ‘woeful lack of successful convictions'. That's what a House of Lords committee has found in its inquiry into ‘waste crime'. The inquiry from the cross party Environment and Climate Change Committee, says more than 38 million tonnes of illegal waste is being dumped each year often by organised crime groups involved in drugs, firearms, money laundering and modern slavery, and posing a serious environmental risk. Beavers were hunted to extinction in the UK around 400 years ago. But since 2009 they have have been slowly reappearing in UK, re-introduced by wildlife and conservation charities. In Scotland, Forestry and Land Scotland and the charity Trees for Life, have just relocated seven beavers into the Glen Affric National Nature Reserve.All week we're looking at invasive species. Zebra mussels grow to about the size of a fingernail and love to attach themselves to surfaces below the waterline, where they can do significant damage to things such as our water networks. We hear how South West Water is trying to stop them spreading through the waterways in Cornwall.Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Salad growers are warning that price increases for electricity will drive people out of the sector. Growers in the Lea Valley on the edge of London say they have large electricity connections for times of heavy use, but often use much less power. Since 2022 they've been charged based not only on what they use, but also on the size of the connection, and they say that from April next year those standing charges will effectively double. They say they should have government support to help meet the cost, like other sectors which are intensive users of energy.Carrots are the nation's favourite vegetable, regularly eaten by around three quarters of us and worth nearly £300 million a year in sales . They are in season in the UK nearly all year round thanks to specialised  growing techniques, including overwintering them in fields. Right now farmers are working hard to get them covered up before the first frosts. We visit a farm in the Vale of York as a layer of straw is put over the crop to protect it.  Zebra mussels, mink, floating pennywort and the Asian hornet - what they all have in common is that they are all here in the UK, but they shouldn't be. This week we are looking at invasive species. There are 2000 non native species in Great Britain, about 200 of them are classed as invasive and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, the government agency which works to tackle them, says14 new ones are identified every year.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The raw ingredients to make a pint all begin life on British farms whether malting barley, or cider apples and perry pears, or hops. For barley and hop growers 2025 has been a difficult year. It's been a happier one in cider and perry orchards. We meet a cider apple detective hunting for lost varieties in Somerset, and the award winning team preserving Gloucestershire's perry heritage.A review of environmental governance in Northern Ireland has called for a new independent environmental regulator to be established. And, the Scottish fishing industry is unhappy about the way the Westminster Government has distributed a fund to modernise the fleet, improve skills, and revitalise communities. Scotland will receive just under 8% of the fund despite accounting for 60% of the UK's fishing capacity.Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

"Anger, dismay and sense of betrayal”. That's how the SNP described the response of Scottish coastal communities to the allocation of money to Scotland from the UK's new ‘Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund‘ in parliament yesterday. The £360 million pound fund was first announced back in May and aims to modernise Britain's fishing fleet, enhance workforce skills, and revitalise coastal communities. However Scotland says it's getting less than 8 percent of the fund, despite accounting for more than 60% of the UK's fishing capacity and producing more than 60% of UK seafood exports. A project in a tiny corner of Somerset is currently identifying and documenting the rich variety of apple trees around the village of Kingsbury Episcopi. The Kingsbury Pomona project, set up by pomologist or apple expert Liz Copas and cider maker Tim Gray aims to uncover lost apple varieties and help keep the different genetic strains alive. Farming is a long game, but there aren't many who've been playing it quite as long as David Lightfoot from Cornwall. He started his career with a couple of cows he milked by hand and a few rented fields. He went on to farm for Prince Charles, before he became King, and now as he reaches his hundredth birthday he shares his farming memories.Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Northern Ireland needs a new independent environmental regulator, properly staffed and financially resourced to tackle the many challenges it will face. That's one of the recommendations of a comprehensive review of the country's environmental governance which its authors describe as a ‘call to action'. The review was prompted by a number of environmental concerns including extensive and repeated blooms of blue-green algae in Lough Neagh which supplies forty percent of drinking water. The report also said there was “starkly lacking clarity “ over roles, responsibilities and accountability. We speak to Dr Viviane Gravey from Queen's University in Belfast who chaired the review panel.We're talking about beer and cider all this week on Farming Today and one crucial part of beer is malting barley. We visit a maltster in the heart of Norfolk A new report says the UK must radically transform the way it produces and consumes food if it is to avoid a cycle of escalating crises. The authors say action is needed on a scale not seen since the Second World War to safeguard food security, protect public health and meet climate targets. The Roadmap for Resilience: A UK Food Plan for 2050 argues that urgent reform is essential to reboot the economy, reduce pressure on the NHS and prevent repeated shocks from rising food prices, supply chain disruption and climate disasters.Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

It's a familiar idea that batteries store electricity and now a new European project, called Water Grid, is encouraging farmers to create ponds as 'water batteries' for storing rainwater, to draw on in times of drought. Researchers think they could even be used to top up rivers. The Water Grid project will run across 13 European countries, and the 22 partners involved are being coordinated by the Westcountry Rivers Trust.We visit the National Perry Pear Collection in Gloucestershire, as it's the season for pressing fruit to make perry. Thecollection has just won an award from the Campaign for Real Ale and Cider.The sugar beet campaign, or harvest, is underway but farmers are looking ahead to lower prices next year.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

An independent review of the way pigs are slaughtered has called for the use of carbon dioxide gassing to be prohibited, because it causes too much distress and pain to the animals. 90% of pigs reared in England and Wales are slaughtered this way. The report was carried out by the Animal Welfare Committee, an independent expert committee from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Scottish government and the Welsh government. It recommends that argon gas should be used instead. We speak to vet Dr Jane Downes, who led the Animal Welfare Committee at the time the report was prepared. We also speak to the National Pig Association.All week we're looking at beer and cider. One of the biggest cider producers in the UK, producing 65 million litres every year, is Westons, based in Herefordshire. The business started in 1880, and now works with 180 apple growers and orchard owners in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire – the heart of apple country. We visit the production line.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Rebecca Rooney

The Government's bill to ‘get Britain building' returns to the House of Lords for its report stage. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill gained more than sixty Government amendments earlier this month to streamline the process and give ministers more power to grant permission for big planning projects. However conservation campaigners are not happy about the developments, and the Government's rhetoric. All this week we're taking a look at the beer and cider industry, and the UK growers who make it possible. There are around 45 hop growers across the country, around half of them in the West Midlands. We speak to a farmer in Herefordshire as he harvests his crop and ask the Campaign for Real Ale about the market for home-grown hops.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

There will be no U-turn on the Government's plans for inheritance tax for farmers, according to the Farming Minister. Dame Angela Eagle says planned changes will go ahead in next month's budget, in spite of press reports to the contrary."Too little too late", that's what we're hearing from some farmers who've already ploughed up and planted fields that were being farmed for nature. They say this is because the Government took too long to come up with an extension to their environmental funding.Red Tractor, the UK's largest farm assurance scheme, has had a TV advert banned by the Advertising Standards Authority. The watchdog says the advert exaggerated the environmental credentials of the scheme and misled customers.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

There will be no U-turn on the government's plans for inheritance tax for farmers, according to the Farming Minister. Dame Angela Eagle says planned changes will go ahead in next month's budget, in spite of press reports to the contrary. We also ask her about the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Some farmers are furious because they say the latest scheme, which has only just opened, comes far too late for those farmers who were looking for a replacement for agreements under a previous agri-environment scheme, the Countryside Stewardship scheme, which ends on 31st December.Several councils in England and Wales are carrying out reviews of their farm estates at the moment, including Powys, Dorset and Cornwall and all week we've been reporting on the issues affecting farms owned by councils. According to the CPRE, the countryside charity, there were 6,700 individual council holdings back in the 1980s, but that number has shrunk by almost two thirds, down to fewer than 2,300 now. Today we hear from a livestock farmer in Cornwall who's concerned about what could happen once Cornwall Council's consultation comes to an end.Nearly a quarter of a million trees have been planted across the Outer Hebrides as part of the ‘Western Isles Croft Woodland Project'. It aims to create a mosaic of small woodlands on under-used crofts.

"Too little too late", that's what we're hearing from some farmers who've already ploughed up and planted fields that were being farmed for nature. They say this is because the government took too long to come up with an extension to their environmental funding. A House of Lords Committee says the Windsor Framework, the post-Brexit agreement between the UK and EU that's meant to simplify trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, is "overwhelmingly complex". Powys Council has just closed a consultation on plans for a new farm policy, which includes the possibility of selling some of its council owned farms. The Council says incomes are too low and maintenance costs too high on some of its farms, but local council farm tenants hope farming will remain a key part of council plans. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Some milk processors have made dramatic cuts to the price they pay farmers, citing a global oversupply. Some of you emailed us to ask why prices for dairy products, like butter, still seem to be going up in the shops? Dairy analyst Chris Walkland explains how global commodity prices influence the price UK farmers receive.We continue our exploration of the role the County Council Farm system plays in helping new farmers into the industry. Today, what it takes to win a competitive application process for, often oversubscribed, council farm tenancies.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

A new report says that the presence of microplastics in seafood has been overstated by the media. The paper, by researchers at Heriot-Watt University, says although media reports tended to concentrate on seafood contamination, the levels of microplastics in seafood is no greater than in other foodstuffs. It also says that dust and indoor air contain more microplastic particles than food.All week, we're taking a closer look at county council tenant farms. These farms have traditionally been a first step on the ladder, often for young aspiring farmers to get a foothold in agriculture. However county council tenancies have become harder to find and in recent years many cash-strapped councils have sold off a significant number of their farms. Not so in Staffordshire, where one young farmer Tom Chapman is building up his herd of sheep after securing a tenancy. Farm machinery manufacturers who export to the United States say their trade is being made 'almost impossible' after tariffs on steel and aluminium were extended. Originally tariffs on steel and aluminium were just for bulk items, but now, if a UK-made tractor is exported to the US, every steel or aluminium component - down to individual nuts and bolts - has to be taxed on the basis of where it came from, so the correct overall tariff payment is made. We speak to the Agricultural Engineers Association.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

England's current approach to planning for floods is "underpowered and fragmented". That's according to a report from MPs which is published today. The Environmental Audit Committee says the Government should set up a single joint flood reporting and information service and spend more on flood resilience, with a fairer funding formula for rural areas. The MPs say farmers can play a key role, for instance in storing water, but should be paid for their work. We've been talking to all the major political parties over the past few weeks, during party conference season. The SNP conference continues in Aberdeen today and with elections to the Scottish Parliament in May there is a lot to discuss.Over the past few decades many councils have been reassessing their property portfolios and council farms have been sold off. This week we'll look at why, and why some feel that's a mistake. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

We report on the increasing amounts of waste dumped in the countryside and how to tackle it.As party conference season continues, we're hearing from most of the major parties on their farming and rural policies. Agricultural policy is devolved and with elections for the Welsh Parliament in May next year, Plaid Cymru's conference this weekend may well be seen as a launch for that election campaign.Farmers whose land was compulsorily purchased say they're frustrated that they still can't buy it back. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

As President Trump plans to bail out soyabean farmers and China goes to South America for supplies, how will UK animal feed be affected by the turmoil? How should insects be farmed? Is their welfare important? We hear from a professor of animal sentience who says the way farmed insects are being viewed is changing. The illegal sport of hare coursing is on the rise in the Vale of Glamorgan, causing damage to farms and stress to farmers. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

What has been described as the biggest legal claim ever brought in the UK over environmental pollution has been filed at the High Court.  Almost 4000 people have signed up to a class action lawsuit against major poultry producers and a water company over allegations of "extensive and widespread pollution" in the rivers Wye, Lugg and Usk.  They argue that the state of the rivers in recent years has severely affected local businesses, property values and people's enjoyment of the area - and are seeking "substantial damages".  The companies being sued - Avara Foods Limited, Freemans of Newent Limited and Welsh Water - all deny the claims. When King Charles was crowned, a pledge was made to create 25 new or larger National Nature reserves within 5 years.  The "King's series" reserves are meant to move beyond simple conservation - to be bigger, more connected and with nature recovery their primary purpose. The 12th such reserve has just opened and is a significant extension of a reserve in the Yorkshire Dales that contains one third of Britain's flowers and ferns in one biological hotspot.  And all this week we're looking at rural crime. In Scotland, insurers NFU Mututal is reporting a sudden spike in thefts of quad bikes and all terrain vehicles, or ATVs. Data released by them in September this year shows the value of quad bike thefts in Scotland has risen 90%, compared with 2024. Losses are estimated at nearly 200 thousand pounds up to September, compared to £102,000 for whole of last year.Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.

More than twenty five dairy farms in Scotland say their businesses could be at risk after the UK Government removed farm workers from the visa system for skilled overseas labour. In July, the government cut the jobs of 'farmer' and 'agricultural contractor' from the Temporary Shortage Occupation list. We meet one of the horseback volunteers keeping an eye out for suspicious activity in Cumbria, and find out how the police force's Rural Crime Unit is overcoming the inherent challenges of fighting crime in the countryside.The British Wool Marketing Board is 75 years old this year. British Wool, and the Great British Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant, hope that wool will increasingly be seen as a solution to the very modern problem of plastic pollution. Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

A rural crime expert tells us there's been an 'ideological and material' shift away from the problem in some police force areas. Dr Kate Tudor from Durham University says despite this there have been some positives in the fight against rural crime, following the advent of a National Rural Crime Team. All this week Farming Today is examining the issue.The warmest summer on record for the UK has meant good yields and high-quality grapes in our vineyards, and winemakers looking forward to a vintage year.It's the Conservative Party Conference this week, in Manchester, we hear what's on their policy agenda for farming and the countryside.Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

Twenty tonnes of illegal meat and animal products have been intercepted at Dover in September alone according to Dover's Head of Port Health and Public Protection. Lucy Manzano tells us the amount of illegal meat her staff are seizing is 'escalating'.The way deprivation is measured in the UK means the challenges facing rural areas aren't taken into account. That's the conclusion of "Pretty Poverty", a new report from Plymouth Marjon University. It argues that rural hardship could be "hidden behind scenic views" and that factors like needing to own a car in remote areas with poor public transport aren't taken into consideration.All week we've been looking at livestock markets, we catch up with farmers who say Cockermouth Mart in Cumbria is a vital social hub. We visit a mart on the English Welsh border to find out how the sector's coping with bluetongue restrictions and we speak to Dr Carrie Batten the bluetongue expert at the World Organisation for Animal Health and Head of the National Reference Laboratory for the disease at the Pirbright Institute Every autumn pigs are released into the New Forest for the ancient tradition of "pannage". The pigs gobble up acorns from the thousands of oak trees in the Forest - and it's a bumper crop this year. Good news for fattening pigs, but bad news for ponies and cattle for whom the acorns are toxic.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The price farmers are paid for milk is falling. This comes at a bad time for many farmers who are having to buy in forage for their cows after the long hot summer slowed, or stopped, the growth of grass. The new Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds says farming is "transforming and modernising". In one of her first speeches, at the Labour Party conference, she told delegates she's seen first hand how much we depend on hardworking farmers.And why bluetongue virus matters for food security.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

20 tonnes of illegal meat and animal products have been intercepted at Dover in September alone. Dover's Head of Port Health and Public Protection tells us the amount of illegal meat her staff are seizing is 'escalating'. Last month MPs warned that illegal meat imports were at a crisis level, increasing the risk of diseases like Foot and Mouth and African Swine Fever entering the country and threatening public health.Wales' new Sustainable Farming Scheme was revamped following farmer protests, at projected cuts to livestock numbers and jobs. Now an economic impact assessment into the revised version of the scheme has been published by the Welsh Government. BBC Wales' Environment Correspondent Steffan Messenger has been gauging the farming unions' reaction.What will inflationary pressures mean for farm workers wages? We hear wages may need to rise to compete with other sectors.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

Every autumn pigs are released into the New Forest - the tradition of Pannage. The pigs gobble up the acorns from the thousands of oak trees in the Forest. Anna Hill hears why it's particularly important this year, to protect ponies and cattle from a bumper crop of potentially toxic acorns. The pigs suffer no ill effects from indulging. The New Forest's Head Agister explains the logistics of releasing the pigs and getting them home again.A new report commissioned by the research body Rural England claims the Government policy on rolling out environmentally friendly home heating is 'heat pumps or nothing'. The report says heat pumps can be expensive and impractical to install in old rural housing, in part due to the insulation needed to make the pumps warm rooms efficiently. It suggests that more should be done to promote alternative renewable fuels, which could be used in existing heating systems.And we're ringside at the Cockermouth Mule Gimmer Lamb Sale to reflect on livestock markets' role as a social hub.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

As the Labour Party Conference continues, the Prime Minister says improving profitability is his priority for farming. There's no sign of change on the decision to reimpose Inheritance Tax on farms worth over £1 million.We begin a week focussing on the role of livestock markets in 21st century farming, and ask are they as relevant now as a generation ago?County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, is famous for its Bramley Apples and we visit a grower who says his family has apple in their blood.Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

As the fallout continues from cyber attacks on Jaguar Land Rover and nursery chain Kido in recent days, so too does scrutiny of the food supply chain and how vulnerable it may be to hackers. We've talked a lot about the problems the baking weather this summer has caused farmers, but for apple, pear and plum growers it has been great. The Lyth Valley in south Cumbria is known for its damson orchards, a dazzle of snowy white blossom in spring and this year creaking under the weight of a bumper harvest. It's such a bumper crop that some growers have more damsons than they know what to do with.What will you eat today and where will it come from? For Max Cotton that's an easy question: he'll be having what's in season and grows in the UK. For the past year he has been following a UK only diet on a strict budget and he's made a series about how and why, Food Britannia on BBC Radio 4 next week.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

As the fallout from a cyberattack on Jaguar Land Rover continues, how vulnerable are the major retailers' food supply chains to hackers? The Grocer's Technology Editor tells us that the supermarkets are nervous, and putting pressure on their suppliers to improve cybersecurity.England's new Tenant Farming Commissioner has been named. Alan Laidlaw will be an 'independent champion' to promote better relationships between tenants and landlords, according to DEFRA. We visit an orchard full of historic plum varieties in Gloucestershire and check in on autumn crop drilling progress with a Northamptonshire farmer. Presenter: Steffan Messenger Producer: Sarah Swadling

This year's baking heat has had a beneficial impact on damsons and dahlias.The Lyth Valley in south Cumbria is known for its damson orchards, a dazzle of snowy white blossom in spring and this year creaking under the weight of a bumper harvest. It's such a bumper crop that some growers have more damsons than they know what to do with.In Gloucestershire dahlia growers are enjoying a good growing season. These bright autumn flowers originally come from Mexico, and their popularity here as a cut flower is growing. Weather patterns are changing, and farmers in the usually dry eastern counties of England are having to adapt to more sudden and unpredictable downpours. This water runs off the land, and rather than giving crops a drink, it ends up on country lanes taking precious soil with it. We join a water workshop in Norfolk where farmers are learning how they can do more to contain and re-use water.Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Farmland bird populations in England have seen a 'rapid nosedive' says the RSPB. It's worried by new Government figures showing an 11% decrease in farmland bird numbers between 2019 and 2024. Meanwhile, farmers in Scotland have been trialling tweaks to conservation scheme options which could help the Corn Bunting.And, new techniques to make Plum growing more profitable by using resources more efficiently.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

Bluetongue affects ruminant animals, like Sheep and Cattle, and it's spread between animals by biting midges. The disease tends to subside as temperatures drop but vets are warning farmers not to become complacent about Bluetongue this autumn. Anna Hill hears from the British Veterinary Association.This week we're focussing on apples, plums and their ilk - known as Top Fruit. Today, a visit to a Herefordshire orchard growing apple varieties old and new, which is enjoying a good harvest.Anna visits a conference in North Norfolk, where farmers are at the sharp end of balancing farming for food production with farming for nature.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

It's a good year for British apples, a lack of frost and an abundance of warm weather should mean a bumper crop. Harvest is underway and hopes are high, but there are continuing concerns about the loss of orchards and growers' reluctance to invest in new ones.It's party conference season and we're hearing from all the parties about their plans for the countryside. Today we speak to Tim Farron from the Liberal Democrats who would scrap inheritance tax on farms.An experimental scheme using drones to disperse native tree seeds across areas of rocky moorland in the Scottish Highlands has produced encouraging results. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

A new report into the health of waterways in National Parks in England and Wales claims that they aren't being properly protected from agricultural and sewage pollution. The research, from the Campaign for National Parks and Rivers Trust, has found that almost sixty percent of rivers and lakes in these areas are failing to meet the legal standard for 'good ecological status'.Whether it's doctors and dentists or banks and buses, services in the countryside are often harder for residents to access. According to the Rural Services Network, local authorities in rural areas get 40 percent less funding than their counterparts, and rural residents pay 20 percent more council tax. We hear from their Chief Executive Kerry Booth. This week, the Environment Agency announced that drought conditions are likely to continue into Autumn, with five areas of England remaining in drought status. With many of us seeing torrential rain over the past week, the news may come as a surprise. We speak to two farmers in different parts of the country - the traditionally wet West and the dry East, to hear about the impact of the weather this summer - and this week - on their businesses. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Jo Peacey. Farming Today This Week is a BBC Audio Bristol Production.

The lack of affordable housing has long been a barrier to people living and working in rural areas. The Rural Services Network described it this year as a 'rural housing emergency'. All this week we've been looking at rural services, from buses to health, and today it's housing. We've reported before on some of the issues: planning, second homes and high prices for instance. Today we hear about some of the solutions.It's party conference season; agriculture is important to Northern Ireland's economy and so will be discussed at its parties conferences, Sinn Fein's in April and the DUP's tomorrow.A report out this week says our food system needs to change as it's responsible for too many emissions and too much ill health. The 5 year study which cost £47 million was funded by UK Research and Innovation and published this week in a Royal Society journal. What might a food system transformation mean for farming here in the UK? Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

The Environment Agency announced this week that drought is likely to extend into the autumn for some areas. But September is making up for August's lack of rain and, where there have been heavy downpours, farmers are starting to hope for a little respite. Charlotte Smith talks to two dairy farmers: one in the dry East of England the other in the (usually) damp West about the swing from heatwave to showers.An organised crime gang has been jailed for machinery and vehicle thefts from farms, worth millions of pounds. Seven men were jailed for a total of twenty five years after pleading guilty at Shrewsbury Crown Court on Monday. We hear from the detective in charge of the investigation.And we continue our look at rural services, with buses.Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

A new report claims rivers in England and Wales' National Parks aren't protected adequately against sewage discharges and agricultural runoff. 'Rivers at Risk', published by Campaign for National Parks and the Rivers Trust says in some areas the sewage system isn't able to cope with an influx of holiday visitors. The report's timed to send a message to the Government ahead of forthcoming reforms to the water industry.There's a week left to comment in the Government's consultation on the future of the Post Office. We hear about the gap left by the closure of the post office in one South Devon village.The cost of running a fishing boat has risen, but so have profits. Anna Hill discusses the findings of Seafish's latest report on the economics of the UK fleet.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

As President Trump arrives for his State Visit, farmers and milk processors are warning that allowing US dairy producers access to our markets could potentially threaten the financial viability of the UK industry. The National Farmers Union's Dairy Board Chair says the US dairy industry has made no secret of its ambitions to break into the lucrative UK market and has exportable surplus to spare. The NFU and Dairy UK have written to the Prime Minister, demanding that food and animal welfare standards are a red line in future negotiations. We continue our look at services in rural areas with a visit to a voluntary organisation connecting people to health and social care provision in the Highlands, as well as combatting loneliness. We hear from the Nuffield Trust about the extra cost challenges for health providers in rural areas.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

British cheesemakers say they've got a raw deal on export tariffs to the US compared to their EU competitors.The Government is consulting on extending a ban on bottom trawler fishing in marine protected areas. Conservationists argue the practice of dragging nets and chains along the sea floor is destroying habitats and species. But fishermen are warning that restricting where they can catch will cause financial hardship.If you live in the countryside it is likely that your local authority gets 40% less funding per head than an urban one, you will pay 20% more council tax and it's harder to find a dentist, a doctor, a bank or a bus; that's according to the Rural Services Network.Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Populations of birds which live on farmland have declined sharply since the 1970s, although there are signs the rate of decline is now slowing. We visit projects to improve habitats for Nightjars in Staffordshire and Corncrakes on the Isle of Lewis. This week a Wild Summit bought together voices from all sides of the debate to discuss how to reverse the biodiversity crisis. Farming Today hears from conservationists and farmers, agreeing that current policies are 'fractured'.The Commons' Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs committee has published a highly critical report claiming that illegal meat imports are increasing and that the authorities don't have adequate resources to tackle the problem.And, is the appointment of a new Secretary of State for DEFRA a chance to reset the relationship between farmers and the Government?Presenter: Caz Graham Producer: Sarah Swadling

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.

We've discussed the impact of President Trump's trade policy on producers here in the UK, we now turn our attention to American farmers, who are being hit by retaliatory tariffs imposed on American products by countries around the world. The American Soybean Association says that exports to China have practically halted after China imposed an extra 20% tariff in response to American tariffs on Chinese goods. China is instead importing soya from South America because it's cheaper, just as it did during President Trump's first trade war in 2018. Low prices for US corn and soybean, combined with rising costs are already placing pressure on farm incomes. And with record high yields predicted for the upcoming harvest, some forecasters are warning of an over-supply of crops without a customer, potentially adding further downward pressure on US grain prices.Woodland creation is one of the most important ways of helping us meet our climate change targets, and that starts with seeds. But they're not always easily available, sometimes British supply is short or not up to scratch, leading to a reliance on less genetically appropriate imports, which carry a risk of pests and diseases. To solve that problem, the domestic production of seeds is being expanded at Forestry England's new Tree Seed Processing Centre in Cheshire. And keeping an ear on on farmland birds is becoming easier with the use of AI.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.