Farming Today

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.

Could the reshuffle be an opportunity to reset the relationship between farmers and the government? The National Farmers Union President is optimistic, on the Union's Back British Farming day. Unlicensed burning of vegetation on moorland in England where there's a deep layer of peat will be banned, DEFRA has confirmed. Land managers will have to apply for burning licences for land where 30cm of peat lies beneath the surface, previously licensing only applied to 40cm of deep peat. Environmentalists believe the move will safeguard peatland habitats and stored carbon. Landowners are angry at the decision, and argue that fewer controlled precautionary burns will increase the fuel available for wildfires - which themselves release more carbon into the atmosphere. And, efforts to increase numbers of the elusive Corncrake in the Western Isles.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

Free school meals are set to be extended to families on Universal Credit from September next year. A new report says serving more free school meals could create a great opportunity for British farmers, to supply the extra fruit and vegetables needed. The report commissioned by Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming, warns that the opportunity could be missed unless action is taken to improve procurement of British produce in school catering. We discuss why successive government promises on procuring British food for the public sector have proven difficult to put into practice. And hooded eyelids, camouflaged feathers, and a strange unearthly call: the Nightjars of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

MPs deliver their verdict on measures to prevent meat and dairy products being imported illegally into the UK. The report published today by the Commons' Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Committee is unlikely to make comfortable reading for DEFRA. The Addington Fund countryside charity is opening its Forage Aid grant scheme in response to feed shortages caused by the drought conditions experienced in some parts of the country. And, there are signs that declines in some farmland bird species are slowing thanks to agri-environment schemes.Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

There should be more urgency and a bigger budget to tackle TB in cattle in England while farmers should be empowered to do more to eradicate the disease. Those are headlines from a new report published today. It also calls for a bovine TB tzar to co-ordinate government policy along with investment in IT systems, vaccination and testing. We hear from the report's author, Professor Sir Charles Godfray, the Badger Trust and the National Farmers' Union.The blue green algae on Lough Neagh has had a big impact on residents and businesses this summer.Researchers say racism in rural areas is often not reported but has a profound impact on people who visit and live in the countryside.A wet winter and dry spring meant cereal crops were hard to sow and grew slowly. The result, straw short in stature and in short supply, so greater costs for livestock farmers.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

A wet winter and dry spring means cereal crops were hard to sow and grew slowly. The result: straw short in stature and in short supply, so greater costs for livestock farmers as they prepare for housing their animals this winter. We hear from a Hay and Straw Merchant about the difficulty of sourcing their product after a difficult year for cereal growers. Party conference season gets underway today, with Reform UK gathering in Birmingham. We discuss whether they sense electoral opportunity in disaffected farming and fishing communities. And Charlotte Smith visits a Kent farm growing fruit with a little help from some predatory insects.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Sarah Swadling

There should be more urgency and a bigger budget to tackle TB in cattle in England while farmers should be empowered to do more to eradicate the disease. Those are headlines from a new report published today. It also calls for a bovine TB tzar to co-ordinate government policy along with investment in IT systems, vaccination and testing. We hear from the report's author, Professor Sir Charles Godfray, the Badger Trust and the National Farmers' Union.Major changes are needed to rebuild trust in the body responsible for promoting Welsh meat, that's according to an inquiry by Senedd members.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Concern is growing about a shortage of fodder this winter. Drought in some parts of the UK has meant that the grass just hasn't grown, so farmers have had to feed their animals with the food they planned to save.A new study suggests people working with pesticides can be at higher risk of problems with their lungs. The study from the Health and Safety Executive published in the Occupational Medicine Journal says chest tightness and nasal allergies were common in those they surveyed.A team of researchers from Seafish, the public body supporting the seafood industry, is currently carrying out its annual survey of the nation's fishing fleet, talking to around 10% of the 4,000 skippers. The work is essential to know just what's happening in the fleet and what challenges it faces.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

People living and working around Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland say pollution in the lake has become worse over the hot summer this year. The Lough supplies about forty per cent of Northern Ireland's drinking water and for the past couple of years it's been covered with a toxic blue green algae, which has grown due to pollution from agriculture, broken water treatment facilities and industrial waste. The algae's also had a big impact on the fishing industry.All this week we're looking at animal feed. There's a drive to source and grow more of it in the UK, especially as new regulations come in to tackle deforestation linked with growing soy for animal feed. We visit a traditional feed mill in Gloucestershire which makes a feed mix from local wheat, oats, peas and beans.The island of Unst in Shetland is the most northerly inhabited island in Britain. It's also considered to be the true home of the Shetland pony and is the venue of the most northerly agricultural show in the UK. The Unst Show has been going for more than 150 years and draws crowds from across Shetland and beyond to see cows, sheep, poultry and ponies being exhibited. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

A new report says racist abuse is too often "tolerated or even normalised" in the English countryside, with many incidents going unreported by victims. Researchers from the University of Leicester spoke to 115 people and 20 community groups over two years, for their Rural Racism Project. They found that it wasn't just visitors to the countryside who suffered abuse, but those who are living within rural communities as well. The UK dairy sector has had a pretty successful year. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, which works with farmers and food producers on international trade, says that European demand for UK dairy exports reached a record 1.1 billion pounds in the first half of 2025, that's a 20 percent jump from last year. Exports to the USA and Asia also rose. How sustainable is this trend, especially with the impact of drought on dairy producers in some parts of the country?All this week we're looking at the business of livestock feed. What's grown to feed animals and how it's produced, can have a big impact on carbon emissions. Farmers are being encouraged to grow pulses to replace imported soya which can lead to deforestation. We visit a livestock farmer who's been trialling it as part of a nationwide project.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Changes to the costs, paperwork and bureaucracy that are hampering agri-food exports from Great Britain to the European Union won't be in place until 2027. Nick Thomas–Symonds, the Minister for EU Relations, has been setting out his priorities for the future of the UK-EU relationship in a speech in front of industry representatives and journalists. We speak to trade expert David Henig and hear how food exporters are 'disappointed' that barriers to trade won't be removed sooner.The pig and poultry industries is damaging our rivers and countryside, according to a report commissioned by the Wildlife Trusts. The UK produces almost one million tonnes of pig meat and two million tonnes of poultry meat per year and the Trusts have been examining the broader environmental risks from farming pigs and poultry. We hear look into the details of the report and hear from the pig industry.Pollinators play an essential part in crop production and we've been looking at them all week. One fruit farm in Herefordshire imports bees from the Netherlands to pollinate fruit in polytunnels. We also speak to the insect charity Buglife. An update on a tiny community which was considered too remote to be connected to the national grid. People living in the Upper Coquet Valley in Northumberland used to be reliant on generators. For 50 years they've campaigned to be connected to the mains - and now they are!Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

A new report from the Wildlife Trusts outlines the environmental damage caused by pig and poultry pollution. Caz Graham talks to the report authors and to the National Pig Association.Moths and hoverflies are the unloved pollinators that keep our farms and gardens healthy. We hear about their brilliant undercover work.Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton

Changes to the costs, paperwork and bureaucracy that are hampering agri-food exports from Great Britain to the European Union won't be in place until 2027. Nick Thomas–Symonds, the minister for EU relations, has been setting out his priorities for the future of the UK-EU relationship in a speech in front of industry representatives and journalists. We speak to trade expert David Henig and hear how food exporters are 'disappointed' that barriers to trade won't be removed sooner.As part of our week-long look at pollinators, we visit Bishop's Bees in Devon, where owner Darren Molyneux is developing genetic lines suited to the UK climate using artificial insemination. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Three river catchments in the East of Scotland are now in a state of significant scarcity - that's the most extreme level of water shortage issued by SEPA, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. It says the river Deveron in Aberdeenshire is at its lowest level since the 1970s and that unless there's significant rainfall, other rivers including the Lower Tweed and the Don could also fall into that highest drought-alert category. Farmers in Scotland have been harvesting cereals earlier than usual, and agronomists are warning that shifting weather patterns mean growers will need to change their farming practices to help deal with the impacts of climate change.Butterflies are an important pollinator across farmland, orchards and gardens. However, their numbers have fallen dramatically over the last fifty years. According to the charity, Butterfly Conservation, they've dropped by 80% since 1970, due to habitat loss and changes in land management. We take a look at a project in South Wales where grazing cattle are helping to manage bracken and encourage rare High Brown Fritillary butterflies.Presenter: Caz Graham Producer: Rebecca Rooney

A new stakeholder survey has been launched by Natural England and Natural Resources Wales to find out how the Countryside Code is working in England and Wales. The code in Northern Ireland is similar but runs separately, and in Scotland, where they have the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, access, rules are different. We speak to two farmers about whether they feel the code's working for them and what they'd like to see. Pollinators play an essential part in crop production and we're looking at them all week. One fruit farm in Herefordshire imports bees from the Netherlands to pollinate fruit in polytunnels. We also speak to the insect charity Buglife.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The cider apple harvest has started already. Most apples are picked in the autumn and even varieties which ripen early aren't usually ready yet, and the apple harvest looks likely to buck this year's trend and be good.The Government's decision last week not to offer a rescue package to two plants producing bioethanol is a cause for worry for farmers. This week the Vivergo bioethanol plant on the Humber near Hull stopped production and started laying off staff. It had been buying around a million tonnes of wheat a year, distilling it into bioethanol which is added to petrol to reduce emissions. It also produced large quantities of cattle feed as a by-product. A separate business, Ensus on Teesside is continuing for now; it produces bioethanol and also carbon dioxide which is used in abattoirs and the food industry. The plants have been rendered economically unviable by the US trade deal, which removed tariffs from bioethanol imports from the States. We hear how the UK has been dependent on American bioethanol for some time now.Avian flu is on the rise again. In England new rules on game birds are being introduced after warnings of a 'heightened risk' of the virus. The Government says there have been more new cases, particularly in coastal areas and places with a significant number of shoots. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Avian flu is on the rise again and this summer increase in cases is being linked with seabirds. New stricter biosecurity rules have been introduced for shoots in England after a number of outbreaks in game birds, and there are also more coastal cases of the disease. Bird flu is usually associated with the winter and migratory birds, but seabirds were very badly hit in 2022 and researchers say the H5N1 virus is again affecting them. A consortium of UK scientific organisations form FluMap which is studying bird flu. We speak to Dr Tom Peacock from the Pirbright Institute who says gulls are currently spreading the virus.It's peak salad season and we visit a producer who uses state-of-the-art technology to grow lettuce under glass using aeroponics. The plant's roots are grown in the air, and the nutrients they need are delivered in a vapour which itself is created using ultrasonics, or sound waves. The cider apple harvest has started early in some orchards. Most apples are picked in the autumn and even varieties which ripen early aren't usually ready yet but as we've been reporting this year many harvests have been earlier than usual. We find out what this year's apple harvest's looking like.Farmers are still dealing with the aftermath of Scotland's biggest ever wildfires. In June and July this year more than 29,000 acres of land in the Highlands were affected by fire - with firefighters joined by gamekeepers, farmers and local communities to tackle them. The damage has been described as 'devastating'. We hear from a couple who may have to sell some of their livestock if they can't find alternative grazing soon.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

New rules on game birds are being introduced in England after warnings of a 'heightened risk' of avian flu. The Government says there have been more new cases, particularly in coastal areas and places with a significant number of shoots. English shoots will now have to introduce stricter biosecurity, for instance cleaning and covering feed and water to protect them from wild bird droppings, which can spread the infection, disinfecting vehicles and keeping records of any visits. Rules on moving animals in and out of Scotland are being eased, they were introduced to help control bluetongue and stop the disease moving from England into Scotland. Bluetongue is a virus, spread by biting midges which affects sheep, cattle and goats but not humans. The whole of England became a restricted area earlier this year which meant that animals moving into Wales and Scotland faced costly pre-movement tests. Welsh rules have been relaxed and from next month the rules on animals going into Scotland will also change. Removing peat from commercial veg production is proving problematic. Despite successive Governments intending to ban peat from horticulture, there's currently no date set. Growers are battling to overcome practical issues with peat free compost, particularly where salad crops are concerned. We visit field trials where tomatoes and lettuce are being grown without peat.Farmer, journalist and broadcaster David Richardson has died at the age of 87. Alongside running his own farm in Norfolk he wrote for newspapers, the farming press, presented on TV and presented, and contributed to Farming Today. He also became the first presenter of our long-running sister programme On Your Farm. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

County councils say major changes to the way the government calculates funding for local authorities will penalise rural areas. The government says the new system will mean fairer funding and more stability which will help deliver better public services. However the County Councils Network says rural council tax payers will ‘shoulder the burden' of redistributing hundreds of millions of pounds to urban areas and warn some councils will face deep cuts to their services. Growing spinach in the soaring heat - a seasonal look at producing salad.The Vivergo bioethanol plant on the Humber near Hull has now stopped production and started laying off staff after the government said it wouldn't provide support for the plant. The future of the business had been in doubt since tariffs were removed on bioethanol imports from the US in the recent trade agreement with Donald Trump. The company, owned by Associated British Foods, bought in locally grown wheat, around a million tonnes a year, and distilled it into bioethanol which is added to petrol to reduce emissions, and also produced large quantities of cattle feed. It's one of two plants in the UK. We speak to a renewable energy expert Dr Michael Short from the University of Surrey. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Changes to bluetongue restrictions mean farmers can transport vaccinated livestock from Wales into England without the need for a costly pre-movement test. Sheep and cattle that have been jabbed can be taken to a market within 12 miles of the Welsh border such as Hereford, Ludlow and Oswestry. Since the start of July, trade in livestock between England and Wales has been affected by restrictions designed to stop the spread of bluetongue disease. The midge-borne virus poses no threat to public health or food safety but can be fatal for animals like sheep, cattle and goats.Routine border checks on live animal imports from the European Union are to be suspended, ahead of the introduction of the UK's new SPS - or sanitary and phystosanitary - deal with the EU. The government said the agreement would cut costs and red tape for businesses, while speeding up trade in food. Synthetic fertiliser is one of the biggest costs for salad production, not to mention its environmental impacts. One big producer, G's, on the Cambridgeshire Fens says trials of a new composting technique called Johnson-Su has led to a reduction in fertiliser use as well as increased crop health. A new rural crime strategy in Wales has made heritage crime or damage to ancient monuments a particular focus. There are fears treasure thieves are targeting Wales' most ancient sites – in an attempt to unearth rare and valuable artefacts for the black market. Nighthawkers use the cover of darkness to sneak onto protected sites and use their metal detectors. Authorities say they receive up to 20 reports of nighthawking at Wales' most precious historical monuments each year. Presenter = Steffan Messenger Producer = Rebecca Rooney

MPs have told the Government 'ambitious action' is needed to improve bus services in rural England. The Transport Committee suggests rural weighting to give more money to councils in the countryside where it is more expensive to run services, along with a minimum service guarantee so communities can rely on regular buses. The Campaign To Protect Rural England tells us that poor public transport is one factor holding back growth in the rural economy. Our exploration of ways to find markets for less popular cuts of meat takes us to a wildlife park.And an independent analysis of controversial changes to Inheritance Tax on farms worth over a million pounds says that some smaller family farms will be affected, and that the measure could be targeted better.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Sarah Swadling

Could a tough autumn lie ahead for UK arable farmers after 3 difficult years in a row? Sliding prices, difficult weather conditions, and a range of pressures have led to low confidence. The National Farmers Union's Combinable Crops Board chair tells us he's heard from once forward-looking farmers now considering their exit strategy. One factor causing concern is the Government's decision last week not to put forward a rescue package for the UK bioethanol, green fuel, industry. Also in the programme, how freezing trees could make it possible to plant in Summer and we begin a week long look at the UK salad industry.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Sarah Swadling

Salted pig's trotter? Brains on toast? Why the carcass balance is important to farmers. We like steak but we're not so keen on tripe, and we eat a lot of chicken but not the feet. To both reduce waste and get the best price for the whole animal or bird we need to do something with the offal. This is carcass balance, balancing the sale of the popular bits with finding markets for the bits that are less desirable here. Those parts that can't be sold are sent for rendering, using heat to separate them into fats and proteins to be sold as animal feed, fertiliser or go into things like cosmetics.Shooting clubs on Salisbury Plain say they may have to close because they can't get a licence to release game birds. Clubs near protected areas, like Sites of Special Scientific Interest, now need a special licence from Natural England to release birds like pheasants and that's now harder to get because of the threat of bird flu. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation says the licensing system is legally flawed and it's issued legal proceedings against Natural England. However, the RSPB would like to see the licensing regime extended. New rules to make trade fairer for pig producers came in this week. A series of recent difficulties in the industry revealed that many farmers didn't have proper contracts for their stock. The new system aims to change that.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Shooting clubs on Salisbury Plain say they may have to close because they can't get a licence to release game birds. Clubs near protected areas, like Sites of Special Scientific Interest, now need a special licence from Natural England to release birds like pheasants and that's now harder to get because of the threat of bird flu. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation or BASC says the licensing system is legally flawed and it's issued legal proceedings against Natural England. However the RSPB would like to see the licensing regime extended. It's called for all game bird releases to be stopped this year because of the risks. In the meantime, clubs say no shoots means no money coming in which means some, like the Bulford and Tidworth Garrison Shoot, are at risk of folding.All week we're looking at what's known as the 5th quarter - this is the name given to the offcuts of meat which, though edible, the British palate isn't keen on. Carcass balance is about finding a use for offal and things like ears or trotters both to combat waste and to get the best price for the whole animal and that means exports. British consumers may not want to eat this sort of thing, but in other parts of the world there is a market so in recent years greater emphasis has been put on seeking out new buyers to get the best out of animal carcasses. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

New rules to make trade fairer for pig producers come in today. A series of recent difficulties in the industry revealed that many farmers didn't have proper contracts for their stock. The new system aims to change that. The dry weather continues, with heat alerts out for all of England. It can be a problem for farmers, not only immediately, but for crops just establishing now to be harvested in Autumn or Winter. We speak to a pumpkin farmer who needs his crops to be ready at Halloween. All this week we're looking at what happens to the parts of an animal carcass that we as consumers don't like to eat. Today we visit a rendering plant which deals with fallen stock on farms. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Sally Challoner

The government's announced a trade deal with Egypt which it says could be worth £250 million in dairy exports ports over the next five years. As part of the deal, new regulations around the Halal certification of dairy produce going into Egypt will not be applied, avoiding what would have been a costly trade barrier. Finding a market for every part of an animal, not just the popular cuts like bacon and steak, is known as carcass balance and it's something we're talking about all this week. We visit Redhill Farm in Lincolnshire to see how they find out how they manage it. The auroch is regarded as the wild ancestor of the modern day cattle we see on farms today. They were huge and used to roam Europe through to the Bronze age. Excavations in the Yorkshire Dales have unearthed what may be the last recorded aurochs in the UK. We speak to farmer Tom Lord who lives in the area and is a passionate archaeologist. He's often called on to advise potholers who find auroch bones when they're exploring underground caves. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Farmers say they may have to plough up land currently managed for nature as the scheme that pays them isn't working. Thousands of countryside stewardship agreements come to an end this year, and applications for the replacement haven't opened yet. The Nature Friendly Farming Network is asking the government to roll over the current schemes to give farmers some certainty.All this week we're looking at 'carcass balance' - using more of the animal's carcass to avoid waste. In the past the consumers in the UK would use the whole of an animal - including heart, lungs and liver - but tastes have changed and we need to find new markets for the unwanted offal. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.

Harvest is the highlight of the farming calendar but this summer's harvest is one of contrasts. It's a good year for some crops like oil seed rape but for others yields are down. We take stock of the crops - from barley and peas to cherries and sweetcorn.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Scottish gamekeepers may refuse to help tackle wildfires in a dispute over licences for muirburn. Muirburn is the controlled burning of heather and other vegetation to encourage new growth, mostly to raise game birds for shooting. It takes place from autumn to spring, but from January next year it will be licensed and it will be an offence to carry out any burning without a licence. Gamekeepers say controlled burning reduces the amount of dead vegetation which fuels wildfires and if they can't do it, they say tackling future wildfires will become too dangerous.All week we've been following the harvest. It started early for many and one of the country's largest cherry growers in Herefordshire says warmer winters and summers are shortening the growing season. Britain's newest and largest Green Bridge is under construction in the Cotswolds as part of a half billion-pound road building scheme. When it's completed at the end of the year, the bridge won't be tarmacked - instead it'll be planted with grasses, wildflowers and shrubs designed to create a crossing for wildlife, and walkers over a new eight lane highway near Cheltenham.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Farmwatch will see farms take over BBC local radio in England today. It's a celebration of farming and a chance to hear from rural communities across the country. It's happening at one of the busiest times of the year for many farmers - harvest, and as part of our week-long focus on harvest we speak to a farmer in Lincolnshire who's growing corn on the cob.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The British Veterinary Association is urging farmers to avoid treating livestock for parasites unnecessarily. The say blanket treatments of worming medicines can lead to resistance and have an impact on the environment.Conservationists in the south east are reporting a drop in the number of barn owl chicks being raised, they say it's the worst breeding season they've seen for decades. All week we're following the harvest around the country, pea producers say this year's crop is down by a quarter because of dry windy weather.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The egg industry is calling for better labelling of products using imported eggs, and for all imports of eggs and egg products to be checked at the border. The British Egg Industry Council says there's been a rise in imports and they're concerned that eggs contaminated with salmonella are not being picked up. Plums used to be a big crop for British farms back in the 1960s, but over the decades the amount grown here has fallen dramatically. However, one farm in Kent believes the tide is turning. WB Chambers near Maidstone say new varieties, new orchards and new technology are extending the growing season and providing consumers with British plums for longer.As part of our week-long focus on harvest, we see how this year's oil seed rape crop has fared. We visit a farmer in East Yorkshire who used a drone to help seal the pods with a special sealant a couple of months ago, to stop them falling off too early. He says it's saved a lot of crop - and money.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

It's been a tricky year for many farmers this year with extremes of drought and rain at various times - usually the wrong times. All week we'll see how harvest 2025 is shaping up. We start with barley in East Anglia and a dairy farm in Wiltshire, and find out from a cereals analyst how crops are looking across the board.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Farmers are having to cope with too much water, or too little, more and more often due to the effects of climate change. This week Charlotte Smith explores how farmers can strike a balance on their land, with competing pressures for water including crops, homes, and wildlife. And, campaigners against Government plans to reintroduce Inheritance Tax on farms worth over £1 million found an unlikely ally in President Trump this week. But with the Government showing no sign of changing course, how feasible is a backbench rebellion on which farm lobby groups are now pinning their hopes?Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

Half a million pounds is going from the UK Government to a project aiming to improve soils in Ukraine. The ongoing research, being run by the Royal Agricultural University, has identified significant damage to soils from the war there - things like heavy metal contamination from bombardments. The new money will help set up soil labs. We speak to the professor leading it and a farmer in Ukraine.Small changes in the way a river catchment is managed can have a big impact - reconnecting floodplains, re-wiggling rivers and slowing the flow upstream can reduce the flood and pollution risk and encourage more biodiversity. A ‘whole Cumbria strategy', which involves three River Trusts, the Environment Agency and Natural England – has just been named as one of only four finalists for a prestigious global award, the Thiess International River prize. It's up against river projects in the USA and Albania. We see the kind of work the Cumbrian River Restoration Partnership Programme is doing in the Lake District.The Environment Agency's urging farmers to think ahead and get ready for storage of slurry this winter.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The bioethanol company Vivergo says it will take in its last consignment of grain tomorrow, before it stops production at its plant near Hull - unless the UK government steps into help. It says this is because of the US UK trade deal which came into force last month, allowing up to 1.4 billion litres of tax-free bioethanol from the States.How's water managed in the Norfolk Broads? We look at the system of pumping stations and drainage ditches which helps balance the competing demands of water of homes, farms and leisure.Nearly two million people have signed a petition in France demanding an end to the use of a chemical called acetamiprid which was previously banned. They say the French government should not have overturned the ban, and that it is bowing to pressure from farmers. Farmers say France is already allowing imports from countries which use the neonicotinoid and that it's not a level playing field. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The UK is heavily reliant on fruit and vegetables grown overseas. But a new report predicts that, by 2050, around half of fruit and veg imports to the UK will be affected by climate change risks including rising temperatures and diminishing water supplies. Water management is such a burning topic at the moment that the NFU has just held its first Water Summit on a Yorkshire farm. And, how do you incentivise reintroduced Beavers to shape rivers the way you intend?Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Sarah Swadling

As the NFU hosts an on-farm water summit, we find out more about an innovative project in Shropshire to manage water. It aims to prevent excess run-off from urban areas which floods farmland and destroys crops.Out and about with the Agricultural Chaplain for Suffolk who's helping farmers cope with the pressures of running a farm business. He says they're especially concerned about changes to inheritance tax reform.Scientists are working with farmers to find a high-tech way of tackling one of the most voracious pests farmers face - slugs. Traditionally, producers have used ferric phosphate pellets to kill them, or taken a more expensive but eco-friendly route, using nematodes to eat the pests. Now the British On-Farm Innovation Network or BOFIN for short, is using artificial intelligence as part of a "Slimers" project to work out where slugs are hiding. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The National Farmers Union says the fight over inheritance tax on farms is not over, despite the publication of draft legislation which shows that the government isn't backing down. Campaigners against the re-impostion of the tax, which will be levied at 20 per cent on assets over a million pounds from April next year had hoped that the government would, at least, change aspects of the policy. The Government argues that its a fair tax which the majority of farm businesses either won't be liable for, or can plan for. A record breaking wet winter has been followed by a record breaking dry spring and early summer in many parts of the UK - with three heatwaves thrown in for good measure. So managing water has become a huge challenge for farmers, which we're exploring all this week on the programme. And, traditional Eel fishermen on Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland have said they're cancelling their season, and one of the factors they blame is water pollution. It comes as the Northern Ireland Executive has proposed more stringent measures to reduce run off from farms, which are strongly opposed by the Ulster Farmers Union.Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

The UK's Chief Vet is urging travellers not to run the risk of bringing foot and mouth disease back from European holidays, in banned personal imports of meat and dairy. Caz Graham hears why a warm, dry summer in many fruit growing areas has led to a bumper crop of high quality blackcurrants. All farmers tend to the needs of their livestock, but few creatures are as needy as leeches. We visit the UK's only medical Leech farm and find out how sensitive the blood suckers really are, to everything from atmospheric pressure to metals in the water. And we drop in to the mobile consulting room bringing health checks to farmers who are too busy, or reluctant, to get to their GP's surgery.Presenter: Caz Graham Producer: Sarah Swadling

Farming Today joins the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells - the week after the Welsh Government announced its new system of payments: the sustainable farming scheme. This annual celebration of farming, food and rural Wales attracts around 200,000 visitors but this year the number of cattle on show is down by a third because of bluetongue disease. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney