Farming Today

The Governments of the UK need to do more to support native farm animal breeds. That's the view of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust which says that while there have been many warm words about the importance of rare and native breeds, clarification is needed on what the post-Brexit support schemes will offer. And the Trust says government funding should be given to the national gene bank.The sprout harvest in Scotland is in full swing, with hundreds of tonnes being cut for Christmas. Has it been a good sprout year?  A new project in Northern Ireland is using vets to help farmers look after their health. The ‘Nip It In The Bud' campaign was launched at a veterinary conference.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Rural traditions, from morris dancing to dry stone walling and tartan weaving, could be internationally protected by UNESCO. The government has launched its search for examples of living heritage to go onto an inventory.With dairy companies continuing to cut the prices they pay farmers for milk, the man appointed to ensure fairness and transparency in the UK agricultural supply chain says he'll be watching out for any breaches in the coming months. Richard Thompson is the first in the new adjudicator role, looking first at the dairy supply chain. His report says some farmers are still afraid to speak out in case of reprisals.The UK has temporarily banned all imports of pig products from Spain after an outbreak of African swine fever in wild boars there. It's Spain's first case since 1994. The disease is spread by ticks and can be devastating to commercial herds. The National Pig Association here says it's vital our government puts adequate controls at borders to keep the disease out.The first cases of bluetongue disease In Northern Ireland have been confirmed. Two cows on a farm in County Down have the disease with a further 44 in the same herd suspected of having it. A 20km control zone has been implemented around Bangor in County Down. There have been more than 200 cases in England and Wales since July this year, though none in Scotland so far. This year's summer drought has cost arable farmers in England an estimated £828 million. The think tank the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit says crops were hit by a very hot spring and summer as well as the resulting lack of water.All week we've been looking at winter jobs, including hedge laying and tidying sheds.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Rural traditions - from morris dancing, to dry stone walling to tartan weaving - could be internationally protected by UNESCO. The government has launched its search for examples of living heritage, from the people who are involved with them to go onto an inventory. With dairy companies continuing to cut the prices they pay farmers for milk, the man appointed to ensure fairness and transparency in the UK agricultural supply chain says he'll be watching out for any breaches in the coming months. Richard Thompson is the first in the new adjudicator role, looking first at the dairy supply chain. His report, which covers the year from July 2024 to June 2025, says some farmers are still afraid to speak out in case of reprisals. And you've probably noticed cattle vanishing from the fields as they come inside to protect the grass for spring. For livestock farmers this marks the start of months of daily feeding and changing bedding- and as part of our week looking at winter farming jobs we're off to the North York Moors with new entrant Mark Burrell. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.

A group of Labour MPs with rural consitituancies have urged the Government to think again on Inheritance Tax Changes, with some abstaining on a Commons vote on the issue earlier this week. This is the ongoing row over the Government's plan to re-impose inheritance tax on farming and business assets over a million pounds, which was introduced in last year's budget and is due to take effect from April next year. Ministers insist the plan is fair and say its time to move on. The cost to arable farmers of this year's summer drought has been estimated to be £828 million. The think tank the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit says farmers will lose the income as a result of what it says is the second worst UK harvest on record, where crops were hit by a very hot spring and summer as well as the resulting lack of water. A pioneering project to help the crews on fishing boats manage the unpredictability of their earnings has been launched in Cornwall. Weather conditions, fuel prices and market demand can mean that one week crews will earn, but the next they won't, making budgeting tricky.  Citizens Advice Cornwall says its led to problems - which is why, along with other local groups, it's set up Net Savings, a government backed collaboration to help fishing crews with financial advice. And as part of our week-long look at winter jobs on farm, we meet a cider apple farmer who'll be tending his trees throughout the season. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.

There are warnings that an increase in the amount of sugar cane that can be imported into the UK tariff-free will impact British sugar beet farmers, who are already getting a lower price for their produce because of an oversupply of sugar. The government has announced that 325 thousand tonnes of raw cane sugar, sourced from anywhere in the world, will be tariff-free from 1st January 2026. That's a 25% increase by volume on previous years. Campaigners have warned a huge oversupply of battery storage sites for renewable energy is threatening to blight Scotland's countryside. The charity Action to Protect Rural Scotland, or APRS, says a study it's publishing today shows there is four times as much battery storage planned as we are likely to need for the transition to green energy. That, it says, means unnecessary damage, planning blight and lost farmland across the country.And we attend the sale of an unrivalled collection of vintage farm wagons and horse drawn carts - amassed over 40 years - which went under the hammer at an auction in Dorset. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.

The UK has temporarily banned all imports of pig products from Spain afrer an outbreak of African Swine Fever in wild boars there. It's their first case since 1994. The disease is spread by ticks and can be devastating to commercial herds. The National Pig Association here says it's vital our government puts adequate controls at borders to keep the disease out. Northern Ireland has had its first case of bluetongue, in County Down. The government has introduced a 20km restriction zone to control the spread. There have been around 200 cases in England and Wales this year, though none in Scotland. A farmer is calling on the Scottish Government to fund a multi-million pound dairy development programme, which would encourage farmers to keep cows with their newborn calves for longer. David Finlay has been pioneering the unconventional system on his farm near Kirkcudbright - which is now the largest commercial 'cow-with-calf' dairy in Europe. And all this week we're looking at the jobs farmers need to do over winter - today, cleaning up ready for next season. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.

The government's new environmental improvement plan for England is launched today. The Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs has set out what it calls 'an ambitious roadmap' with a 'clear plan to restore the environment.' That encompasses a new plan to stop pollution from forever chemicals, tougher measures on waste crime and more tree planting. They also highlight £500 million worth of funding for the landscape recovery schemes, long term, big scale projects where landowners work together to improve nature. We ask Wildlife and Countryside Link, a coalition of 94 environmental and wildlife groups, what they make of the plan. Storm Desmond hit the North West of England 10 years ago and brought record breaking amounts of heavy rain: a month's worth fell in just 24 hours. That led to flooding, bridges, roads and livestock were washed away, farmland ruined and thousands of homes inundated. The eventual bill for the damage was put at more than a billion pounds. In Glenridding in Cumbria the flooding led to a project working with farmers, nature and the landscape. Its aim: to try and reduce the vulnerability of the area to future flooding. All week we're going to look at the jobs left for winter when things on the farm are a bit quieter. We're starting with hedge laying: winter is the traditional time to tackle this - the birds have long finished nesting, and by partly cutting through the trees and shrubs that you lay over to form the hedge, you allow it to rejuvenate in time for next spring. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Farmers were in London again to protest about the re-imposition of inheritance tax on farming and business assets of more than £1 million, something announced last year. In her budget, the Chancellor made a change to transferring inheritance tax allowances between spouses, but farmers said it wasn't enough.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

36 per cent of people who live in rural areas or on islands in Scotland are considering leaving, blaming a range of things from healthcare and ferries to housing shortages. The majority who plan to stay praise the strong community spirit and quality of life. These are the findings of a new study from Scotland's Rural College. Researchers say rural and island areas of Scotland continue to face population decline and have looked at what happens in other countries - Canada, Sweden and Croatia - to see what might change the situation. Scientists are working on a project to use potato shaws, the green leaves from the top of the seed potato plant, which are currently discarded or ploughed back in. The University of Aberdeen believe they could be put to a more lucrative use: skin creams. All this week, we've been looking at dairy farming. Farmers are currently dealing with falling prices for milk as the world commodity price slumps. There is an exception to that. The prices organic farmers are getting have remained stable and and sales of organic milk products have increased slightly in the last 12 months.We visit a Lincolnshire farm with an uncertain future. Hannah Thorogood has spent 15 years building up an organic farm business with cattle, sheep and hens. She now runs the farm and farm shop with her twin daughters. However, Inkpot Farm, along with thousands of acres around it, is in the middle of a proposed site for a giant reservoir.Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Rebecca Rooney

Farmers were in London again to protest about the re-imposition of inheritance tax on farming and business assets of more than a million pounds - something announced last year. In her budget, the Chancellor made a change to transferring inheritance tax allowances between spouses, but farmers said it wasn't enough. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Conservationists have accused the government of turning its back on nature in the new planning bill which is making its way through parliament. The RSPB says the legislation is creating a new tried and untested process which will put nature and nature markets at risk.We often talk about exports of produce like beef and dairy but exporting farm animal genetics is also big business. The industry estimates that around 70 per cent of the world's farmed poultry orginates from UK breeding stock, while UK cattle genetics are now exported to 100 countries around the world. A new agreement with Kenya will see sheep and goat genetics exported there. The UK Export Certification Partnership is a public-private grouping which promotes the export of livestock products, breeding stock and genetics. All this week, we're checking in with the dairy industry. Over the last 30 years, the size of the UK dairy herd has been gradually falling, while average milk yields, that's the number of litres a cow produces, has been steadily increasing. That increase is partly down to using new technology like on-demand robotic milking machines. We visit a herd of indoor cows in Wiltshire.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Despite a rise in the number of students taking up agriculture degrees over the last couple of years, not all courses are growing. The University of Nottingham is deciding whether to close its agriculture and business course at its Sutton Bonington campus. The University says applications for its farming courses have dropped, making them “less financially viable”. Students have started a petition to save the degree course.Cases of bird flu are still on the rise across the country, with outbreaks in all four nations of the UK and housing orders for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are in place, meaning all poultry has to now be housed if the flock totals more than fifty birds. We hear from farmers at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in Builth Wells.All week we're looking at dairy farming. One family farm which has invested heavily in technology for the future is run by Rob Davies and his son Harry. Instead of selling the livestock, the farm in Herefordshire has built an aerobic digester to reduce energy costs, bought robots to milk the cows and grows all its own feed.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The latest Farm Business Income Survey from DEFRA shows average dairy farm incomes for 2024/25 had doubled year on year. The reality at this moment may feel very different on farms as the milk price rollercoaster is starting to rattle downwards, with some global dairy commodities tumbling. The Chairman of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, Robert Craig, tells Charlotte Smith that the industry is becoming used to a cycle of rise and fall in milk prices but that ultimately there will be fewer people left in the industry at the end of this downturn.We also dig deeper into what that Farm Business Income survey shows for other types of farming in England. Below the encouraging signs on the surface, for most sectors, incomes were buoyed up by diversification and agri-environment schemes in the last financial year.And farmers on the Isle of Man are anxious about the future of veterinary care, as a major provider prepares to withdraw from farm animal practice on the Island. Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

Details on the relaunch of England's biggest agri-environment scheme will come in the first half of next year - so says the Secretary of State for the Environment, Emma Reynolds, who was speaking at the Country Land and Business Association's annual conference. The sustainable farming incentive or SFI, pays farmers for things like planting hedges and improving soils. It was suddenly closed to new applicants in March as it had run out of money. Details on what happens next were supposed to be announced in the summer. Some farmers say they've lost confidence in the system but Emma Reynolds told the conference that it is complicated and they want to get it rightEngland's farm business income figures for the last financial year have been released. All types of farms, with the exception of horticulture and pig farming, saw a year on year increase, though in 2023/4 farm incomes dropped considerably. Government payments to farmers in agri-environment schemes now make up an average of 30% of farm income, and many farms continue to lose money on the farming sides of their business. All week we've been talking about farming around the world because of the climate talks - COP 30 - in Brazil. They dedicated two days to agriculture, which is seen as offering both problems and solutions as we try to mitigate the changing climate. So what's been decided? The inmates who look after pigs at a prison farm in Kent.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

A decline in demand for whiskey is being blamed for the closure and suspension of Scottish malting plants - something which farmers fear will also mean a decline in demand for barley. Maltsters process barley so it can be used in distilleries or brewing. Several plants have announced closures and redundancies, but the Maltsters Association of Great Britain says that although it has a been a challenging year, they are positive about the future.The BBC Food and Farming Awards ceremony has taken place, with three strong finalists in the Farming Today and The Archers Farming for the Future category: Grazing Management who manage conservation grazing in Herefordshire; The Free Company, a farm and restaurant on a former dairy farm near Edinburgh; and Hugh Wragham who grows hemp in Northumberland. The winners were brothers Charlie and Angus Buchanan-Smith from The Free Company.All this week we're considering farming across the world, as COP 30 continues. We speak to a first generation farmer who produces organic mushrooms as part of an agroforestry farm business in south Brazil. He says its important for farmers to be at COP to push for financing for agriculture which can combat climate change. New rules on the size of oysters that can be landed on the River Fal in Cornwall have been introduced - part of a bid to protect future stocks of the shellfish. It's the first change in regulation on the size of native oysters dredged from the Fal in a hundred years.Presenter = Charlotte Smith at Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The use of antibiotics in treating livestock in the UK has fallen, according to a new report published by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, which is a government agency. Using high levels of antibiotics in farming can lead to people developing resistance to life-saving antibiotics.The Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, which was set up to reduce antibiotic use in farm animals, through better livestock husbandry, has just published its own report into antibiotic drug use, particularly in pigs and poultry. It says poultry producers are still using too many ionophores, a kind of medicine to treat parasites, and it wants ionophores to be classified as antibiotics.All week, we're taking a global perspective on farming as delegates at COP 30 in Brazil discuss food production and reducing its impact on the climate. One UK businessman has come up with a system for harvesting the straw left over from rice. It's usually allowed to rot in the fields, or it's burnt but Craig Jamieson has developed a special machine to harvest it and it's now being trialled in the Philippines.We celebrate the farm business that's won the Future Farming award in the BBC's Food and Farming Awards.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Rebecca Rooney

A year on from a big farmers' rally in Whitehall, farmers again travel to London to lobby MPs about inheritance tax. As COP 30 continues in Brazil, we look at imports of South American soy and its use for animal feed on UK farms. Brazil has a moratorium on cutting down rainforest to allow farmers to plant soya, but there's concern that pressure from big-business could reverse that protection. We speak to the Agricultural Industries Confederation.A Welsh entrepreneur is working on an alternative source of protein - lanolin from sheep wool. She came up with the idea after meeting a shrimp farmer who fed the grease to his shellfish.Presenter: Anna Hill Producer: Rebecca Rooney

The price farmers get for wool is up, about 20% up from last year, but it still doesn't cover the cost of shearing the sheep. We hear from a dairy farmer who is getting out: this year's exceptionally hot summer and the resulting cost of feed for the animals has proved too much.Farming fish rather than livestock is being seen by some as the answer to sustainable food security. China is the world's biggest farmed seafood producer, providing more than 60% of the world's farmed fish, and it's investing in bigger and more high tech fish farms.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Eight weeks after taking up her post as DEFRA Secretary of State, Emma Reynolds has faced her first barrage of questions from the cross-party group of MPs at the EFRA select committee. MPs quizzed her about farming profitability, fishing policy, water pollution, border controls and illegal meat. They asked about environmental payments too and she acknowledged that mistakes had been made and lessons learned when the Sustainable Farming Incentive was suddenly suspended earlier this year.A report by the House of Commons' Welsh Affairs Committee is calling for the Government's inheritance tax on farmers to be halted, because it says the tax will have a detrimental impact on Welsh farming.The Environment Agency's warned that unless we see some serious rain, England will be in drought next year. We find out how this year's lack of water has affected the potato harvest.Mushroom growers face many challenges: rising energy costs; sourcing the staff to pick them; and finding alternatives to peat for growing the crop. We visit a family farm in Northern Ireland that's become one of the UK's biggest producers of organic mushrooms. Truffle cultivation isn't usually associated with Scotland but milder, wetter summers are providing new opportunities, according to one professor who's developing new methods of cultivating truffles.This year's apple harvest has been a bumper one, but with a small orchard on a small landmass, the family producing cider on Guernsey have had to find a creative way to supplement their crop.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

We hear warnings that unless we see some serious rain, England will be in drought next year. The Environment Agency says there will be widespread impacts on farming as well as nature and describes the current situation as 'precarious'. COP 30, the annual world meeting on tackling climate change is underway in Brazil. This one is notable perhaps for the leaders who've skipped it, neither the Chinese or American presidents are attending, but plenty of farmers are.All this week we are looking at growing mushrooms. We hear from a farming family in Leicestershire producing 25 tonnes of woodland mushrooms every week. Over the winter most of the sweetcorn, radishes, spring onions and chilli peppers sold by supermarkets will come from two farms in northern Senegal. The businesses involved say it's a win-win arrangement for the local communities, and more vegetables for the UK market are likely to be grown there in future.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

A report by the House of Commons' Welsh Affairs Committee is calling for the Government's inheritance tax on farmers to be halted, because it says the tax will have a detrimental impact on Welsh farming, which is intrinsic to the Welsh economy. How about turning fungi roots into building materials? It may sound a bit strange but its already happening - in laboratories, and in commercial enterprises too.This year's apple harvest has been a bumper one, but with a small orchard on a small landmass, the family producing cider on Guernsey have had to find a creative way to supplement their crop. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Eight weeks after taking up her post as DEFRA Secretary of State, Emma Reynolds has faced her first barrage of questions from the cross-party group of MPs at the EFRA select committee. Over two hours the MPs quizzed her about farming profitability, environmental payments, fishing policy, water pollution, border controls and illegal meat.One of the UK's biggest meat producers, Cranswick has been refused retrospective planning permission for a site in Norfolk, housing 7000 sows. The buildings, which were put up four years ago, have attracted hundreds of complaints from local residents over their smell. Even though most of us have seen quite a bit of rain over the last few weeks, some parts still need plenty more to top up the deficit from last summer's drought. That lack of water meant this year's potato harvest, which has just finished, was particularly difficult. We visit a grower in North Yorkshire to catch up on the season and see how incorporating organic matter into soil, retains moisture.All week, we're talking about growing mushrooms. Truffle cultivation isn't usually associated with Scotland, but milder, wetter summers are providing new opportunities, according to one professor who's developing new methods of cultivating truffles.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

An all party parliamentary group of MPs is launching what it calls a 'new action plan for fishing.' The group believes that the industry is being challenged by a series of problems including a declining workforce, restrictions at sea because of environmental protection and avoiding windfarms. The former fisheries minister and Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner is writing the report. Farmers and crofters are criticising the Scottish Government over the allocation of grants for the Future Farming Investment Scheme. About 7,500 applications were submitted for the £21 million fund, but around 3,500 applications did not meet the criteria. Some farmers and politicians claim the distribution of money was "unfair". The Scottish Government says it understands some people are disappointed and says it is already reviewing the scheme.Researchers at the University of Worcester are carrying out research to find out how arthritis affects farmers and the farming industry.All week we're finding out more about growing mushrooms. We eat more than a £100 million worth in the UK every year. We visit the second-largest mushroom farm in the UK at Littleport in The Fens. It produces 160 tonnes a week, from tiny buttons, to large flat mushrooms.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Many farming families are uncertain about their future in the industry, but are we on the cusp of major change with consequences for the fabric of the countryside? Professor Matt Lobley, from Exeter University, has researched the dynamics and economics of family farms for many years and he tells us that this moment feels 'different', citing the phase out of the Basic Payment System in England, rising costs, price volatility, and the hiatus in England's Sustainable Farming Incentive. He says that a period of restructuring is on the way, which will result in fewer farms. Professor Lobley believes family farms bring intangible benefits to rural communities which need to be appreciated. We look at an 'Agflation' index of farm costs which shows some increased significantly over the last year. Fertiliser costs went up 11%, for example. Others, like livestock feed, have decreased on the back of declining arable commodity prices.And, we begin a week looking at Mushroom production with a trip to a farm in County Armagh.Presenter: Caz Graham Producer: Sarah Swadling

Poultry Farmers are warned this winter is on course to be among the worst for avian flu. This week all poultry in England and Northern Ireland was ordered inside after a number of new cases. The Pirbright Institute's head of avian virology explains why the H5N1 strain of bird flu has become more able to spread, describing it as 'almost a super strain'.A household name in food processing says it's worried about future supplies of raw materials, because farmers confidence is so poor. Behind the scenes with plant experts as Kew's Millennium Seed Bank marks 25 years.MPs say by 2050 almost a quarter of current UK farmland might not be farmed.Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Poultry Farmers are warned this winter is on course to be among the worst for Avian Flu. This week all poultry in England and Northern Ireland was ordered inside after a number of new cases. The Pirbright Institute's head of Avian Virology explains why the H5N1 strain of bird flu has become more able to spread, describing it as 'almost a super strain'.A household name in food processing says it's worried about future supplies of raw materials, because farmers confidence is so poor. McCain is the single biggest buyer of British potatoes. It commissioned an online survey of 200 farmers from across the industry, called Farmdex. It found that 51 per cent of respondents had considered leaving farming in the past year, while 40 percent believe they may be forced to leave the industry in the next decade due to economic pressures. McCain is calling on the Government and other food industry players to take steps to improve stability for farmers.And, we visit a small company producing seeds for joyously different varieties of veg from Wrinkled Crinkled Crumpled Cress to the Musselburgh Leek. Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

As part of our week-long focus on seeds we go behind the scenes at the Millennium Seed Bank in Sussex. It's celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Experts from Kew Royal Botanical Gardens collect, clean and curate wild seeds from around the world. They're stored in giant vaults and safeguarded for the future. This helps protect endangered species of plants, but scientists also germinate the seeds for use in conservation and agriculture.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer= Rebecca Rooney

As the number of bird flu cases across the country rises, DEFRA has announced bird keepers across England must house all poultry and captive birds if they keep more than 50 birds. Avian influenza is just one of the animal disease threats raised in a new report by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee. It says the government would not be ready for a serious national disease outbreak like BSE or foot and mouth because resources have been focused on tackling ongoing outbreaks of avian influenza and bluetongue.All week we're taking a closer look at the start of the farming process; seeds. Most farmers buy seeds of some kind whether it's growing a crop for us to eat, or grass seed for pasture, or wildflower mixes for pollinators. However growing crops to produce the seeds that farmers plant, is just as important. We visit a farmer in South Wales who's diversified and now supplies other farmers with wildflower and grass seed mixes.Plant scientists have mapped the genome of oats. Academics at the University of Aberystwyth say it will help plant breeders develop varieties better suited to cope with disease and climate change.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The government's announced the number of agricultural seasonal workers visas allowed for the UK for next year. 41,000 visas will be made available for horticulture and 1,900 for poultry. It's slightly lower than the current allowance, but the National Farmers Union has welcomed the announcement, saying it has been made in good time, so farms can organise recruitment ahead of next year's harvest. However the NFU says if the horticulture sector is to grow, it will need more workers in the future - and it is still waiting for details of a five-year plan from the government.All this week, we are talking about seeds. Today we visit a seed merchant who specialises in grass and wildflower mixes for environmental schemes. We hear how the business is affected by checks at the EU border and uncertainty over agri-environment schemes.How can farms stay profitable? And if the answer is by providing something other than food, what are the implications for domestic food production? After warnings that UK food production could drop by almost a third by 2050, we speak to a farmer who's moved away from growing fruit and cereals to diversify into a range of businesses to keep the farm afloat.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

A cross party group of MPs are warning that UK food production could drop by almost a third, by 2050. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture also says that by 2050 - assuming all Government targets were met in full - almost a quarter of current UK farmland could be used for other purposes including renewable energy, housing, and nature restoration. The group is publishing a report today calling for the most productive farmland to be protected and for output to increase 30%, with 50% less environmental impact by 2050.The Ulster Farmers Union says it has no confidence in Northern Ireland's Department for Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs. The UFU says DAERA's handling of a range of issues, from TB in cattle to a Nutrients Action Programme aimed at improving water quality with better management of manure and fertilisers , has led to 'deep dissatisfaction' among its members. And we take a closer look at seeds on the programme this week.Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

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.

Pumpkin growers have had a nightmare year. The crop needs plenty of water and the hot summer made them ripen too early for Halloween. Cost of living pressures have also affected some farms running visitor attractions like Pumpkin patches.Drought could continue into 2026 for some parts of England. The National Drought Group met yesterday and warned that England would need 100% of its average rainfall to ease the situation, but only 2 months so far this year had seen that much rain.After 2 legal challenges the Government has published a new version of its Carbon Budget, which lays out how climate targets will be met towards the eventual goal of net zero in 2050. Green energy is the Government's headline, but what's in the plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farming?We visit North Harris to find out what it takes to keep an island free of invasive species.Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

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