Farming Today

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.

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.