Farming Today

It’s been unseasonably hot over the last few days across much of the UK. Extreme heat means extra concerns for livestock farmers. The Irish government has issued guidance advising farmers not to transport animals in the hottest part of the day, and vets and farmers will be looking out for symptoms of heat stress in all livestock. We visit a dairy farmer in Cumbria to find out how his herd is faring.
Farmers in the east of England say they’ll have to start reviewing the way they plant crops after one of their driest Aprils on record. Crops already planted are struggling and this current hot spell is making matters worse. We visit an arable farmer in Lincolnshire whose crops are suffering because of the weather.
All week we are looking at local food systems - alternatives to big supply chains and supermarkets. Lauriston agro-ecology farm, just north of Edinburgh, covers a hundred acres and is run by a workers' cooperative. It describes itself as an urban farm growing food for people and wildlife and claims to be Scotland's largest community supported agricultural enterprise.
Producer: Rebecca Rooney
Presenter: Caz Graham

Pig farmers in Scotland say 10% of their national herd has gone to waste because there's oversupply in the market. They're asking their government for help.
Churches across England can now apply for cash to get their leaky roofs fixed, or their stained glass windows repaired, under a new government grant scheme launched this month.
This week we are looking at local food systems. While many of us go to the supermarket, there are other suppliers trying to reach customers in a different way. We hear from some of them.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Crofting is embedded in life in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, but it's an unusual form of farming, with a family plot rarely able to provide a full living. Many crofters need additional employment to make ends meet. So, where did crofting come from, and how has it survived?
This year marks 140 years since the Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act 1886 was brought in to protect the rights of crofters and to mark the anniversary, Richard Baynes explores the dark past and brighter future of crofting life.
Produced and presented by Richard Baynes.

The cost of growing our food is still higher than before the conflict in the Middle East. To counteract some of that, the government's laid out a "Great British Savings" bonanza aimed at making life a little less expensive for everyone. There'll be cuts to tariffs on more than 100 food imports sold in supermarkets and fuel duty on red diesel will be reduced by a third. We visit a strawberry grower in Kent to find out how they're coping with rising costs.
A new trade deal has been announced with a group of six states in the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. It'll remove export tariffs and open the door to market expansion. We speak to the International Chamber of Commerce and the NFU for their reaction.
The Climate Change Committee has published a new report about the consequences of a 2% rise in global temperatures and what the UK needs to do about it. We ask what it means for farmers.
A fifth of the Duchy of Cornwall's property, owned by the Prince of Wales, could be sold in the next 10 years to help invest £500m into tackling housing and nature crises. The Duchy has a large number of tenant farmers and is introducing a new tenancy agreement, which concentrates on regenerative farming.
All week we're celebrating British flowers. We visit a commercial grower in Norfolk which grows 35 million tulips every year and supplies most of the UK’s leading supermarkets. It's invested five million pounds in new technology so it can stay competitive and compete with imported blooms. We also visit a flower grower who is trying to connect local producers and florists.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney

We ask what the latest government cost of living measures mean for farmers.
How a Fenland farmer must decide whether to keep on his struggling family farm.
We've been talking flowers all week: the cut flower market in the UK is worth around £2.2 billion but the bulk of flowers sold in supermarkets and florists don’t come from British farms.
The BBC Food & Farming Awards are back and this year we’re teaming up again with the Archers for the ‘Archers and Farming Today Farming for the Future Award’. We’re looking for those people or organisations who are models for how farming can be more resilient and sustainable. You can nominate by going to bbc.co.uk/foodawards - entries close at midday on the 15th of June.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.