Farming Today
Episodes
24/04/26: Cover crop scheme proposal, sourcing thatching materials, gene-edited Barley
24 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Whilst the cost of producing a crop is up, particularly the cost of fuel and fertiliser, the price paid for it hasn't risen by anything like as much. ...
23/04/26 Fertiliser, fossil fuels, recycling farm plastics.
23 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A new report warns that UK farming's reliance on imported fertiliser and minerals, puts it at risk in times of geopolitical stress. Analysis, publishe...
22/04/26 Bird flu jab for people, fairness in supply chain, vertical farming
22 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A new trial is starting this summer, as part of the third phase of a programme to develop a vaccine for people against bird flu. 3000 volunteers are ...
21/04/26 Sustainable pork production, biochar and chicken muck, rare breed cattle
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The pig industry has published a new environmental roadmap to help the sector produce pork more sustainably. It's being led by the AHDB and will focus...
20/04/26: Soybean ID, greenhouse gas emissions from farming, a moment to rethink fertiliser 'dependency'?
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Ulster Farmers Union is calling for government help for farmers, because of the impact of the war in Iran on fuel and fertiliser prices. Amongst o...
18/04/26 Farming Today This Week: Uplands report, national parks, impact of the middle east conflict on farms, waste crime
18 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A new independent report, commissioned by DEFRA, examines the unique challenges facing upland farmers and communities in England. We speak to the auth...
17/04/26 Uplands review, The Peak District National Park.
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The English Uplands are special and defined as areas of elevated land with rugged terrain from moorlands to mountains and typically above 300 metres. ...
16/04/26 Lough Neagh dredging, concerns about government labs in Northern Ireland, National Park dark skies, rural church crime
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New research suggests that dredging is affecting water quality in Lough Neagh. Scientists from Queen's University Belfast believe that commercial dred...
15/04/2026 Fuel protests in Northern Ireland, waste licences, National Park peat restoration.
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Farmers in Northern Ireland have been holding tractor protests and blocking traffic. They’re asking for more financial help as they face rising fuel...
14/04/2026 Plastic costs, carbon tax, National Parks
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Prices are starting to increase for the plastic wrap and twine that farmers will need to store grass silage feed through the year. Plastic is made us...
13/04/26: Alternative fertilisers, Capercaillie in the Cairngorms.
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
War in the Middle East has led to price shocks in fertiliser and fuel for farmers. The situation puts a sharper focus on products already being develo...
11/04/26 Farming Today This Week: Wildfires, bioethanol plant reopening, spring planting, oilseed rape
11 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a week that has seen several wildfires break out across the country, we hear from Dr Matthew Jones, who leads a group researching wildfires across ...
10/04/12 Wildfire season and recovery after moorland fires last year, planting herbs
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Derbyshire Fire Service is urging people to take more care after they were called to a wildfire across 18,000 square metres on Tuesday. This week...
09/04/26 C02 plant back up and running, planting in a bog, oilseed rape
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Farmers in the North East of England have welcomed the re-opening of the UK’s only carbon dioxide production plant after 6 months of inactivity. It ...
08/04/26 Avian influenza, tenant farmer code in Wales, spring barley.
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Free range poultry in England and Wales will be able to once more venture outside as the government lifts mandatory housing measures. The deputy chief...
07/04/2026 Illegal meat, geothermal glasshouse, spring planting
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
More government funding for security and extra spot checks is the only way to stem the tide of illegal meat being smuggled into the UK. That’s accor...
06/04/26 Fifty Years of Photographing Farmers
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Devon-based photographer Chris Chapman has been photographing Dartmoor and the people who live there for more than 50 years. He's turned his camera m...
04/04/2026 Farming Today This Week: Ferry disruption, fishing industry hit by fuel costs, lambing, wild daffodils
04 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Warnings that animal welfare is at risk on some Scottish Islands because of widespread disruption to ferry services.Ripples from conflict in the Middl...
03/04/26 "Muddy Fingers" McGurn
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Farmer Roger Corrigan is a born storyteller. Now in his 80s, he has spent all his life farming in Fermanagh and is full of tales about the changes h...
02/04/26 Ferries and islanders on Barra, rare breed sheep, soil
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There’s concern that animal welfare may be at risk on some Scottish islands because of widespread disruption to ferry services. Eight ferries servin...
01/04/26 Rural fuel poverty; emissions from sheep; Marine Protected Areas.
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Fuel prices continue to dominate the headlines, the war in the Middle East has led to them shooting up in recent weeks, causing real concern to those ...
31/03/26 Record livestock mart figures, lambing list, Ramblers report
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Livestock markets in England and Wales have reported record breaking figures for 2025. The latest numbers from the Livestock Auctioneers Association s...
30/03/2026: Fishing industry hit by fuel costs. A good time to be a sheep farmer? Wild Daffodils
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations is asking the Government for help with rising costs because of the conflict in the Middle East. T...
28/03/26 Farming Today This Week: trail hunting; impact of Middle East war; shellfish; geese; Victorian farming; farmer choir.
28 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Government has opened a consultation on its proposals to ban trail hunting in England and Wales. Anti-hunt campaigners argue it’s a smokescreen ...
27/03/26: Trail hunting ban consultation, How WWII shaped farming
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Government has opened a consultation on its proposals to ban trail hunting in England and Wales. There’s already a ban in Scotland. The Westmins...
26/03/26 Scottish rural policy, green gas, Victorian farming.
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Scottish Government's published details of its support system for farmers. Agriculture is devolved and since Brexit, each of the UK's four governm...
25/03/26 Environmental regulation, geese, The Enclosure Act and the farming landscape.
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
MPs on the Public Accounts Committee have called for the merger of the Environment Agency and Natural England. In a new report the committee criticise...
24/03/26 Middle East conflict and supply chains, processing shellfish, medieval farming.
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Conflict in the Middle East will continue to have an impact on global supply chains even after hostilities cease, so say The Agricultural Economics So...
23/03/26 Potato oversupply, history of change in farming, new crop tech research centre
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A farmer with six hundred tonnes of potatoes he can't sell is blaming changing consumer tastes. GB Potatoes says this year is a “tough market” fo...
21/03/26 Farming Today This Week: Land Use Framework; heating oil help; new livestock worrying law; oat drink.
21 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The government's launched its long-awaited land use framework for England. It describes it as a "blueprint to protect food security". The farming mini...
20/03/26 Commoners excluded from environmental schemes, bean processing, new science at the Commonwealth Potato Collection
20 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Computer says no - why nearly 4,000 farmers are excluded from the government’s new environmental support schemes. Scottish seed potato growers have ...
19/03/26 Land Use Framework, oat drink production
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We get reaction to the Government's 'vision for how we use our land'. What difference will England's Land Use Framework make?And oats - they're incre...
18/03/27 England's new land use framework
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The government's launched its long-awaited land use framework for England. It describes it as a "blueprint to protect food security". The farming mini...
17/03/26 Energy bills in rural homes, new livestock worrying laws, processing venison
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rural households struggling to pay for heating oil are to receive government help with their bills. The war in the Middle East has had a massive impac...
16/03/26: Impact of war on Ukraine's soil, village cut off by landslide, food processing
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New research reveals the impact of war on the soils of Ukraine, and in a country once called the breadbasket of Europe that could have long term reper...
13/03/26 The foods of the future, farm incomes, chicken muck
13 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Lab-grown meat, edible insects and 3D printed mash could be on plates in the next couple of decades. A new report from the Food Standards Agency and F...
12/03/2026 Energy price impact on tomatoes, muck spreading, sheep shearing visas
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
British tomato growers say they may be forced to end their growing season early and import more tomatoes because of the increasing costs of heating. ...
11/03/2026 Inheritance tax for tenant farmers, young farmer training, sewage sludge
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's less than a month before the new inheritance tax comes in for farmers, and the Government's Finance Bill reaching the report stage is a last chan...
10/03/2026 Abattoir charges, EU trade, slurry.
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The meat industry say increased charges for Food Standards Agency staff such as abattoir vets and inspectors could threaten some operations. New charg...
09/03/26 Lead shot ban could hamper deer control, fertiliser, new loom for wool mill
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Government's decision to ban lead shot from 2028 will impact the ability to control deer numbers - that's according to the British Association for...
07/03/26 Farming Today This Week: avian influenza vaccine; impact of war in Middle East on fuel and fertiliser; land use.
07 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The first UK trial of a vaccine for avian flu has started. Bird flu costs the government an average of £174 million every year and there have been 95...
06/03/26 Bird flu vaccine cost prohibitive for chickens, data storage in the countryside, AI in farming in Cornwall
06 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
British chickens are unlikely to be vaccinated against bird flu because of the cost and concerns about trade. The first UK trial of an avian flu vacci...
05/03/26 Bird flu vaccine, impact of Middle East conflict, water storage.
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The government's launching its first field trial of a bird flu vaccine, in turkeys in England. The poultry industry has been calling for an avian flu ...
04/03/26 Border checks, solar farms, crops under cover on landfill site
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
MPs question top civil servants about surveillance at Dover Port and illegal meat. The EFRA Committee said nearly a fifth of consignments directed fro...
03/03/26 British beef in US supermarkets, managing land to prevent flooding, dandelions for rubber
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The first shipment of tariff-free UK beef has arrived on shop shelves in the United States. It's part of the UK-US trade deal which allows a reciproca...
02/03/26: Officially enough rain, Mrs Wilmot's Pippin, land use pressure
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After a marathon run of torrential rain, floods, and grey skies to start 2026 , the drought warnings from last Autumn seem a world away. Back in Octob...
27/02/26: Mackerel's off, Cromer Crab, Avian Flu update, Cambridge Vet School decision
27 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mackerel will soon be disappearing from the shelves of Waitrose as the supermarket says it's 'taking a stand against overfishing'. In September last ...
26/02/26 The Farming Minister and reaction to the updated environmental farm payment scheme in England; illegal waste dumping
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The farming minister says changes announced this week will help make farms more resilient. Angela Eagle speaks to us about the government's biggest en...
25/02/26 National Farmers' Union Conference 2026
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Environment Secretary has revealed more details of the rebooted Sustainable Farming Incentive in England, at the National Farmers Union Conference...
24/02/26 Farming in Ukraine, Wetlands creation
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It's four years today since Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine. It's obviously been devastating for the population; and while front line fighters...
England deer management plan, putting venison on more plates, Northern Ireland farm safety
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The government's announced a new 10 year plan for controlling deer numbers in England. It estimates that a third of woodlands are damaged by deer and ...
21/02/2026 Farming Today This Week: farm vets, sheep shearer visas, 25 years since Foot and Mouth
21 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak, which caused devastation to thousands of farms across the country. Around 6....
The 2001 Foot and Mouth Outbreak 25 years on.
20 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Charlotte Smith is in Devon to reflect on the impact of the 2001 Foot and Mouth crisis 25 years on. Highly contagious foot and mouth disease was confi...
19/02/26 Wet weather, Community vets practice
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Environment Agency and Met Office are warning of more rain and unsettled weather continuing into March at least. And that’s going to delay esse...
Record month for illegal meat, independent vet practices, sheep shearers visas
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Thirty four tonnes of illegal meat and animal products were intercepted over the course of January, at Dover docks. The Port Health Authority says it'...
Dog attacks on livestock, a cattle vet at work, Hedgerow Heroes
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Livestock worrying cost UK farmers nearly two million pounds last year, a ten percent increase on the year before. Farm insurers NFU Mutual, who publi...
Fields of yellow, vets and artificial intelligence, vet shortage
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
There'll be a bigger splash of bright yellow across the countryside later in the spring, at least compared to last year. Signs are that, after a 40 ye...
14/02/26 Farming Today This Week: Flooding on farms, landscape recovery projects, AI in dairy
14 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After what was the wettest January on record for some, more rain means more problems for farmers, from flooding and waterlogged fields to worries abou...
Somerset floods update, slurry conundrum, drones v weeds, a pivot point for farms?
13 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
James Winslade's fields started to flood nearly three weeks ago. They're still under water, and the floods are creeping closer to his farm buildings. ...
12/02/26 Natural flood management, AI pest control, Oatly Supreme Court defeat
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With some farms underwater we hear from the Environment Agency boss on building resilience though natural flood management.The plant based drink compa...
Aberdeenshire inundated, Big Brother is watching moo, Welsh suckler beef in decline
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Eastern Scotland is usually relatively dry but so far this year it's experienced record-breaking rainfall. Aberdeen last saw sunshine on 19th of Janua...
Flooding, alternatives to farrowing crates, crops through the 'eyes' of AI
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Country Land and Business Association, CLA, says winter flooding is putting pressure on farm finances, coming after summer drought and during a pe...
09/02/26 Farmer protests, Defra farm training, AI in agriculture
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past few weeks farmers have been protesting, at ports and around supermarket distribution centres. Why? They say it's a combination of things...
Farming Today This Week: electric shock collars, taking carbon out of agriculture, UK-EU reset, new entrants, Wagyu beef
07 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Electronic Collars are to be banned under new rules for the RSPCA's Assured scheme for dairy cows. The collars are used instead of fencing, and make n...
06/02/2026 National Farmers' Union of Scotland Annual Conference, seed production, new tenant farmers
06 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The National Farmers' Union of Scotland holds its annual conference and calls for more funding to improve profitability.All this week we've been speak...
05/02/26 EFRA Committee report on EU/UK agri-food trade deal, seed science, starting out in agriculture
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
MPs are calling on the Government to have a ‘national conversation’ on the new EU/UK agri-food trade agreement, so farmers don't end up disadvanta...
04/02/26 The cost of decarbonising agriculture, young farmers in Northern Ireland, new entrant crofters
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A new report published by the think tank The Resolution Foundation says the government's goal of 'net zero' across the UK, could force less profitable...
03/02/26 Ban of electric shock collars for cows, grey squirrels, new egg business
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The RSPCA is updating its welfare standards for dairy cattle under its RSPCA Assured scheme. The changes come into operation this April and include: m...
02/02/26 Scottish Environment Bill, Ramblers report, new entrants.
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Scotland has introduced legislation to set legal targets on nature restoration and halt the loss of biodiversity. The Scottish Government says this wi...
31/01/26 Farming Today This Week: Sustainable Foods 2026, extreme weather and rural resilience, octopus bloom
31 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sustainable Foods 2026: a conference in London which brings together big food companies, supermarkets, producers and scientists in a drive to transfor...
30/01/26 Extreme weather and rural resilience, biochar, rare breed cattle
30 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The weather has dominated life for many this month, from storms and flooding in South West England to snow and rain in parts of Scotland, flooding i...
29/01/26 Sustainable food and what that means for farming
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Sustainable Foods 2026 - a conference in London which brings together big food companies, supermarkets, producers and scientists in a drive to transfo...
28/01/2026 Octopus, gene-edited oilseed rape, sheep dog training
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Warmer waters have brought large number of octopus to coastal waters around the South West over the past year. Now, the University of Plymouth has pub...
27/01/2026 Heating rural homes, vertical farm, cost of nature-friendly farming
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Government's new Warm Homes plan has been set up to help people switch to eco-friendly heating systems for their homes, such as air source heat pu...
26/01/26 Timber security, feoijas, basic income for farmers.
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Forestry experts are warning that the UK needs to plant more trees for timber. We import around 80% of the timber we use, but there are fears of a sho...
Milk prices, farm profits, winter feed
24 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
UK dairy farmers are living through what's been called the sharpest milk price drop in history. We look at the causes with dairy analyst Chris Walkl...
22/01/2026 Geopolitical factors in milk prices, sunflowers for feed, Mercosur vote, river restoration
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The effects of volatile international markets are currently being felt in the bank accounts of UK dairy farmers. Milk prices paid by processors starte...
23/01/26 Illegal meat, farm incomes, winter feed on the Western Isles
23 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The smuggling of illegal meat is on the rise. Farmers are worried it could bring animal diseases into the UK. Europe has seen outbreaks of both Africa...
21/01/26 Minette Batters at Efra Committee, animal protein, organic feed
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Civil servants should spend more time on farms, to understand the problems they face. That's according to Baroness Minette Batters, who's been facing ...
20/01/26 Water sector reforms and farming, forage shortage, glyphosate
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The government is promising a complete overhaul of the water system, which it says will protect households from disrupted water supplies and bring in ...
19/01/26 Mercosur trade deal between Europe and South America, winter feed.
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After 25 years of negotiations, the European Union has signed the Mercosur trade deal. Farmers across Europe have been out on the streets protesting a...
Environmental Regulation, Cheese, Storm Goretti
17 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week two watchdogs published reports on the Government's performance on the environment. The Office for Environmental Protection warned that, unl...
16/01/2026 Cambridge University vet school, artisan cheese, barrister farmer
16 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Students and staff are campaigning against recommendations to end vet training at the University of Cambridge. The recommendation comes from the Scho...
Spending watchdog on environmental regulation, NI agri environment, cheddar in Somerset
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The National Audit Office, the public spending watchdog, has published a report looking at efficiency and effectiveness in England's environmental reg...
12/01/26 New approach to upland farming, vintage Land Rovers, cheese
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A new approach to working with England's upland communities has been announced by the Government, starting with Dartmoor and then Cumbria. Clubs have ...
14/01/26 Sustainable Farming Scheme in Wales, cheese exports, Lamma machinery show.
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Welsh government has implemented its Sustainable Farming Scheme or SFS. There are three levels for farmers to join: first, Universal Actions which...
13/01/26 Environmental targets, Scottish agricultural policy, goat's cheese.
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Wildlife and environment groups say this government could become the first to break the law by missing targets to restore nature. The Office for Envir...
Farming Today This Week 10/01/26: The Oxford farming conferences
10 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of people have descended on Oxford this week for two farming conferences. We report from The Oxford Farming Conference, where the Defra Secr...
09/01/26 Politics, protests and Charlotte Church at the Oxford Farming Conferences
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Defra Secretary of State spoke at the Oxford Farming Conference with new announcements for England's environmental farm payments, while protesting...
The opening of Oxford Farming Conference 2026
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
At the opening of the Oxford Farming Conference 2026, Charlotte Smith previews the government's latest announcement on England's largest environmental...
07/01/26 Cereals, solar farms, farmer wellbeing.
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Uncertainty about whether a farm will break even, let alone make a profit, is concerning arable farmers, according to Dame Minette Batter's recent rep...
06/01/26 Welsh Sustainable Farming Scheme, row over Scottish agri-environment policy, climate resilience.
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Welsh Government's Sustainable Farming Scheme has come into force. It replaces the Basic Payment Scheme which has been phased out since the UK lef...
05/01/26 Growing resilience and transforming our farming system, raw milk vending
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Growing resilience and transforming our food and farming system, the two themes of the two farming conferences happening in Oxford this week. We will...
03/01/26 Farming Today This Week: Farms for City Children at 50, horse-powered pints, mart tradition, 18th century farmer diary
03 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A round up of seasonal offerings from Farming Today.The charity Farms for City Children turns 50 this year. Set up by writer Michael Morpurgo and his ...
02/01/26 Wildlife or Pest? The Wild Goats of Langholm Moor
02 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Controlling wild goats is proving tricky in Scotland's border country. While herds can damage trees and outgrow their food supply, these fierce yet en...
01/01/26 Isaac Fletcher's Farming Diaries
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Historians in Cumbria are publishing extracts from the diary of an 18th century yeoman farmer. The writings of Isaac Fletcher, who farmed at Mosser ne...
31/12/25 Cider Apple DNA
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Swadling finds out about a quest to save our hidden cider orchard heritage using DNA testing.Work is being carried out in orchards to DNA finger...
30/12/25 The Luck Penny
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Farmers at Rathfriland market in County Down still practise an old tradition when livestock changes hands. Farmers selling their animals hand money ba...
The Longhorns of Salisbury Plain
29 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Elise Sutton is a new entrant to farming, but the herd of Longhorn cattle she looks after have a blood line that goes back 85 years. The Stoke herd, w...
27/12/26: Anna Hill's 30 years on Farming Today
27 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This year, Anna Hill marked her 30th anniversary as a presenter of Farming Today. Talking to her fellow presenter Charlotte Smith, Anna reflects on t...