Farming Today

10/06/26 New bovine TB strategy for England, cereals

10 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A cattle vaccine to protect livestock from bovine TB could be in use on farms in England by 2030. That's one of the aims outlined in a new strategy fo...

09/06/26 Flood funding, cattle cull, cereals

09 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Somerset's to get an extra £50m investment to help the county deal with flooding. The government is giving the money to the county council who will w...

08/06/26 Brown or white eggs? The outlook for cereal farmers

08 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How do you like your eggs? Brown or white? Sainsbury's has announced it's switching to white eggs for environmental reasons.With high prices for energ...

06/06/26 - Farming Today This Week: Dartmoor ponies, water voles and land-based jobs

06 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dartmoor is famous for its semi-wild hill ponies that roam across the moorland. But concerns have been raised by the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association th...

05/06/26 Dartmoor ponies, upland economics, Open Farm Sunday

05 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Concerns have been raised that new agri-environment schemes will require such a steep drop in the numbers of grazing livestock that 90% of Dartmoor po...

04/06/26 High Court rules the Food Standards Agency overcharged abattoirs, hydropower funding, upland farmer groups

04 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A judgement from the High Court yesterday ruled that the Food Standards Agency has been 'unlawfully' charging abattoirs too much and that it wasn’t ...

03/06/26 EU trade agreement, peat restoration and water voles, Scottish uplands

03 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The government has published fresh guidance for farmers and food businesses to help them prepare for the new sanitary and phytosanitary - or SPS - ag...

02/06/26 Rural skills gap, upland farming in Wales, Future Countryside.

02 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A new report says there should be plenty of opportunities for young people to take up training and jobs in land-based work - but there's a 'skills squ...

01/06/26 Cost of wildfires, methane from sheep, upland farming

01 Jun 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The latest analysis of wildfires shows that last year the UK recorded its highest burned area on record, including the country's first documented ‘m...

30/05/26 - Farming Today This Week: pig supply chain problems, hot weather impacts and singing farmers

30 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Its been a record breakingly hot week across much, though not all, of the UK, and that's brought probems for farmers, with crops struggling and livest...

29/05/26 Water abstraction, food inflation, local food systems.

29 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Water is a main topic of conversation amongst farmers at the moment - because it's in short supply. Memories of the wet winter have been dried out by ...

28/05/26 Rural crime, restoring signposts, Welsh food project

28 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A new report shows that the cost of rural crime has fallen. Insurer NFU Mutual paid out £41.5 million in claims in 2025, compared to £44.1 million i...

27/05/26 Heatwave and water shortages - the impact on farming, Scottish farm co-operative.

27 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 governme...

26/05/26 Mounting pressure for Scottish pig farmers, funding for rural churches, selling farm produce at markets

26 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 fo...

25/05/26 - The History of Crofting

25 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

23/05/26 Farming Today This Week: red diesel, Gulf trade deal, Climate Change Committee report, regen tenancies, flowers.

23 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 "Gr...

22/05/2026 Gulf trade deal, tax cut on red diesel, cuts to tariffs on food imports, flowers, farmers going out of business

22 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 f...

21/05/26 Drought report, impact of Middle East war on berry growers, farm flower garden.

21 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

'The taps could run dry' - that's the warning from a new report by the House of Lords Select Committee on Environment and Climate Change. The report, ...

20/05/26 Climate Change Committee report, EU alignment, flower grower hub.

20 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Climate Change Committee has published a new report about the consquences of a 2% rise in global temperatures and what the UK needs to do about it...

19/05/26 Pollution from moorland burning, Duchy of Cornwall regen tenancies, tulips.

19 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Researchers at Leeds University say a new study shows deliberate burning of moorland for grouse shooting leads to an additional half a million people,...

18/05/26: Grow more British flowers, new hands at the wheel of Red Tractor, hare coursing crackdown

18 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today is final judging day at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, ahead of the show's opening to the public tomorrow. This year, the Great Pavilion will incl...

16/05/26 Farming Today This Week: too many pigs, new strategy to tackle animal disease, call for caged eggs ban, Balmoral Show

16 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Too many pigs, not enough space: farmers struggling to sell their livestock.New strategies for tackling the spread of animal disease. We ask, how muc...

15/05/2026 Balmoral Show, Northern Ireland

15 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Balmoral Show near Belfast is Northern Ireland's biggest agricultural show. It's held over four days and attracts more than 100,000 visitors. This...

14/05/26 New strategy to combat pig disease, farming issues in the King's Speech, sepsis risk for farmers

14 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

New strategies for tackling African Swine Fever. We ask how much is being done to stop it getting here in the first place.Yesterday the King delivered...

13/05/26 Pig supply, Northumberland National Park, profitability of farms in Northern Ireland

13 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The supermarket Morrisons has given notice to some of its pig farmers, because of an oversupply in the market. In a statement, Morrisons said it has t...

12/05/26 Farming in Wales after Senedd elections; mapping soils in Northern Ireland; new national plant health centre

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Farmers in Wales and Scotland are asking what last week's elections in Scotland and Wales will mean for agriculture. Neither Plaid Cymru in Wales nor ...

11/05/26: Cage eggs ban call, University vineyard, Environment watchdog on NI water quality

11 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The UK's environment watchdog has warned that regulations designed to reduce water pollution from agricultural sources in Northern Ireland, urgently n...

09/05/26 Wool prices, Sounds from above and below the ground

09 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The price of British wool has gone up. But does it even cover the cost of shearing? Below ground, we listen to new research on the sounds from wor...

07/05/26 Wool prices, bluebells, dawn chorus

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The price of wool from British sheep is at a ten year high - on average farmers will see a 70 per cent increase on last year. However that will still ...

06/05/26 Weedkiller glyphosate and its use on crops. Sounds of the soil.

06 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The use of the herbicide glyphosate has been long debated, and it’s going to come under intense scrutiny in the coming months.  This summer, the He...

05/05/26 Ash tree propagation, clinical waste on beach, DIY bat monitoring

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A new propagation technique could help restore the ash tree to our landscapes. Scientists across the UK have been working to propagate saplings from r...

04/05/26 Neolithic Farming and Feasting

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Neolithic peoples made the transition from being nomadic hunter-gatherers to crop-growing farmers, and their diets are the subject of numerous studies...

02/05/26 Dry April, Agroforestry, Giant greenhouse

02 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Farmers are hoping for more rain in May after an unusually dry and windy April in many part of the UK. The East of England had between 2 and 4 per ce...

01/05/2026 Farmers hoping for rain, English council elections, hedgerows

01 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Farmers are hoping that a dry April will be followed by a wet few weeks. Some parts of the country, notably in the East of England, have had between 2...

30/04/26 Agro-forestry pioneer, Welsh election, decline in dawn chorus birds

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Mixing trees and farming in agro-forestry: why the key to resilient farming could be trees. We're looking at this all this week and today we hear fro...

29/04/26 Giant greenhouse, silvohorticulture, Scottish election

29 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A 40 hectare greenhouse has been given the go-ahead in Essex. It'll be the UK's second largest, and will be powered and heated by a domestic waste in...

28/04/2026 Cornish fishing strategy; agroforestry - trees and pasture; potato surplus

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A new collaboration has been set up between scientists and the fishing industry in Cornwall, to integrate scientific research with the real experience...

27/04/26 Landmark water pollution court case, MPs recommend a 'sea use framework', agroforestry

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A landmark legal case over water pollution gets underway later today. Thousands of people are part of the case which claims that chicken farming and s...

Farming Today This Week 25/04/26 Bird flu vaccine for people, fertiliser, precision-bred barley, thatching.

25 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A new trial is starting this summer, as part of a programme to develop a vaccine for people against bird flu. 3000 volunteers are needed from the UK t...

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...