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Farming Today

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Farming Today
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  • 04/07/25 Capital grants and sustainable farming incentive, carbon credits, farm research on cycle tour
    The sustainable farming incentive or SFI will re-open in the New Year, it pays English farmers for things like planting hedges or wildflowers. It was suddenly closed to new applications earlier this year after it ran out of money. Speaking at the regenerative farming festival Groundswell, the Defra secretary Steve Reed said he wants the SFI to support a transition to regenerative farming. Details will be announced later this summer with applications opening next year though Mr Reed says it will still have a limited budget. He also announced the reintroduction of capital grants for English farmers which were unexpectedly closed last year. These grants are for projects such as cutting water pollution or prevent flooding and now educational visits. All this week we've been looking at regenerative agriculture, where farmers reduce or stop ploughing, grow cover crops and keep livestock - all with the aim of improving soil and storing carbon. We speak to Becky Wilson from the Farm Carbon Toolkit about how farmers can make money from improving the biodiversity on their land and storing more carbon.A PhD student from the University of Exeter is interviewing female farmers as she cycles thousands of miles across England. We speak to Veronica White at the end of her research tour in Cumbria.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney
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  • 02/07/25 Profitability of nature-friendly farming, regenerative dairy farming, inheritance tax court case
    A new study published by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology shows that nature-friendly farming is not currently as profitable as intensive food production. Its authors say the report is the first of its kind and shows that agroecology improves biodiversity and can boost crop yields. However, the cost of creating habitats and the loss of some productive land, they say, means lower profits. Dr Ben Woodcock led the four year study which studied 17 farms.More big food companies are paying producers who farm regeneratively a premium, encouraging them to improve soil health, increase on-farm biodiversity and reduce their carbon footprint. Nestle is working with the farmers' cooperative First Milk to collect data from 80 UK farmers who supply them with milk and are being paid a premium to farm regeneratively. We visit one of their dairy farmers in Cumbria.One of the farmers seeking a judicial review of the treasury's decision to impose inheritance tax on farm businesses says the government failed to consult properly on changes to the tax. Tom Martin from Cambridgeshire tells us why he's taking part in the legal action.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney
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  • 01/07/25 Early harvest, regenerative agriculture, farmers' data
    Harvest has begun early in some parts of the country, combine harvesters were out in several different counties last week. The early start is really down to exceptionally low rainfall, throughout the spring and now the sunny, hot weather. Last year, the wet autumn meant planting crops then was delayed but crops planted this spring went in early. Breaking records for starting harvest isn’t always a celebration and it seems this year, yields could be significantly down, although it’s a little early to be definitive. We speak to Olly Harrison in Merseyside who's farming in an area where drought was declared in May.Regenerative farming used to be seen as niche, but as we’ll hear all this week, that’s gradually changing. With more farmers working their land regeneratively, how much of a market is there for what they're growing and the livestock they're rearing? Does the public understand what it is? That’s what farmers, buyers and industry experts have been discussing at Carbon Calling, a regenerative farming conference held in Cumbria. Agricultural shows across the country this summer are a fun day out for some, and all about showing animals for others but many also provide an important public forum to discuss the latest issues concerning farmers. At the Royal Norfolk show, this year’s big debate was about data. Farms harvest massive amounts of data, on crops, markets, carbon footprints and profitability but how that data is used, who can see it, and who owns it are serious issues all the way along the food supply chain. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney
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  • 30/06/25 Bluetongue restrictions, telecoms leases, regenerative agriculture
    From July, livestock going from England to Wales or Scotland must be tested for bluetongue, and farmers are warning the new system could be "catastrophic" for their businesses. The virus is spread by biting midges. It doesn't affect humans but can cause fever and lameness in cattle and sheep. From July 1st, the whole of England will become a bluetongue restriction zone, meaning livestock can move freely around. Governments in Cardiff and Edinburgh, however, have decided that animals coming from England must test negative for the virus before they're allowed in. Farmers renting land for mobile phone masts may be about to lose money. The government is considering changing the rules, which would allow companies to re-write rental agreements and potentially impose rent cuts retrospectively. The guidelines are part of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill, part two. There were changes to the rules in 2017 which, critics say, caused a lot of problems. The Country Land and Business Association or CLA thinks the new proposals will make things worse.All week, we're talking about regenerative agriculture. It's a way of farming which aims to restore and protect soils. Regen methods include farming without ploughing, using cover crops so fields are never left bare, growing a range of crops, and using animals to fertilise the ground. But there is no one definition of "regenerative". Professor Andy Neal, a soil microbiologist at Rothamsted Research, explains why he thinks that's a good thing.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney
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  • 28/06/25 Farming Today This Week: Illegal waste cleanup, agricultural emissions report, imported beef in supermarkets
    The Climate Change Committee report shows little progress on the reduction of emissions from agriculture and substantial action still needed.Many UK supermarkets have made public commitments to sourcing 100% of their beef from the UK. But in recent months some seem to be moving away from these pledges. We ask how much beef is being imported, from where, and why.A group of farmers are seeking a judicial review over the decision to re-impose inheritance tax on some farm businesses. Work has begun to clear more than 30,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste from a Kent woodland, in an operation led by the Environment Agency.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
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