Farming Today

MPs on the Public Accounts Committee have called for the merger of the Environment Agency and Natural England. In a new report the committee criticises both organisations - saying that environmental regulators are 'spread too thin to protect nature while delivering reforms'. We speak to Wildlife and Countryside Link which represents dozens of conservation groups to see if they think a merger would work.
Farmers and crofters are calling for more help to control geese. Warmer winters mean more geese are staying in Scotland over the winter and farmers say they're ruining crops and soiling grazing. Some species can be shot, but others are protected. NFU Scotland is calling for urgent action to help reduce their numbers.

This week we've been taking a look back through history, to discover the foundations of our farming and landscape. If you've ever wondered why we have so many hedges or why rural Britain looks like it does today you have to go back to one of the most seismic events which happened over 200 years ago - The Enclosure Act. It not only shaped what we see in the countryside but also changed rural communities forever.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Conflict in the Middle East will continue to have an impact on global supply chains even after hostilities cease, so say The Agricultural Economics Society who are marking their 100th birthday at their annual conference in Oxford. Will it impact food prices in the supermarket too?
Seafood processors say they're concerned that imports of shellfish won't meet new regulations which recognise crustaceans like lobsters as sentient beings which can feel pain. Under the Animal Welfare Strategy they must be dispatched before they're cooked, as painlessly as possible.
All week we're taking a step back in time, and looking at the history of farming over the last couple of centuries. Today we're rewinding to experience the country's last remaining example of the medieval three field crop rotation system, in the village of Laxton in Nottinghamshire.
Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney

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” for growers, as a bumper crop this year has caused an oversupply.
This week we're looking at the history of farming and what that tells us about what drives change in farming and food.
One of the biggest seed and chemical crop protection companies in the world is expanding their operation in the UK.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton

The government's launched its long-awaited land use framework for England. It describes it as a "blueprint to protect food security". The farming minister says it won't tell farmers, developers or local authorities what they must do, but it will give them better, more comprehensive data - including the creation of a national soil map. What difference will it make? We hear from farmers, environmentalists and the Countryside Alliance who are worried about what it means for field sports.
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 impact on global supplies of oil, gas and fertiliser - pushing up prices. The Prime Minister has pledged to help people who have seen their bills soar: energy prices will be capped until the end of June; the cut in fuel duty has been extended until September; and the government's allocated £53 million to help vulnerable rural households with their heating oil bills.
New laws to protect livestock from dog attacks have come into force. It's the first time the law around livestock-worrying has changed since it was introduced more than 70 years ago The changes include new powers for police; the use of DNA testing to identify dogs which attack; and dog owners can now be ordered to pay for the cost of seizing and detaining their dog. There'll also be scope to issue an unlimited fine - previously the maximum penalty was one thousand pounds.
All week we've been looking at food processing - today we see how you add value to oats by turning them into a drink.
Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Computer says no - why nearly 4,000 farmers are excluded from the government’s new environmental support schemes.
Scottish seed potato growers have been gathering in Dundee this week to hear how a 5-year long project might save their industry from the impact of a tiny but devastating worm, called the potato cyst nematode.
We’re looking into how the food our farmers grow is processed all this week. Most of the beans and peas we grow for human consumption in the UK pass through just one large processing company.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.