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Farming Today: Farming Today This Week

Farming Today This Week

09/07/2011

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, Farming Today This Week

Charlotte Smith asks if all vegetable growers will have to be large scale in the future.

As the main vegetable harvest gets underway in the UK Charlotte Smith asks if growers have to be large scale to survive in the future.

There are around 125 thousand hectares dedicated to vegetable growing in the UK, valued at more than a billion pounds - we produced 2.7 million tonnes of fresh veg last year that's around 60% of what we consume.

Charlotte Smith visits Jacamo Barone a baby leaf grower in Evesham to see why his family changed from growing vegetables like courgettes and tomatoes to salad leaves and how a ride-on harvester and leaf-blower are all part of getting the product to the shops in the right condition. 

Many farmers say despite the economic downturn they still struggle to find British workers prepared to pick vegetables. Charlotte meets some of those migrant workers to see why they're happy to get their hands dirty and why they'll accept the rates on offer. 

Meanwhile in Cumbria the land used for outdoor vegetable production dropped by 22 per cent between 2009 and 2010 and the small-scale producer is becoming something of a rare breed. Charlotte hears from one farmer who says it's becoming harder to stay in business and asks if you have to be one of the big boys to have a stake in the future. 

Presented by Charlotte Smith. Produced by Anne-Marie Bullock.

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