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Farming Today: NFU conference, Alternatives to GM, Fly-tipping

26/02/2014

NFU conference, Alternatives to GM, Fly-tipping

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, NFU conference, Alternatives to GM, Fly-tipping

George Eustice tells the NFU conference the countryside won't be sacrificed to floodwaters

As details of a 10m pound fund to help farmers affected by flooding are announced at the NFU conference, Anna Hill asks if protecting farmland will remain a long-term priority.

The farming minister George Eustice has assured members of the National Farmers' Union that protecting farmland from flooding will remain a long-term priority. In his speech at the NFU conference in Birmingham he revealed more details of how a ten million pound relief fund to help flood-hit farmers will be spent and said that restoring pasture and productive arable land will be a priority. Although the fund is now open for applications, half the money will be kept in reserve for those farmers whose land is still under water and can't yet put a price tag on the damage.

We also explore how GM-free crop technology could both improve resistance to pests and diseases, and produce more food. Anna Hill speaks to Dr David Shaw who has spent over a decade breeding Sarpo potatoes - a variety which is resistant to late blight. She also hears from the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, which has develeped a variety of high-yielding wheat using an ancient cereal called goat grass. By cross-breeding the goat grass with conventional wheat, scientists say they've managed to breed greater genetic variety back into the hybrid plant.

The Sentencing Council, which issues guidelines on offences in England and Wales, is putting in place tougher penalties for breaking environmental laws. The guidelines will also cover run-off from fields and the correct storage and disposal of agricultural wastes. Those who break the law by fly-tipping or incorrect disposal could now serve up to eighteen months in prison and face unlimited fines.

Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Jules Benham.

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