Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Farming Today

Magazines & Reviews

Factual: Science & Nature: Nature & Environment

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

BBC Radio 4 FM

Farming Today: EU Referendum, Innovation, Ash Dieback

farming-today_monday_1211_getty.jpg

18/05/2015

EU Referendum, Innovation, Ash Dieback

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, EU Referendum, Innovation, Ash Dieback

The debate begins - how will farmers fare if Britain leaves the EU?

Farming and countryside news presented by Sybil Ruscoe. The debate begins - how will farmers fare if Britain leaves the EU?

Farmers at the Balmoral show in County Antrim give their views to BBC Northern Ireland's Conor Macauley as to whether or not farmers could survive if Britain left the EU. Julie Girling is the Conservative MEP for the South West and Gibraltar, and sits on the parliament's agriculture committee. She says the halls of power in Brussels are buzzing with talk of a British withdrawal and thinks that there are both pros and cons in leaving the EU, but ultimately thinks we are better protected if we stay in.

Ash Dieback is a disease which has been devastating woodlands across the UK for over three years. BBC Look North's Environment Correspondent Paul Murphy visits one of the nurseries involved in a scheme to source seeds and grow replacement trees as an alternative to Ash.

All this week the programme is looking at innovation, and how farmers can harness and use new ideas and techniques in their business. Katrin Prager from the James Hutton Institute in Scotland is a social scientist who has spent three years investigating collaborations between UK farmers. She tells Sybil Ruscoe that the crucial part of innovation is farmers acting on new information.

Presenter Sybil Ruscoe. Producer Ruth Sanderson.

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Farming Today

EU Referendum, Innovation, Ash Dieback

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4