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Farming Today: TTIP - US Interview; Dairy Industry; Slug Research

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01/06/2016

TTIP - US Interview; Dairy Industry; Slug Research

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, TTIP - US Interview; Dairy Industry; Slug Research

Could a production cap save the beleaguered dairy industry?

Could a production cap save the beleaguered dairy industry - or is it already recovering? And as TTIP negotiations continue, the US calls for an EU rethink on GM.

The global dairy crisis has been high on the EU agenda for the past two years, with too much milk resulting in low prices and tough times for farmers.
Last week, EU farm commissioner Phil Hogan said the industry must take their responsibility for the continuing unsustainable increase in production, and reminded member states they could invoke Article 222 - a special EU mechanism that allows producers to restrict milk production.
But in the UK, Defra has said it's unlikely to support such a move - saying it would harm competitiveness and penalise efficient dairy farmers.
So what's the answer? Siân Davies, the National Farmers' Union chief dairy adviser, says Article 222 has come too late, and that the industry is already showing signs of regaining its balance.

Meanwhile negotiations continue over TTIP: the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which aims to reduce trade barriers between the EU and the United States.
Discussions began in 2013, with various stumbling blocks cropping up along the way - notably, GM and biotechnology.
Now, in an exclusive interview in Washington DC with our reporter Anna Jones, the US Acting Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Michael Scuse, says it's time for the EU to rethink its opposition to genetic modification.

And researchers say the end could be in sight for molluscicides.
Scientists at the Universities of Plymouth and Southampton have discovered that slugs and snails choose what to eat via their dislike of certain smells, rather than preferred flavours - and that specially bred crops exuding certain scents could be the way to repel slimy pests.

Presented by Sybil Ruscoe and produced by Lucy Taylor.

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