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Farming Today: Fruit Pickers, Food Traceability, Balmoral Show and Fell Ponies

01/06/2018

Fruit Pickers, Food Traceability, Balmoral Show and Fell Ponies

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, Fruit Pickers, Food Traceability, Balmoral Show and Fell Ponies

Steffan Messenger finds out why strawberries could stay unpicked in the fields this year.

Seasonal farm workers, BBC Future Farming Award, the business side of agricultural shows and Lake District footpaths.

There are serious concerns that some British fruit and vegetables will stay unpicked in the fields this summer due to the shortage of seasonal agricultural workers from Europe. Since the referendum vote in favour of Brexit, the number of EU nationals coming to the UK to work on farms has dropped dramatically and recruiting British workers to replace them is proving difficult. 

As shoppers demand more information about the food they buy, a tech-firm which concentrates on traceability has been announced as a contender for the BBC 'Future Farming Award'. Provenance is an app that allows farmers and food producers to share the full story of their product's origins with the public.

The UK's big agricultural shows are known for their livestock parades and family entertainment. But increasingly these summer events are crucial for promoting business and increasing trade in the food and farming sector. Exhibitors at the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland have been telling Farming Today why the event is commercially important.

Fell Ponies are being used to help repair footpaths in part of the Lake District. The native animals carry sheep fleeces on their backs that are used to mend paths in wet and boggy areas. It means that sites of special scientific interest, which can't be accessed by car, can be reached and repaired. 

Presented by Steffan Messenger.
Produced by Vernon Harwood.

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

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