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Farming Today: 20/07/20 Red Kites - a success story; Farm deaths down; Pollinators

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20/07/20 Red Kites - a success story; Farm deaths down; Pollinators

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 20/07/20 Red Kites - a success story; Farm deaths down; Pollinators

Red Kites thrive 30 years after reintroduction, farm fatalities fall, pollinating insects.

Back from the brink - celebrating the red kite conservation success story. Fatal farm accidents reduced by a third. The importance of pollinators.

Celebrating the success of red kites - 30 years ago they were nearly extinct in the UK, but birds introduced from Spain have bred successfully and now there are thousands across the UK
Countryfile's John Craven remembers how he brought a red kite over on a plane from Madrid and released it into the wild. 
The chair of Natural England Tony Juniper says it's a true conservation success story. He hopes a similar scheme to reintroduce white-tailed eagles to the south coast of England will be as successful.

All week we're looking at the state of Britain’s pollinators. From bees and butterflies to moths and beetles they perform a vital function in biodiversity and pollinating crops. There are about 1,500 species of pollinators in Britain but for years many have been in decline. We ask biologist and bumblebee expert Professor Dave Goulson the reasons why.

A new report to mark the start of Farm Safety Week shows fatal injuries are down. 21 people were killed within farming last year compared to 32 in 2018. But the Farm Safety Foundation says agriculture is still one of the most dangerous occupations. It accounts for one per cent of the workforce, but a fifth of fatal accidents at work.

Presenter - Charlotte Smith
Producer - Rebecca Rooney

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