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Farming Today: 19/09/20 - Farming Today This Week: Crops for drinks, Banham Poultry, the Agriculture Bill and Open Farm Sunday

19/09/20 - Farming Today This Week: Crops for drinks, Banham Poultry, the Agriculture Bill and Open Farm Sunday

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 19/09/20 - Farming Today This Week: Crops for drinks, Banham Poultry, the Agriculture Bill and Open Farm Sunday

After months of pub closures, there are surpluses of the crops grown to make drinks.

Caz Graham explores the crops grown to make drinks, and finds out why some cider apple growers have been paid to let fruit rot in the fields.

Caz Graham finds out about the crops that are grown to make drinks - from malting barley to pears. With the pubs shut for months because of the pandemic, it's been a difficult year for drinks crops.

Some cider apple producers who grow fruit for drinks companies are being paid to let fruit rot in the fields. With large quantities of cider normally sold through pubs, companies have been left with a surplus of fruit. But we visit one farm where they grow the apples, then process and bottle their own cider...and they've been able to benefit from a five-fold growth in internet sales.

Hot weather in the Spring and Summer of this year has lead to an impressively early grape harvest. We speak to a winemaker trialing a new automated grape picker.

Banham Poultry in Norfolk is asking for financial help from the Government after losing millions of pounds because of a temporary plant closure after a COVID outbreak. We hear from the Managing Director about what happens next.

We get an update on the Agriculture Bill's progress through the House of Lords.

And, it's Open Farm Sunday...except it's closed. We find out whether a virtual tour will cut the mustard.

Presented by Caz Graham
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

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