Farming Today

Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Magazines & Reviews

Factual: Science & Nature: Nature & Environment

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside

BBC Radio 4 FM

Farming Today: 07/06/21 Testing environmental schemes;  Wild cats; Pigs

farming-today_monday_1211_getty.jpg

07/06/21 Testing environmental schemes;  Wild cats; Pigs

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 07/06/21 Testing environmental schemes;  Wild cats; Pigs

Hill farmers test plans for new environmental schemes, wild cat comeback, pig industry.

Are upland farmers upbeat about new environmental scheme? Plans to reintroduce wildcats. Brexit, Covid and welfare reform, it's been a tough year for pig farmers.

Exmoor farmers have been giving their verdict after taking part in trials of the new Environmental Land Management scheme. ELMS 
will replace the current basic payment farm support scheme, now that we’ve left the EU. A report on the trials highlights a shortage of guidance for farmers and concerns that important moorland habitats could be under threat if new agri-environment schemes aren’t attractive enough to persuade farmers to sign up. 

Environmentalists hope that wildcats could be reintroduced to the south west. Derek Gow wants to release them on his farm in Cornwall. But farmers are worried that once predators are released in the wild, there's no going back if it goes wrong.

It's been a tough year for pig farmers. Brexit's disrupted exports and imports and Covid led to massive backlogs of overweight pigs which couldn't be processed. Farmers also fear plans for new welfare rules could set them at a disadvantage to other countries who produce pork to different standards. We speak to the chair of National Pig Association as part of a week-long look at the pig industry.

Presenter : Caz Graham
Producer: Rebecca Rooney

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

07/06/21 Testing environmental schemes; Wild cats; Pigs

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4