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: 10/05/2022 - Subsidies, the cost of rural living and spring veg

10/05/2022 - Subsidies, the cost of rural living and spring veg

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 10/05/2022 - Subsidies, the cost of rural living and spring veg

The Liberal Democrats say the government needs to replace the new farming subsidy system.

Liberal Democrat's Rural Affairs spokesperson Tim Farron is calling for the government to halt phasing out Basic Payments to farmers, until the new subsidy system is sorted out.

The Liberal Democrats says the government is failing to meet the needs of rural areas and that more support is needed for farmers who are facing their Basic Payments being phased out.

And we're talking about the rising pressures on rural communities, including how the combination of changing farm subsidy payments, and higher input costs, means even the top performing farmers are now risking going out of business. New research published by the Countryside and Community Research Institute has identified a predicted loss of £883 million pounds from the rural economy, for the four counties of South West England and the Isles of Scilly, following changes to farm and rural funding, post-Brexit. 

And all this week we're looking at spring vegetables and how at this time of year, there is a bit of a ‘hungry gap’ for commercial veg growers. 

Presented by Anna Hill and produced for BBC Audio by Caitlin Hobbs.

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

10/05/2022 - Subsidies, the cost of rural living and spring veg

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4