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Farming Today: 14/05/22 - The cost-of-living crisis, Seasonal worker conditions, Horseshoe bats

14/05/22 - The cost-of-living crisis, Seasonal worker conditions, Horseshoe bats

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 14/05/22 - The cost-of-living crisis, Seasonal worker conditions, Horseshoe bats

What does the cost-of-living crisis mean for food and farming?

Charlotte Smith finds out how the cost-of-living crisis is impacting farmers, food and rural communities.

The price of fuel, fertiliser and feed has risen significantly. We hear what impact that is having on free range egg producers and pig farmers - some of whom are being driven out of business.

30,000 people are allowed come to the UK each year to work on fruit, veg and flower farms via the seasonal worker visa scheme. But some who come here say they are badly treated, with unreasonable expectations about how much they have to pick, insanitary living conditions and opaque contracts, particularly around pay. We hear from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority - which has had 103 people contact it about problems on farms in the past year.

And there are signs the population of rare horseshoe bats is on the increase. We visit a farm in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire where special efforts are being made to encourage them.

Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced for BBC Audio Wales & West of England by Heather Simons

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14/05/22 - The cost-of-living crisis, Seasonal worker conditions, Horseshoe bats

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