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Farming Today: 05/08/2022 - Veg growers, rural crime, gooseberries

05/08/2022 - Veg growers, rural crime, gooseberries

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 05/08/2022 - Veg growers, rural crime, gooseberries

Vegetable growing costs, rural crime, gooseberries.

Warning of veg growing crisis; rural crime survey; record-breaking gooseberries.

The British Growers’ Association, which represents the horticulture and fresh produce industries, is warning of a potential crisis in the sector, as input costs spiral and the price they are paid is kept stubbornly low. They’ve just carried out research into carrot and broccoli production and say unless farmers get paid more for their veg, they’ll be forced to stop growing it.
As the drought continues in parts of the UK, some farmers are keeping a close eye on their valuable irrigation systems. They’re fast becoming a target for thieves - joining other farm essentials like quad bikes, diesel, GPS systems and machinery parts. This year’s report by the rural insurer NFU Mutual, published this week, says the cost of rural crime is now back up to pre-pandemic levels. We join one farmer in Cambridgeshire who regularly patrols his fields. 
All week we've been looking at the issues facing tenant farmers.  Today we meet a couple who - despite multiple applications - have had no luck finding a new tenancy. They currently rent a farm but the landlord has decided to sell. 
Gooseberries are often seen as a rather old-fashioned fruit, but they do make good pies! And if you want to find the best gooseberries, Egton Bridge near Whitby is the place to be this week. It's the home to the UK’s oldest gooseberry show which has taken place in the first week in August for 222 years. It attracts gooseberry fans from across the UK.
The presenter is Caz Graham.

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