Farming Today

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Farming Today: 15/08/22 Broccoli crop at risk after water abstraction ban; thin pasture for cows; sheep

15/08/22 Broccoli crop at risk after water abstraction ban; thin pasture for cows; sheep

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 15/08/22 Broccoli crop at risk after water abstraction ban; thin pasture for cows; sheep

Farmers in Fife in Scotland are banned from taking river water to irrigate their crops.

As drought sets in in England, farmers in Fife in Scotland are banned from taking river water to irrigate their crops.

Farmers in Fife, a prime location for growing vegetables and soft fruit, have had to stop using water from the catchment of the River Eden to irrigate their crops. The National Farmers' Union of Scotland calls it “a devastating blow for vegetable growers.” We hear from a grower who says it'll put his broccoli crop at risk.
Some cattle farmers are finding the grass is so dry and thin, there’s just not enough nutrition in it to feed their livestock which means many have been already forced to break into their winter feed stocks, even in the famously lush fields of the West country. 
And we kick-off our week focusing on sheep with a specialist from SAC Consulting, Kirsten Williams. The sheep industry was worth around £1.3 billion in 2020, according to the National Sheep Association, it’s a mainstay of British farming and it’s facing challenges aplenty. 

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

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15/08/22 Broccoli crop at risk after water abstraction ban; thin pasture for cows; sheep

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