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Farming Today: 05/12/2022 Farm Soil Carbon Code; abattoirs; new road plans

05/12/2022 Farm Soil Carbon Code; abattoirs; new road plans

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 05/12/2022 Farm Soil Carbon Code; abattoirs; new road plans

New code for measuring carbon, abattoirs and plans to dual the A1 in rural Northumberland.

New Farm Soil Carbon Code to avoid 'green washing'. Abattoirs and the challenges the industry faces. The rural communities split in two by plans for a new dual carriageway.

How much carbon can farms store in the soil, and how should it be measured? Farmers are being encouraged to look at new ways of making money and improving the environment by sequestering carbon, but there hasn't been much agreement on the details. Now Academics from the University of Leeds, businesses and farmers have published a new Farm Soil Carbon Code. The report, funded by the Environment Agency, aims to set some industry standards and help farmers avoid "green washing" or schemes that are meaningless.

All week we're looking at the state of the UK's abattoirs - from animal welfare to the challenges of finding staff.  There are about 245 abattoirs in the UK, slaughtering millions of animals. Government figures for October this year show 173,000 cattle, 1.1 million sheep and 926, 000 pigs were killed. There used to be many more abattoirs, but tighter regulations and economies of scale have seen consolidation. Finding skilled butchers to work in the industry is a challenge and the British Meat Producers Association says big meat processing plants are spending a lot of money recruiting skilled staff from countries as far afield as the Philippines.

The A1 is one a major route between England and Scotland, but one which is in parts still single carriageway and when it passes through rural Northumberland that can mean slow tractors or lorries - and tailbacks After decades of talk, it seemed relief was in sight with a scheme to dual stretches of the road in the county just awaiting the final go ahead from the Transport Secretary - that's been postponed, twice, recently but a final decision is expected. In the meantime many whose homes, farms and businesses lie on the proposed new route are in limbo.

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05/12/2022 Farm Soil Carbon Code; abattoirs; new road plans

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