Farming Today

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Farming Today: 07/03/23 - Upland farm incomes; DEFRA net zero policies; Indoor dairy herds.

07/03/23 - Upland farm incomes; DEFRA net zero policies; Indoor dairy herds.

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 07/03/23 - Upland farm incomes; DEFRA net zero policies; Indoor dairy herds.

Hill farmers face a big drop in income; DEFRA net zero policies; and indoor dairy herds.

Upland farmers' payments are down by two thirds. Net zero targets have been missed by DEFRA. And dairy farmer says housing his cows indoors all year has improved herd health and milk yields.

New figures show  incomes for upland farmers are facing a massive hit, as payments under the new ELMs scheme do not come up to the level of previous payments under the old EU system. The expected income for upland farm businesses, published by DEFRA, for 2022/23 is just £16,300 - that's a 65 per cent reduction. Hill farmers have always relied more heavily on subsidies, and the EU system of paying per hectare underpinned their income. It was hoped that post-Brexit, the new Environmental Land Management scheme or ELMs would pay farmers for providing public goods, such as carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat and flood mitigation, but upland farmers say they are getting less money for providing public benefits than lowland producers. 

A leaked document is said to show that the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, DEFRA, is lagging behind its official target of implementing green policies to combat climate change, and that it is in danger of missing a legal deadline to submit a climate plan for agriculture by the end of this month. DEFRA has faced criticism by government advisers on the climate change committee. We speak to the journalist who's seen the leaked documents, and hear from the chair of Climate Change Committee, Lord Deben.

Most dairy farmers graze their herds outdoors on pasture for most of the year, only bringing them in during the winter. However, around a fifth of UK dairy farmers keep some or all of their cows indoors, all year round. We speak to a farmer in Staffordshire who's made the switch. He's built a new shed to house his animals all year round and says the livestock are healthier and the milk yields higher.

Presenter: Anna Hill
Producer: Rebecca Rooney

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Farming Today

07/03/23 - Upland farm incomes; DEFRA net zero policies; Indoor dairy herds.

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