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Farming Today: 24/05/2023 Food prices and supply chain; new marine & wildlife code; ammonia in Northern Ireland; fruit glut in Ghana

24/05/2023 Food prices and supply chain; new marine & wildlife code; ammonia in Northern Ireland; fruit glut in Ghana

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 24/05/2023 Food prices and supply chain; new marine & wildlife code; ammonia in Northern Ireland; fruit glut in Ghana

Food supply chain; ammonia investigation; marine & wildlife code; fruit glut in Ghana.

Food companies in talks with chancellor about food supply chain. New marine and coastal wildlife code. Investigation into ammonia rules in Northern Ireland. Fruit glut in Ghana.

Food companies and retailers have been in talks with the chancellor Jeremy Hunt about addressing issues with the food supply chain. An investigation has already been carried out by DEFRA into the pig supply chain and its report, back in April, said new regulation for written contracts would be brought in, to provide 'fairness and certainty'. One of the largest pig processing companies, Cranswick, has just announced a rise in profits, while at the same time another large pig processor Pilgrims has closed its plant at Ashton in Manchester.

The government's launched a new Marine and Coastal Wildlife Code in England, which encourages people visiting coastal areas to respect marine mammals and birds. The guidelines include not approaching wildlife on beaches, including seals, and taking care when swimming or using craft such as jet skis. 

The Office for Environmental Protection is to investigate the Department for Agriculture in Northern Ireland - or DAERA - after concerns that it breached environmental law on ammonia guidance. Ammonia from cattle slurry can be damaging to the environment and air quality, and has been an issue in agriculture in Northern Ireland for some time.

We often talk about food loss and waste in the UK market, and as part of our World Farming Focus week we are putting a spotlight on the excess production of fruit in Ghana. Every year the country’s farmers produce a glut of fruit like watermelon, mango and oranges, with no ready market, meaning it’s left to rot on farms and along roadsides. Research estimates that some 3.2 million tons of food is either lost or wasted along the supply chain in Ghana.

Presenter - Anna Hill
Producer - Rebecca Rooney

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24/05/2023 Food prices and supply chain; new marine & wildlife code; ammonia in Northern Ireland; fruit glut in Ghana

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