Farming Today

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Farming Today: 14/06/23 Antibiotic use in pigs; Dual purpose sheep; Estate livestock and conservation

14/06/23 Antibiotic use in pigs; Dual purpose sheep; Estate livestock and conservation

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 14/06/23 Antibiotic use in pigs; Dual purpose sheep; Estate livestock and conservation

Reduction in pig antibiotics, Welsh sheep good for lamb and wool and estate conservation.

Antibiotic use in pigs reduced by three quarters over past eight years. New variety of Welsh sheep good for lamb meat and wool. Managing conservation and livestock on estate.

Pig farmers across the UK have reduced their use of antibiotics in their herds by 75% over the last eight years. That's according to figures released by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. A 30% reduction target in total antibiotic had been set by a Targets Task Force (TTF) between 2020 and 2024, so this has now been passed. We asked the Pig Veterinary Society, whether the reduction was large, because farmers had been using too much antibiotic in the past.

Wales is famous for its lamb, which has protected geographical status and is exported across the world. The same can’t be said for its wool however, in fact the fleece from a typical Welsh mountain sheep can fetch less than thirty pence, it costs far more than that to shear the animal.  Work has now started to breed a variety of sheep that's good for its lamb and its wool.

All week we've been visiting a big country estate, where farming, tourism and conservation have to work hand in hand. The Holkham National Nature Reserve is managed by Natural England and the estate itself. It's an internationally recognised site for breeding birds, but it's also part of the estate's grazing area for their 800 beef cattle. Getting the balance right, on sensitive marshland just behind the dunes on the coast, is crucial.

Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney

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14/06/23 Antibiotic use in pigs; Dual purpose sheep; Estate livestock and conservation

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