Farming Today

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Farming Today: 27/07/23 Costs squeezing strawberry growers, Welsh language in agriculture, last ammonia plant to close, Whitby lobster hatchery

27/07/23 Costs squeezing strawberry growers, Welsh language in agriculture, last ammonia plant to close, Whitby lobster hatchery

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 27/07/23 Costs squeezing strawberry growers, Welsh language in agriculture, last ammonia plant to close, Whitby lobster hatchery

Retailers are warned over the future of British-grown berries.

Retailers are warned over the future of British-grown berries. Growers say that while prices for consumers have risen they're being paid the same, despite their costs going up.

Berry growers are warning that what they say is a lack of support from retailers will mean fewer British strawberries, raspberries and blueberries next year. Growers say that while prices for consumers have risen they're being paid the same, despite increases in the cost of production. They warn some will chose not to grow in the future. 
In many agricultural communities in Wales the first language is Welsh, in fact more than double the number of people in farming speak Welsh compared to the population as a whole. We visit Carmarthen livestock market to hear about the importance of the Welsh language for rural communities.
The UK's last ammonia plant is to close permanently; CF Industries says it 'will not be cost competitive for the long term'.  The company plans to continue to import ammonia to make fertiliser at Billingham but 38 jobs are at risk.  Ammonia is a key ingredient in nitrate fertilisers; in 2021 the National Farmers Union says British farmers used just over 3.5 million tonnes of fertiliser.  It's described the closure as 'concerning' and called on the Government to look at how relying on imported ammonia could impact food security. 
In recent years Whitby has become a major fishing port for lobster, putting pressure on numbers.   Now the Whitby Lobster Hatchery aims to release hundreds of thousands of juvenile lobsters back into the seas, to restore the ecological balance. 

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27/07/23 Costs squeezing strawberry growers, Welsh language in agriculture, last ammonia plant to close, Whitby lobster hatchery

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