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Farming Today: 08/03/24 Farmer protests; Red Tractor / green tractor row; Learning to lamb.

08/03/24 Farmer protests; Red Tractor / green tractor row; Learning to lamb.

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 08/03/24 Farmer protests; Red Tractor / green tractor row; Learning to lamb.

AHDB and the National Farmers Union call on Red Tractor to drop its green tractor element.

Farming unions and the levy board, the AHDB, call on the Red Tractor assurance scheme to drop its greener farms commitment after widespread anger among farmers.

The consultation on the Welsh Government's controversial Sustainable Farming Scheme has now closed. The National Farmers Union Cymru marked the moment by placing 5,500 pairs of wellies on the steps of the Welsh Parliament to highlight the farming jobs which could be lost if the plan is adopted. Farmers across Wales, and some in England, have held tractor convoys and protest meetings over the past few weeks. We look at what's led farmers to take action now.

The whole idea of a green tractor standard should be dropped according to the levy body the AHDB and the National Farmers Union. They say they want 'a more transparent approach which works for farmers'.  This is an ongoing dispute about the farm assurance scheme Red Tractor which had designed a voluntary green tractor element, called the greener farms commitment. This would have seen farmers share environmental information with retailers, for a premium, and so help those retailers meet sustainability targets. Farmers said it was developed without proper consultation and their discontent forced two reviews of Red Tractor: one on governance, which was published last month; and a wider review of the scheme, which is expected to take much longer.  We speak to the AHDB.

We've been talking about lambing all week - from the exhaustion of nights in the lambing shed to the highs, and lows, of this time of year. We've mainly been on farms talking to farmers but members of the public are learning to lamb at St Fagan's near Cardiff. The National Museum of History runs a working farm and an annual lambing course aimed at non farmers. 

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney

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08/03/24 Farmer protests; Red Tractor / green tractor row; Learning to lamb.

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