Farming Today This Week

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Farming Today: 23/03/24 - Farming Today This Week: Universal credit, grouse moor licencing and shellfish

23/03/24 - Farming Today This Week: Universal credit, grouse moor licencing and shellfish

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 23/03/24 - Farming Today This Week: Universal credit, grouse moor licencing and shellfish

Why some farmers are being told to sell up and get a different job.

Why some farmers are being told to sell their businesses and get a different job if they want to keep receiving state benefits.

Some farmers who already rely on state benefits are being told they need to look for paid work and ditch their farm businesses if they want to continue receiving those benefits. It’s happening because of changes in the way welfare is delivered, so farmers on Tax Credits are now being switched to Universal Credit. But eligibility for Universal Credit is calculated using monthly income and expenditure, which doesn’t sit well with very seasonal farm businesses.

The Wildlife and Muirburn Bill has passed through the Scottish Parliament and brings in the licensing of grouse shoots, banning animal snares and changing the rules on the burning of heather. For the RSPB it's game changing legislation, for gamekeepers a disproportionate response.

And how sustainable is our scampi? The UK gets through around £68 million worth of scampi a year. But a conservation group says the current drive to make fishing for langoustine more environmentally friendly has failed.

Presented by Charlotte Smith
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

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