15/05/24 - The Farm to Fork Summit at 10 Downing Street

Farmers need more money - so says the National Farmers' Union which says the incoming Government should increase the agriculture budget. Over the next few weeks as well as hearing from politicians about what they propose for farming, the environment and rural communities, we're also going to hear from rural and wildlife groups about what they think incoming MPs should be focusing on. Starting with the NFU which launched its manifesto at the end of last year. Fishermen in Looe say the closure of the Plymouth Fish Market is a disaster for their industry. Now the day catch has to be sent around 30 miles further, to Brixham Harbour for auction. The Looe Harbour Commissioners are trying to help the fishermen by transporting the fish to Brixham.Our topic for the week is vets. While they'll still be involved in a emergency, the role of a farm vet has changed a lot over the years. They now work with farmers on whole herd health. But that doesn't make the job any easier and as we'll hear this week recruiting vets in rural areas can be a challenge.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Spruce trees may not be viable in the UK in the long term because of a pest which is now in the country. Restrictions on spruce trees have been extended after spruce bark beetles were found in East Anglia. The beetle was first found the the UK in 2018 and areas of the South East of England have been under restriction - that has now been extended to cover much of Norfolk and Suffolk. In the longer term, foresters may have to look for alternatives to Spruce.A chicken producer in Northern Ireland has breached environmental laws repeatedly, but not faced prosecution. An investigation into water pollution by BBC Northern Ireland's Spotlight found that Moy Park, Northern Ireland which supplies chickens throughout the UK and Europe, has breached laws on more than 500 occasions.And pollinators are very important to farmers - pollinating crops from apples to oil seed rape and field beans - and so are worth millions to the UK economy. But across Europe, numbers are declining. The UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee has found that, as of 2022, there had been a 24% decrease in pollinator numbers compared with 1980. We visit several farms where efforts are being made to increase their numbers.Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Spruce trees may not be viable in the UK in the long term because of a pest which is now in the country. Restrictions on spruce trees have been extended after spruce bark beetles were found in East Anglia. This week, we've been hearing from BBC correspondents in the nations about what farmers want from politicians. Today, we hear from Northern Ireland. A study by the University of Sussex found that moths are even more efficient pollinators than bees. So are these nighttime creatures being overlooked in their role as a friend to crop growing farmers? Delays in organising the post-Brexit regulation of agricultural chemicals are making planning on farms harder, according to the Agricultural Industries Federation. It follows calls from the Royal Society of Chemistry for a new UK Chemicals Agency to regulate across all chemicals.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

The UK is vulnerable to animal diseases because of the ongoing trade in illegal meat, according to the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. The CIEH says that a lack of proper inspections at UK borders makes it easy for criminals to bring meat in.We visit a couple of fruit farms in Herefordshire to find out how they encourage the insects that pollinate their crops.And although agriculture is devolved, so farm policy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland won't be decided by the General Election, the budget is set by Westminster...and that's being discussed on the campaign trail across the UK.Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

The agri-food company Moy Park, which supplies chickens throughout the UK and Europe, has breached environmental laws on more than 500 occasions without facing prosecution. A BBC Spotlight investigation into water pollution uncovered the breaches at three different sites in Northern Ireland - including Lough Neagh.Holidaymakers and walkers in Scotland are being warned not to light camp fires. Last year, a wild-fire tore through forestry at Cannich, south of Inverness. It burned for two weeks on the surface and even more damage was caused underground, as peat burnt beneath the soil. The commercial forest is now being felled, 20 years earlier than expected, and has lost 60 percent of its value. The fire also had a serious impact on the RSPB Scotland nature reserve, at Corrimony. As the election campaign continues, and politicians travel around the UK to drum up support, on Farming Today we've asked our correspondents this week to explain what the agricultural sector is looking for. Agriculture is devolved, so policies are drawn up separately in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. Today we discuss what farmers are looking for in England.We're looking at pollinators all week: over the past ten years, honey bees have become an integral part of the way the 75,000 acre Lowther Estate in Cumbria is managed, with around 500 colonies producing between 12 and 15 tonnes of Lake District honey every year. As well as its home hives, the estate also sends out around 200 bee colonies to other local landowners, which feed from and pollinate arable crops throughout the Eden Valley. Cumbria’s only producers of rapeseed oil, farmers Ben and Jannike Taylor, are accommodating some of the Lowther bees this spring.Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

The UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme has been running for over 6 years now, with thousands of people counting insects in gardens, parks and on farms. So how are our pollinators faring?We visit a network of connected land in Ayrshire, designed to encourage pollinators. The network is being expanded after receiving funding from the Scottish Government. It was set up over the last decade or so, and includes farmland, council land and some unexpected leisure areas.And according to a recent study from the charity the Farm Safety Foundation, 95% of UK farmers under the age of 40 rank poor mental health as the biggest hidden problem facing farmers today. Farmstrong Scotland is doing what it can to help, by organising events where people can get together to discuss wellbeing. We report from one of them - on a farm in East Lothian, which has a recently opened outdoor sauna.Presented by Anna Hill Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Heather Simons

A selection of farmers outline what they would want from the next government.Bees may be the best known of the UK’s pollinators, but there are many more insects involved in the process which is vital to our food production.And farmers celebrating decades of hard work are recognised with a long-service award.Presented by Charlotte SmithProduced by Alun Beach

House prices in the Lake District are likely to fall because of plans to control the number of homes being turned into holiday lets, according to the most senior planning officer at the national park authority. This is already being done in Wales where it has been causing a lot of controversy. A ten year study of beavers in Devon shows that they are having a positive impact on flood and drought alleviation – according to researchers at Exeter University who have been following the beavers on the river Otter, some farmers disagree with the findings.And a grandfather and grandson team of bee keepers rent hives to apple growers in Northern Ireland so the bees can pollinate the crop. Presented by Charlotte SmithProduced by Alun Beach

A Welsh cheesemaker which described itself as innovative and with the highest sustainability standards has announced it cannot continue in its current form. The 321 farmers who supply milk to Mona dairy on Anglesey have been reassured that an interim buyer for their milk has been found, while the dairy's owners search for new investment. The Campaign for National Parks and the Alliance for Welsh Designated Landscapes has produced a 10-point National Parks Action plan for the new Welsh government. The proposals include increased funding, an end to water pollution, improving sustainable travel links and a new National Park for North East Wales. Amidst fears over reduced numbers of earth worms across the UK, one farmer who supplies them to gardeners, is increasingly supplying to other farmers. Presented by Charlotte SmithProduced by Alun Beach

Scotland is to get at least one new national park - due to be designated in 2026. Groups in Tay Forest, Loch Awe, Lochaber, Galloway, and the Borders have now submitted formal bids for the Scottish Government to consider...but not everyone’s keen on the idea. Farming traditional native breed cattle with horns, like Gloucester’s and Longhorns, is becoming increasingly difficult because abattoirs don’t have the facilities to deal with those horns. We hear from one farmer who says his herd of 80 longhorns may no longer be viable.And we head out on a night time, biofluorescence safari to see the natural world in a whole new light.Presented by Caz Graham Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons