28/09/2026: Disease resilience, getting young people into agriculture

New research shows that improving the nitrogen-cycle in the soil can significantly reduce emissions. The study took in evidence from around the world - the international research team analysed 2,235 comparisons from 210 experimental sites. We speak to one of the report's authors Professor Simon Willcock director of sustainable farming systems at the University of Reading.A project in Cardiff has been helping low income households buy organic fruit and veg. Around 120 shoppers received a Planet Card - which gave them £11 a week to spend with organic veg producers. The pilot scheme cost around £19,000 and was funded by an alliance of charities and not-for-profit organisations - led by Food Sense Wales and Sustain.All week we've been exploring the different ways young people can get into farming. For those who want to take up a degree in agriculture it can be daunting to find the right route, especially if you're not from a farming background. The Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association has linked up with the John Innes Foundation bursary award, to give students a helping hand to take up agriculture at degree level; not only funding 50% of tutition fees, but also contributing to rent and living expenses. Presenter = Anna Hill Producer = Rebecca Rooney

UK scientists leading research on precision breeding - or genetic editing - say uncertainty around the law in England could put investors off and jeopardise our competitive edge. The technology has rapidly taken hold of plant breeding and development, and has been used to develop vitamin D-rich tomatoes, and bananas that don’t turn brown. But there are still many questions surrounding the technique, for farmers, for trade and consumers too. A judicial review this summer found flaws with the way the law was drawn up, but there's uncertainty around how it might be amended.We visit what's widely thought to be the UK's first comunity owned farm, in Shropshire. Siblings Charlotte and Ben Hollins set up a crowd funding enterprise when their landlord told them they'd have to buy the farm or leave, after their tenant farmer father died. Twenty years on it's thriving. And this week we're looking at the different ways that young people are accessing a career in agriciulture. The charity, Countryside Learning Scotland, has launched a two year programme to encourage new entrants into rural employment in the Perth and Kinross area. The Rural Employability Scheme will involve intensive mentoring and work placements for 16 to 25 year olds with little or no farming background. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.

The new president of the British Veterinary Association is calling for more resilience against disease outbreaks. As the UK battles a huge outbreak of the livestock disease Bluetongue, and there are warnings of a new pig disease in the Netherlands and Denmark, Dr Gwen Rees says as a profession, vets need to make sure they are ready to act. It comes following National Audit Office reports warning that Defra’s animal disease response plans leave the UK’s food security vulnerable to major supply disruptions. This week we're looking at how young people are getting into careers in agriculture. Today we speak to the CEO of Landex - the umbrella organisation for land-based colleges and universities. And we celebrate 50 years of a charity that offers children who live in cities a chance to live on a farm for a week. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Sally Challoner.

'Shambolic', 'disheartening' and 'carnage' - some of the words being used by farmers to describe the application process for England's biggest farm environmental scheme that opened, and closed, on Tuesday. This is the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which pays farmers for environmental work, like planting hedges or improving soil. On Tuesday, the total budget available was £253 million, it was a first come, first served system, with thousands of farmers applying and in six hours all the money had gone.The millions of people in rural areas who rely on oil to heat their homes have seen prices rise by 40% in the past two months alone. They're not covered by the energy price cap, set by the regulator OFGEM, which limits the increase that most will see this winter because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Should the UK be growing more pulses? The Food Foundation looked into the potential for these crops and concluded that the UK could and should be growing more of them.Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

The millions of people in rural areas who rely on oil to heat their homes have seen prices rise by 40 per cent in the past two months alone. They're not covered by the energy price cap, set by the regulator OFGEM, which limits the increase that most will see this winter because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. More than a third of households have no access to mains gas but instead rely on fuels like LPG or heating oil.The Government body which works to safeguard animal health and public safety has said lessons will be learned - and extra capacity put in place - to tackle future outbreaks of the livestock disease bluetongue. Earlier this month the Environment Food and Rural Affairs committee demanded an explanation for what it called a 'lack of preparedness for this summer's bluetongue outbreak'. And we meet a farmer who's found a way to turn the fava beans he grows into feed for his chickens. Mike Mallett is an organic egg and poultry producer in Suffolk. He has now cracked the problems of toxicity and nutrient availability by cooking the beans in a big roaster, and is now practically self sufficient in organic feed.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.

'Shambolic', 'disheartening' and 'carnage' - some of the words being used by farmers to describe the application process for England's biggest farm environmental scheme that opened, and closed, on Tuesday. This is the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which pays farmers for environmental work, like planting hedges or improving soil. On Tuesday, the total budget available was £233 million, it was a first come, first served system, with thousands of farmers applying and in six hours all the money had gone. And baked beans - which we are talking about as part of our week looking at pulses. At the moment, all our baked beans are imported from China, Ethiopia, the USA and Canada. Three years ago, we visited Lincolnshire farmer Andrew Ward who was growing the first-ever British variety of baked bean. He's been working alongside the University of Warwick with a view to breaking into the market. This year he’s grown 42 acres nearly three times the amount he first planted in 2023. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Vets in the South West are testing breeding rams to see if the disease bluetongue has caused infertility. One vets practice in Devon said of the 500 rams they've tested, a quarter were a cause for concern. One farmer we spoke to has had to buy in extra rams to replace those found to be temporarily infertile. There's a warning the breeding season could be delayed, leading to fewer early lambs next year. The second window of funding for environmental schemes on farms has opened - and closed within hours. The Sustainable Farming Incentive is the Government's fund to pay farmers for things like improving soil and creating wildlife habitat. The budget of £233m was all allocated within six hours. And we speak to a Malawian student who's in the UK looking at what farmers here could learn about growing pulses - a staple crop there but not widespread here. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.

UK potato growers could be facing losses of almost £170 million because of this summer’s heatwaves and drought. That’s according to new analysis from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, a not-for-profit organisation which looks at the impacts of climate change. Add that to crop losses across Europe’s main potato growing countries - Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands - and we could be looking at 3.5 million tonnes fewer potatoes getting into the shops. We're looking at pulses this week. They're the dried edible seeds of plants in the legume family, they grow in pods and we’re talking things like beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils. Here in the UK, they’ve generally been grown as what’s called a ‘break crop’ by arable farmers to put nitrogen back into the soil, and then used for making animal feed. But growing pulses for human consumption comes with the prospect of bigger rewards. Today, we're in Carmarthenshire where they're carrying out trials growing Carlin Peas on a county council owned farm. Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Sally Challoner.

More beans please - should the UK be growing more pulses? The Food Foundation looked into the potential for these crops and concluded that the UK could and should be growing more of them.Farmers may have to prepare for disappointment as England's biggest environmental scheme re-opens for applications this week. This is the Sustainable Farming Incentive, the SFI, which pays farmers for environmental work. New analysis suggests that while 40,000 farmers are expected to apply for the SFI there is only enough cash for about 15,000 agreements. And how, with help from the Royal Countryside Fund, the West Lakeland Community Interest Company has put four young people through a series of training courses to become agricultural advisors.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

This week, we've been taking a closer look at agricultural co-ops, from very small-scale cooperative working up to huge dairy co-ops. Across Europe, it’s widely recognised that farmer collaboration can give agriculture a stronger voice in the food supply chain.   We look at how they are working in different parts of the UK and ask if there is scope for more co-operative working.The BBC's Central Europe correspondent, Nick Thorpe, reports from Romania, where thousands of shepherds have taken to the streets to protest against a ban on live sheep exports.Reporter Vernon Harwood is in the Cotswolds to bring us all the atmosphere of the three-day competition to find the best sheepdog handler in Britain and Ireland.And we talk to the team behind a new play which follows a single day in the life of three generations of women on a working family farm. Presenter:  Charlotte Smith Producer:  Beatrice Fenton Farming Today is a BBC Audio Bristol production