26/04/2024: Red Tractor, Tree nursery, Universal Credit, Isle of Luing cattle

New figures from the Office for National Statistics show a record number of people are not employed due to long term sickness. The Government's launching a new task force with the aim of getting people who are off work and on benefits, back on the payroll. The Prime Minister has suggested they could they be persuaded to get out into the fields to pick fruit and veg.The wet weather is impacting farmers across the country - and flower growers are being hit too. For many of those exhibiting this week at the Chelsea Flower Show, the heavy rain has meant losses of precious stock. Some haven't been able to exhibit this year at all. And animal welfare organisations have welcomed a ban on exports of some live animals from Great Britain for slaughter and fattening, which has come into law this week. Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses are covered by the ban - but animals can still be exported live, for breeding and competitions.Presented by Anna Hill Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Changes to planning law will allow more freedom for farmers and landowners in England to convert unused buildings into new homes, or new businesses like farm shops. The relaxed rules make it possible to alter buildings to create up to 10 homes, without planning permission. In addition, the amount of floorspace that can be changed from agricultural to commercial use has been doubled.When you pick up a potted rose in a garden centre do you think about how long it's taken to get there? At Whartons Gardens Roses, based on the Suffolk / Norfolk border, it takes them 4 years to produce a rose, from land cultivation, through growing the root-stock and bud grafting. They produce 1 and a half million rose plants each year for garden centres across the UK. And at this time of year, as dairy cows are out eating the lush spring grass the industry normally sees a glut of milk, known as the Spring Flush. But this year, its been more of a Damp Squib, as the persistent heavy rainfall has left some pasture struggling to grow, and milk production is reportedly a million litres a day less than expected.Presented by Anna Hill Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

There's an update on the saga of illegal waste dumping at a protected woodland in Kent. The BBC has learnt that the Government is planning an emergency intervention to clear thousands of tonnes of rubbish. Locals say that as many as 30 lorries a day were illegally dumping rubbish at Hoads Wood near Ashford at the height of the problem last year. The woodland is in an area of outstanding natural beauty and is site of special scientific interest . Now one conservation group describes the site as a 'desolate wasteland' and it's estimated that a clean up operation will cost £10 million. 170 farms are to have their carbon footprint measured to create a more accurate picture of the emissions they produce and the carbon they sequester. The project, led by the levy body the AHDB, aims to give both farmers and the rest of us, a better understanding of agriculture's environmental impact. It's a pilot scheme which will measure greenhouse gas emissions, landscape and soil carbon stocks and water run-off, as well as using soil analysis of individual farms. The AHDB hopes to see it rolled out to all farms in the future. It's the RHS Chelsea Flower show and all week we're looking at flowers and plants. As a nation of gardeners we spend around £3 billion a year on plants and trees for our gardens, according to the Horticultural Trades Association. Chelsea's a highlight in the calendar for the industry, but they're facing many challenges: from the use of peat, to the wet weather and the new inspection regime at the UK border. Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Anna Hill reports from the second Farm to Fork Summit held this week in Downing Street. To coincide with the event, the Government released it's Food Security Index - which looks at how much of the food we eat is produced here, but also takes into account other things, like fertiliser prices, global trade and biosecurity risks. The Prime Minister said he wants to expand UK fruit and veg production. Around 120,000 visitors and 4,000 head of livestock have been at the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland this week. Helen Mark reports from the show, and grills the NI Farming Minister over his plans for future farm payments.And South East Water has launched a 25 Year Environment Plan, which includes creating a new super nature reserve. More than 80% of the area covered by the company across Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, is agricultural - so what will this mean for farmers?Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Helen Mark visits the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland. In the week when the Northern Ireland Assembly has declared the country to be in an ecological and biodiversity crisis, Helen asks the new Minister for Agriculture, Andrew Muir, how he sees farming and the environment working together.Produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Farmers are being asked to support South East Water with its new 25 year environment plan - launched this week - which includes creating a new super nature reserve. More than 80% of the area covered by the company across Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, is agricultural. The company is under investigation by OFWAT after it was revealed as the worst performer for supply interruptions last year, and some local farmers are not impressed by the new plan.Land use and the rules around it are back under the spotlight following new government advice on planning for solar farms. It's made clear that councils should only give permission for panels on high quality farmland when "necessary", and that they should take into account any other solar farms in the area to consider their cumulative impact. This follows changes earlier this year which made it harder to put panels on the 'best and most versatile' farmland. We reflect on new Government plans for horticulture revealed at the Farm to Fork Summit.And we meet the Northern Ireland sheep farmer who has turned his everyday life into a tourist attraction.Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

In this special programme, Anna Hill reports from the second Farm to Fork Summit at 10 Downing Street.The Government says it wants to increase the amount of home grown fruit and veg - after figures released this week who only 17% of fruit and 55% of vegetables eaten in the UK, are produced here. More money will be released to help fruit and veg farmers invest in new equipment.As well as interviewing Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, we hear from delegates who were invited to the summit about what it could mean for food and farming.Presented by Anna Hill Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

The Government says it wants more home grown fruit and veg - after releasing figures that show only 17% of fruit and 55% of vegetables eaten in the UK, are produced here. It's releasing more funding to help fruit and veg farmers invest in new equipment. The announcement come as the Prime Minister hosts his second Farm to Fork Summit at 10 Downing Street. New rules in Wales mean holiday-let owners now have to rent their accommodation out for at least 182 days a year in order to qualify for business rates. It's designed to help develop a fairer housing market for locals, but farmers who have diversified with self catering accommodation in old farm buildings say it's bad news.And we meet the conservation sniffer dog helping to track down rats and ferrets that are threatening seabirds on Rathlin Island off the North East coast of Northern Ireland.Presented by Anna Hill Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

Farmer confidence is at an all time low: that's according to a new survey published this week by the National Farmers' Union. It says the wet weather has had an impact, but farmers also point to worries about the future of their businesses. The Government’s announcement that the seasonal worker visa scheme is being extended for five years has been welcomed by farming organisations. It comes as part of Defra's response to an independent review into labour shortages in the Food Supply Chain which was published last summer. The Government had said it would respond to it last year. The RSPB says it is "vital" that a UK ban on fishing for sandeels in the North Sea remains in place. The ban, which stops sandeel trawlers fishing in English and Scottish sections of the North Sea, came into effect in April following a long campaign by conservationists concerned about declining seabird populations, particularly puffins and kittiwakes. Fishermen in Denmark are supporting a challenge by the European Union to the UK ban, claiming they have lost half of their fishing grounds because of the new restrictions. Cornish journalist and farmer, Stuart Oates, has been taking a European road trip in his fairly ancient land rover, peering over as many hedges as possible. From mangoes in spain to rice in Portugal, he started at the heart of the global wine industry in France. In the UK wine production has become a thriving business, but in Bordeaux things aren't looking so good.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

When Britain left the European Union, the Government said food and drink exporters had a 'golden opportunity' to put British food at the 'top of the global menu'. But the reality is that UK food is still lagging behind its European counterparts, both in terms of sales and reputation. Tourism brings £14.5 billion into the rural economy every year - according to the Country Land and Business Association. But while visitors bring much needed cash they also create problems - from the pressure on housing and roads to the challenges of finding enough staff to look after them. And we visit a new processing plant specifically for Welsh milk, which is due to open this month. Pembrokeshire Creamery aims to end the journey Welsh milk currently has to take: transported to England for processing and then brought back. It'll be the only large scale liquid milk dairy in Wales, since Wrexham-based Tomlinson's went bust in 2019. Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons