The latest news about food, farming and the countryside
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The UK Health Security Agency is investigating the outbreak of salmonella that’s led to confirmed cases in more than 200 people, and the death of one person. Initial findings suggest it could be linked to imported eggs. Salmonella is extremely rare in UK produced eggs - all laying hens have to be vaccinated against it, and there’s a ‘passport’ system ensuring that all hens, eggs and feed are fully…
Caz Graham is at the Hawkshead Show in the Lake District, to see why local shows like this are so important to rural areas. All over the UK, through the summer months, communities come together for village shows. There are hundreds of them, each reflecting the distinct flavour of the farming, food, local customs and the people of the villages and towns they’re held in. Produced by Sally Challoner.
Supplies of the vaccine for the livestock disease Bluetongue are in short supply after a large outbreak in the south west of the UK. A mild winter, hot dry summer, and the midges - which cause the disease - moving into densley populated livestock areas, have all contributed to the worst ever outbreak, which has now affected Wales and Scotland too. We speak to the president of the Sheep Veterinary…
The Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a package of measures to help drought-hit farmers in England, saying food production is national security. It will give more flexibility for farmers in environmental schemes, and easier access to water. More details will also be announced today about plans to help farmers build reservoirs on farm. The NFU says it's a start, but action needs to be taken…
The Prime Minister's due to announce a package of support to help farmers in England cope with the drought. The measures will include putting an extra £50 million of Defra's budget towards this year's Sustainable Farming Incentive and offering up to £15 million for on-farm reservoirs, to enable farmers to store water in the winter which they can use in the summer. As well as drought and heat,…
Brassica growers are warning their crops are in crisis after the relentless heat has left them stunted or dying in the ground. The British Growers Assocation says crops including cauliflower and broccoli are half the size they should be, putting prices up. We meet growers at Tebay services on the M6 in Cumbria. The company has been working with the horticulture and mental health charity Growing…
Bluetongue, the livestock disease that is transmitted by midges, is spreading, especially in the south west. It affects farm animals including sheep and cattle. It doesn’t affect people, but it can be very painful and fatal to livestock. Annual bluetongue statistics are counted from July to June, the so-called bluetongue season. Since the end of June this year, there have already been more cases…
Feelings are running high amongst farmers in Northern Ireland over a cull of 51 cattle. It was carried out in June by a humane slaughter team from the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs in County Tyrone. The government said it was a final resort after a court ordered that the farmer who owned them should be ‘deprived of the ownership of all farmed animals’ because of a…
Livestock farmers in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset are at the centre of the current outbreak of bluetongue and cases are rising rapidly. Bluetongue can be fatal to animals like sheep and cattle but doesn’t affect humans, it’s spread by midges, and makes animals lethargic and lame as well as causing birth defects or spontaneous abortions. The Farming Community Network has a 24 hour help line: we ask…
The finances of farming in and after a heatwave. And salad - endless sunshine and no rain isn't ideal for many crops, so prices are up as UK supplies tighten and some companies are even importing. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
Farmers are being 'strongly urged' to vaccinate sheep and cattle to protect them from the rapid spread of bluetongue. The UK's chief vet says vaccination is the only way to deal with the disease. There are now more than 200 farms with cases in the UK, more than double the number this time last week. The vast majority are in England, with most in the South West. In Wales there've been five. There…
