Farming Today

The system for licensing firearms and shotguns in England and Wales is not fit for purpose and should be replaced to ensure public safety. That’s the conclusion of a report published today by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services.
When Sandi Thornton started growing lavender on her 30-acre farm in the south of the Lake District, some neighbours did raise a quizzical eyebrow. Two years on, the lavender beds are getting established and there’s a distinctly purple haze across part of Cumbria’s Lyth Valley.
With drought, climate change and many demands on land use, scientists and food producers are looking at the best crops to grow for the future, and that’s something we’ve been focusing on all this week too. Researchers at the University of Essex are using gene-editing technology to create dwarf cucumber plants better suited to indoor vertical farms and glasshouses.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Farmers in the UK are urging the government to ban imports of beef from Brazil amid fears that it's not produced to the same high standard. The EU and Norway have already imposed bans because of Brazil's use of antibiotics, which they fear could lead to resistance.
In the US cattle farmers are angry about President Trump's plan to allow beef in tariff-free to bring consumer prices down. They say it'll undermine their industry.
And we visit a long-running trial of miscanthus at Aberystwyth University. They're looking for more uses for the crop, which has proven it copes well in drought.
Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Sally Challoner.

UK scientists working on gene-editing of crops will get access to European markets after the European Parliament voted to relax rules around the practice. We speak to a scientist from Rothamstead Research. We also meet scientists working on gene editing of wheat to make it more resilient to climate shocks.
And what does the closure of Bernard Matthews' Derby factory mean for the wider turkey production sector? We hear from the editor of the publication Food Manufacture.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.

The drought, and the livestock disease bluetongue, are having an effect on milk production, with yield down by 1.5 milllion litres every day, according to the industry body the AHDB. The shortage is pushing up prices for farmers.
We speak to a Dutch vet about how bluetongue developed there three years ago. They had a huge outbreak which led to the loss of tens of thousands of cattle and sheep. Since then a vaccine has been developed.
And we're looking at future crops, bred to be resilent in a changing climate. Today we meet a breeder at the James Hutton Institute in Dundee to sample some new varieties of raspberry.
Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Sally Challoner.

More cases of the livestock disease Bluetongue have prompted the Scottish Government to impose tighter movement restrictions. It's the first year the midge-borne disease has reached Scotland. There are fears it could disrupt the up-coming ram sales season which involves the movement of thousands of sheep.
With the weather so unpredictable and extreme this year, we're taking a look this week at how we can grow food differently, or use different crops. We speak to a scientist at the National Institute for Agricultural Botony who says it's not just new varieties, but repurposing heritage crops.
And we meet a sixteen year old in Northern Ireland who's come up with an app to help farmers manage their time better.
Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner
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