About this episode
The episode discusses flood funding in Somerset, a cattle cull in Scotland, and the challenges faced by cereal crop farmers amid rising costs and changing regulations.
Somerset's to get an extra £50m investment to help the county deal with flooding. The government is giving the money to the county council who will work in partnership with local drainage boards, communities, the Environment Agency and the Somerset Rivers Authority. Farming Minister Angela Eagle says it will enable farmers to better withstand the growing threat of floods. Nearly 300 cattle in Scotland are due to be culled because their identification regulations haven't been followed. The Belted Galloways from Home Farm on the Falkland Estate in Fife cannot enter the food chain because they aren't properly registered. Government inspectors due to oversee the cull say they've faced threats online, and will now not attend. All week we’re delving into the detail of growing cereal crops – wheat, barley and oats. Farmers are used to juggling with the challenges of the weather, but this year there have been several other parts to the tricky equation of making cereal crops profitable. With fertilizer prices rising because of the war in the Middle East, and lower or non-existent support payments following Brexit, where does that leave larger cereal growers, competing in global markets…
People in this episode
Host: Anna Hill
Topics covered
- flood funding
- cattle cull
- cereal crops
- agriculture challenges
- government investment
- farming regulations
Keywords
- flooding
- cattle
- cereal crops
- fertilizer prices
- Brexit
- government funding
- agriculture
- farming
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Somerset Rivers Authority, Environment Agency
Products: Belted Galloways
Books & works: Farming Today
Places: Somerset, Scotland, Fife, Home Farm, Falkland Estate
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