08/11/25 Farming Today This Week: Bird flu, low farmer confidence, Millennium Seed Bank, food security
Poultry Farmers are warned this winter is on course to be among the worst for avian flu. This week all poultry in England and Northern Ireland was ordered inside after a number of new cases. The Pirbright Institute's head of avian virology explains why the H5N1 strain of bird flu has become more able to spread, describing it as 'almost a super strain'.A household name in food processing says it's worried about future supplies of raw materials, because farmers confidence is so poor. Behind the scenes with plant experts as Kew's Millennium Seed Bank marks 25 years.MPs say by 2050 almost a quarter of current UK farmland might not be farmed.Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
Poultry Farmers are warned this winter is on course to be among the worst for Avian Flu. This week all poultry in England and Northern Ireland was ordered inside after a number of new cases. The Pirbright Institute's head of Avian Virology explains why the H5N1 strain of bird flu has become more able to spread, describing it as 'almost a super strain'.A household name in food processing says it's worried about future supplies of raw materials, because farmers confidence is so poor. McCain is the single biggest buyer of British potatoes. It commissioned an online survey of 200 farmers from across the industry, called Farmdex. It found that 51 per cent of respondents had considered leaving farming in the past year, while 40 percent believe they may be forced to leave the industry in the next decade due to economic pressures. McCain is calling on the Government and other food industry players to take steps to improve stability for farmers.And, we visit a small company producing seeds for joyously different varieties of veg from Wrinkled Crinkled Crumpled Cress to the Musselburgh Leek. Presenter: Charlotte Smith
Producer: Sarah Swadling
As the number of bird flu cases across the country rises, DEFRA has announced bird keepers across England must house all poultry and captive birds if they keep more than 50 birds. Avian influenza is just one of the animal disease threats raised in a new report by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee. It says the government would not be ready for a serious national disease outbreak like BSE or foot and mouth because resources have been focused on tackling ongoing outbreaks of avian influenza and bluetongue.All week we're taking a closer look at the start of the farming process; seeds. Most farmers buy seeds of some kind whether it's growing a crop for us to eat, or grass seed for pasture, or wildflower mixes for pollinators. However growing crops to produce the seeds that farmers plant, is just as important. We visit a farmer in South Wales who's diversified and now supplies other farmers with wildflower and grass seed mixes.Plant scientists have mapped the genome of oats. Academics at the University of Aberystwyth say it will help plant breeders develop varieties better suited to cope with disease and climate change.Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
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06/11/25 Millennium Seed Bank - how wild seeds can help agriculture and landscape restoration.
As part of our week-long focus on seeds we go behind the scenes at the Millennium Seed Bank in Sussex. It's celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Experts from Kew Royal Botanical Gardens collect, clean and curate wild seeds from around the world. They're stored in giant vaults and safeguarded for the future. This helps protect endangered species of plants, but scientists also germinate the seeds for use in conservation and agriculture.Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer= Rebecca Rooney
The government's announced the number of agricultural seasonal workers visas allowed for the UK for next year. 41,000 visas will be made available for horticulture and 1,900 for poultry. It's slightly lower than the current allowance, but the National Farmers Union has welcomed the announcement, saying it has been made in good time, so farms can organise recruitment ahead of next year's harvest. However the NFU says if the horticulture sector is to grow, it will need more workers in the future - and it is still waiting for details of a five-year plan from the government.All this week, we are talking about seeds. Today we visit a seed merchant who specialises in grass and wildflower mixes for environmental schemes. We hear how the business is affected by checks at the EU border and uncertainty over agri-environment schemes.How can farms stay profitable? And if the answer is by providing something other than food, what are the implications for domestic food production? After warnings that UK food production could drop by almost a third by 2050, we speak to a farmer who's moved away from growing fruit and cereals to diversify into a range of businesses to keep the farm afloat.Presenter = Anna Hill
Producer = Rebecca Rooney
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