Farming Today

24/11/20 - Council farms, bovine TB and nitrogen fixing technology

Farming Today

The Campaign to Protect Rural England is warning that if council-owned farmland in England is sold off at its current rate, it could all be gone within 40 years. Their analysis suggests almost 3/4 of councils in England have sold off farmland in the past decade, and it's continuing to happen. So what next for new entrants trying to get into the industry? As part of our week-long focus on Bovine TB, we look at the financial impact of the disease on farmers. Herds that are infected have to be tested every 60 days and any cattle that test positive have to be culled, with farmers compensated for the loss. And we speak to a UK company that's using bacteria to give crop plants like wheat the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. The idea is to increase yields while decreasing reliance on artificial fertilisers. Presented by Anna Hill Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons

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