BBC seasonal agricultural workers survey results

Farming Today

• Episode: BBC seasonal agricultural workers survey results
• Website: Farming Today
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj8q/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:13:42
• Published: 2017-06-22 02:00

All this week Farming Today is shining a light on foreign agricultural workers - one sector that relies heavily on this workforce is the fruit and veg sector, which needs seasonal labour to pick the produce in its prime, and get it onto supermarket shelves. Now a BBC survey of British growers has found that over 70% would reduce their UK operations, if access to key labour markets was restricted in future; they're looking for clarity from the government on what steps it might take to accommodate this seasonal workforce in future. What is 3D planting - and does it hold the secret to more sustainable agriculture? Today, the 2017 Agro-Forestry Conference takes place at Cranfield University, discussing the key challenges and benefits for farmers willing to implement the system. Sybil speaks to Sophie Churchill, President of the Royal Forestry Society and a speaker at the event, Black grass is an annual weed that plagues arable farmers - and it's becoming increasingly resistant to chemical weed-killers. So many farms hit by the pestilent grass are employing a practice called roguing: pulling out 'rogue' weeds by hand. Sarah Falkingham has been out weeding on a field in East Yorkshire. Yesterday we were debating the rise of the roadside verges, and the arguments on both side of the fence: which generated plenty of listener feedback, and a poem which can be found on the Farming Today website.