09/12/19: Wet weather farming, Oats, Inclusivity in the countryside

Farming Today

• Episode: 09/12/19: Wet weather farming, Oats, Inclusivity in the countryside
• Website: Farming Today
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj8q/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:12:28
• Published: 2019-12-09 07:02

James Peck from the National Farmers Union tells Charlotte Smith what impact the wet weather has had on farmers in the East of England. The unprecedented rainfall has in some cases made it too wet for farmers to get onto their land and either harvest existing crops or plant new ones. But he says it's not all bad news and it's still too early to know whether it will affect the supply of vegetables for Christmas lunch. This year has seen 20% more oats being produced than last, and so Charlotte asks David Eudall from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board whether this means lower prices or greater opportunity for export or supply into the oat milk market. Dr Sheree Mack is coordinating a project to encourage more people from the BAME communities to visit the countryside, and Jo Lonsdale joined her as she took group of girls up Steel Rig, one of the most famous stretches of Hadrian's Wall. Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Toby Field