07/12/20 - Avian flu, farming and the Welsh language, the River Lugg and brassicas

Farming Today

• Episode: 07/12/20 - Avian flu, farming and the Welsh language, the River Lugg and brassicas
• Website: Farming Today
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj8q/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:11:22
• Published: 2020-12-07 07:00

Poultry are soon to go into lockdown - all birds usually kept outside must be brought inside to protect them from avian flu. The Chief Vets in England, Wales and Scotland are bringing in the measure after more cases of bird flu. The disease has recently been found in turkeys on a farm in North Yorkshire - following cases in Cheshire, Devon, Hertfordshire and Gloucestershire. We speak to a free range egg producer about what it all means for her business. The importance of farming to the Welsh language must be recognised in plans to support the industry after Brexit, according to Wales' Welsh language commissioner. Aled Roberts told the BBC funding needs to be targeted towards helping family farms survive. The Environment Agency is investigating reports of damage to the River Lugg in Herefordshire. The area is in a Site of Special Scientific Interest and so protected, but according to Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, a long stretch of the riverbank has been destroyed and straightened turning it into what they describe as ‘a sterile canal with bank and riverside habitats completely obliterated’. The Environment Agency says it's treating the incident ‘very seriously’ since the works have the potential to cause significant, long term ecological harm to nearly a mile of the river. And it's the time of year for brassicas, with Brussels Sprouts appearing on our plates. Many brasscias can be grown in the UK, but over the past 20 years fewer farmers have chosen to do so, because margins are tight and costs are high. We ask what the future holds for the sector. Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons