23/04/21 - Salmon export figures, naturally GM crops, dung beetles, TikTok hoof trimmer

Farming Today

• Episode: 23/04/21 - Salmon export figures, naturally GM crops, dung beetles, TikTok hoof trimmer
• Website: Farming Today
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj8q/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:13:37
• Published: 2021-04-23 07:00

Scottish Salmon Producers say the Government is 97% out on its export figures for January. HMRC statistics show a big drop in salmon exports to the EU this January after Brexit, but Scottish producers say they actually sent more than at the same time last year. Hamish MacDonnell, from the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, says despite rising costs and delays for exporters, they are still managing to get fish to Europe. HMRC is investigating. Crops have been genetically modifying themselves, according to researchers at the University of Sheffield. They’ve been studying the genetic make up of crops from the grass family including wheat, maize, rice and barley, and say that most of them contain genes from other grass species - which have given them evolutionary advantages. Dung beetles live in the droppings of animals and help to recycle nutrients back into the soil. But loss of grazed farmland, changing farming practices and pesticide use are putting pressure on these insects. So a group of farmers, ecologists and vets have formed 'Dung Beetles for Farmers' to give advice on how to farm in harmony with dung beetles. We hear from the hoof trimmer who has found fame on TikTok. Presented by Charlotte Smith Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons