29/05/21 - Farming Today This Week: Trade deals, flower power and neglected crofts

Farming Today

• Episode: 29/05/21 - Farming Today This Week: Trade deals, flower power and neglected crofts
• Website: Farming Today
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj8q/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:25:09
• Published: 2021-05-29 08:00

The Government has launched consultations on two more trade deals this week with Canada and Mexico - both countries in the world’s top 10 for agricultural exports. Meanwhile, the controversy over a deal with Australia rumbles on. It's reported the Government is offering a reduction in tariffs on food and farming goods over 15 years, ending up with tariff and quota free access to the UK market. Farmers here say their produce will be undercut by cheaper imports. We hear from Minister for International Trade, Ranil Jayawardena and Chair of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Neil Parish. Many of Scotland's crofts are being underused or neglected, while at the same time there's a lack of availability for new entrants - according to a survey by the Crofting Commission. There are just over 20 thousand crofts across the Scottish Highlands and and Islands, mostly tenanted. They're small parcels of land that come with special rights, but also a duty not to neglect the croft and to put it to good use. And we hear about new research that suggests the nectar from certain flowers can help bumblebees fight off disease. Sainfoin flowers have caffeine in their nectar, and that reduces the impact of a fungal bumblebee-disease. Presented by Sybil Ruscoe Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons