30/11/21 First beaver translocation in Scotland, Storm Arwen's impact on farms, Riverford veg workers

Farming Today

• Episode: 30/11/21 First beaver translocation in Scotland, Storm Arwen's impact on farms, Riverford veg workers
• Website: Farming Today
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj8q/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:13:17
• Published: 2021-11-30 07:00

We witness the first translocation of beavers into the wild since the Scottish Government changed its policy on the issue and pledged to 'actively support' the expansion of the country's beaver population via translocation - or trapping and releasing. This new policy contrasts with the previous position that lethal control was the primary option to reduce the species' impacts on farmland, with translocation out of home areas not permitted. Storm Arwen might be over, but the trail of damage left in its wake will take some time to clear up, and even longer to put right. We hear from a farmer who had to dig her sheep out of the snow, and from another who's lost 50% of tree cover from the farm. This week we’re focusing on the people who work on UK farms, and what farmers are doing to tackle the industry’s labour shortage. Riverford is one of the country’s biggest organic veg box businesses and in peak season it needs hundreds of people to pick and pack produce. Around half of the field workforce comes from the UK, a much higher proportion than is usual in horticulture. We ask why. Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.