British fishing fleet and Brexit, Badger cull figures, Farm-made Christmas gifts

Farming Today

• Episode: British fishing fleet and Brexit, Badger cull figures, Farm-made Christmas gifts
• Website: Farming Today
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qj8q/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:11:24
• Published: 2016-12-19 01:00

England is to apply for TB-free status for half the country, and what does the future hold for the UK fishing fleet? And avian flu has arrived in the UK. Defra says the north and east of England should be classified officially TB free, which will improve trade. The National Farmers Union welcomed the news, saying 'it showed the impact of the government's comprehensive 25 year strategy'. More controversially ministers are to consult on plans to allow badgers culls to continue indefinitely- they say controlling the disease costs taxpayer £100 million a year and that controlling tb in wild animals forms part of the strategy to control both the disease and the costs. 10 badger cull zones are now operating and new figures show that 10,886 badgers were culled this year, however Dominic Dyer from the Badger Trust says culling badgers is a waste of time and does not control the disease in cattle. British fishing fleets have been expecting Brexit to be good news for them but a House of Lords committee warns that continued access to the European market is vital for the industry and to get it ministers may have to give more European access to British waters. Last week on Farming Today Bertie Armstrong of the Scottish Fishermen's federation outlined the deal he'd like and Lord Teverson, chair of the lords EU fisheries and agriculture committee explained why the fishing industry is so important to the UK. Avian Flu has arrived in the UK. The virulent strain H5N8 has been confirmed in Louth in Lincolnshire. We will of course follow the story on Farming Today. And Nancy Nicholson reports from a Christmas fair on a farm in Perthshire. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Martin Poyntz-Roberts.