大象传媒

Research is being carried out to see which size colony cages will cause the fewest welfare problems. From January next year conventional battery cages will become illegal. The new 'enriched' cages will give more room per bird along with perches and scratching areas. Harper Adams University is monitoring the welfare and performance of hens kept in different size groups - from 20 to 100. They say larger cages with more hens give more room to move but could allow more aggressive behaviour.

Last year's cold winter meant much of the UK's sugar beet was frozen into the ground and couldn't be harvested. This year's campaign is starting earlier with farmers hoping to avoid last year's problems. Anna visits one farmer to find out how.

The RSPB is warning if all the wood burning biomass power stations planned for the UK go ahead, the amount of timber needed to fuel them would be at least three times greater than the amount of wood currently grown here. It says an inevitable increase in imports will lead to habitats being damaged in places like Russia and Canada. Anna asks if avoiding that would mean planting more woodland in the UK.

Presented by Anna Hill. Produced by Anne-Marie Bullock.