´óÏó´«Ã½

Secretary of State for the Environment and Agriculture Michael Gove outlined his vision for an environment first farm subsidy system, which he called ‘Delivering a Green Brexit’.Farmers had been assured of receiving subsidies until 2022, so his speech that they will be continued will come as a relief to many. But while talks in Brussels were rumbling on this week, the Ulster Farmers' Union were holding talks of their own across the country, one of the main topics of conversation was of course, restructuring farm payments. Barclay Bell is the President of the UFU.

Farm subsidies have always been a hot topic of debate among farmers whether they were for or against them. But what if farm payments aren’t just restructured but some are phased out altogether?
Well, New Zealand enjoys a reputation for being one of the top exporters of agricultural produce in the world. And their farmers do this without receiving a penny from farm subsidies or being a member of a union of countries like the single market. But as the U.K prepares to withdraw from the E.U and the Common Agricultural Policy, could farmers here go subsidy free as New Zealand did in 1984? James Webster is a Market Analyst from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and has written a report on what the U.K could learn from New Zealand’s experience.

What does it take to become a Nuffield Scholar?
If you’re not sure what the scholarships are, well they give people with an interest in agriculture the chance to travel, with scholars receiving grants to visit different farm businesses around the world, which could benefit their own businesses and the wider farming community.
Debbie McConnell is a researcher just about to complete her Nuffield Scholarship, she talks about why people should apply this year.

Castlewellan Agricultural Show celebrated it’s 50th anniversary on Saturday. And while there were immaculately turned out sheep, horses and cows parading around the show rings, there was another group of four legged farm animals delighting the crowd. The Middle White pig is endangered, and there are actually more Giant Panda's in China than there are Middle White's in Northern Ireland.

Presenter: Hannah Quinn-Mulligan