大象传媒

There鈥檚 been some very welcome rain in parts of the country. But the on-going drought has made life very difficult for farmers. Some don鈥檛 have enough grass in their fields to feed their livestock and are using up winter stores already. Now George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, has announced that Defra is relaxing some of the rules for agri-environment schemes, meaning farmers who are paid for managing some of their land for nature, like wildflower margins around fields, will be allowed to cut or graze it earlier than usual. But what will this mean for the wildlife it's supposed to support?
Continuing our week looking at sheep, Caz Graham visits a Cumbrian hill farmer in the northern fells of the Lake District, to hear his frustration at the length of time it鈥檚 taking to get the post-Brexit farm support schemes up and running. Farm incomes in the uplands rely heavily on the old EU Basic Payment Scheme, and many are worried how they will survive after they are phased out completely in 2027.
Sheep farming is controversial, with some conservationists thinking the uplands would be much better off without them. We speak to Professor of Upland Landscapes at the University of Cumbria in Ambleside, Lois Mansfield.

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.