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11/03/2023 Farming Today This Week: food fraud, imported beef sold as British; upland farm incomes; drought

The imported beef sold as British: ten years after horse-gate, we ask how this sort of fraud can happen.
Hill farm incomes plummet, but farming minister defends ELMS. Drought.

Imported meat labelled as British has been sold by a retailer which advertises that it sells only British meat. The National Food Crime Unit is investigating after discovering that one of the retailers' suppliers has been selling it what's described as 'large volumes' of pre-packed South American and European beef, labelled as British. Ten years after the horse meat scandal, we ask how this sort of fraud can happen.

Hill farmers describe new government payment scheme as "the greatest catastrophe for nature and farming in a lifetime". New figures from DEFRA show payments for upland farmers will be down 65% under the new Environmental Land Management Scheme or ELMS, compared to previous payments under the old EU system. Author and hill farmer James Rebanks says it will force farmers to increase the number of livestock they keep - the opposite of what the government says it wants. Farming minister Mark Spencer defends DEFRA's plans.

As parts of the country struggle with snow, farmers in the east of England are hoping for more rain. East Anglia has had the driest February since 1959 - the third driest on record. We find out how farms are changing what they grow, to cope with a lack of water.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney

25 minutes

Broadcast

  • Sat 11 Mar 2023 06:30

Podcast