大象传媒

As cash-strapped local authorities put more of their council farms up for sale, there are concerns about the loss of a valuable entry route into agriculture for those who can鈥檛 afford to buy land. Following a government review into its finances, Peterborough council was advised to sell off its farms to solve its financial difficulties.
The farms make up more than 1,200 hectares with more than 20 tenants. Council farms often offer fixed term tenancies on small pieces of land, which can be more accessible to people wanting to start out in farming. But as councils need to balance the books, selling off the land can provide a source of quick cash. George Dunn from the Tenant Farmers Association told me this is a familiar and worrying story.

Last week the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, promised more personalised care and preventative treatment in his speech about the NHS. But for that to happen we have to engage with medical professionals in the first place, and for many farmers, especially at busy times in the farming year, it鈥檚 hard to find time to visit their GP.
Rural health hubs at livestock markets are trying to address this. Farmers can turn up without an appointment and see a nurse, a chiropodist or even a psychologist.

We鈥檙e going to be discussing deer all this week, both wild and those farmed for venison. They look magical when you catch a glimpse of one in the countryside, but can be a real headache for farmers and land managers. The Government ran a consultation into how best to control deer numbers back in 2022 with a view to publishing a Deer Management Strategy, but it鈥檚 never materialised. Charles Smith-Jones from the British Deer Society says there needs to be a plan.

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.