Farming Today This Week 24/10/26 Wildfires; agri-environment schemes; orchards & agroforestry; pumpkins; winter strawberries.

Wildfires have been on the political menu this week with a report from MPs criticising the lack of a National Wildfire Strategy, followed by wildfire summits in England and Wales, and an announcement from the Prime Minister of ‘initial steps to improve our response’. Andy Burnham announced £45 million of extra funding to better equip firefighters and said military aircraft would be available to help tackle wildfires. Earlier this week MPs on the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee published a report saying the UK was not ready for the next fire season.
At its summit the Welsh Government said it would bring in international expertise, and create a register for farmers and landowners are able to help fight fires.

The scramble online for funding under the Sustainable Farming Incentive or SFI left thousands of farmers with nothing. Some had technical problems, others were too late. SFI funding pays farmers for improving the environment. Those who weren't successful will have to decide whether to stop managing their land for the environment or carry on without payments. The Secretary of State tells us she's working with farmers to avoid a repeat of this year's funding application chaos.

We visit a Herefordshire farmer who was seriously considering grubbing up her 22 acre intensive orchard. Instead she thinned out the trees and introduced an agroforestry system.

UK strawberries at Christmas? It doesn't seem likely, but one Worcestershire farmer says his growing season now stretches to December. He's worried that fruit will be wasted as supermarkets aren't used to local supplies being available so late in the year.

We meet a farmer who's growing pumpkins - not for Halloween but for seeds.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith
Producer = Rebecca Rooney