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Episode details

Radio 4,24 Aug 2026,12 mins

24/08/2026: bluetongue, future foods, farm app

Farming Today

Available for 29 days

More cases of the livestock disease Bluetongue have prompted the Scottish Government to impose tighter movement restrictions. It's the first year the midge-borne disease has reached Scotland. There are fears it could disrupt the up-coming ram sales season which involves the movement of thousands of sheep. With the weather so unpredictable and extreme this year, we're taking a look this week at how we can grow food differently, or use different crops. We speak to a scientist at the National Institute for Agricultural Botony who says it's not just new varieties, but repurposing heritage crops. And we meet a sixteen year old in Northern Ireland who's come up with an app to help farmers manage their time better. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner .

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