20/02/24 Farmer Protests; Prime Minister's funding announcement; Red Tractor; Next generation and family farms.
The First Minister of Wales says it shouldn't be up to farmers to decide how subsidy money is spent. Mark Drakeford was responding to the ongoing farmer protests in Wales over the Sustainable Farm Scheme. It will see direct subsidy payments phased out and farmers will have to plant 10% of their land with trees while putting a further 10% into wildlife habitats to qualify. We also speak to English farmers protesting at Dover. The government is giving a £220 million funding package to English farmers. The Prime Minister is to make the official announcement at the National Farmers Union Conference. The money will be targeted at grants for technology and productivity schemes. He will also highlight fairness in the supply chain, with new rules for the dairy, pig and egg sectors and the announcement of a review of the poultry sector. Also the 'Farm to Fork Summit' is to become an annual event. The Liberal Democrat's have dismissed the move as a 'cynical pre election giveaway' which won't win back farmers. An independent review into the Red Tractor scheme says that while it is sound and has not breached its own rules, there has been a failure of communication. This is the first of two reviews of the scheme and looks at the organisation's governance. A further report into Red Tractor's future will be published later. We speak to Red Tractor chair Christine Tacon.Farming's next generation is something we're looking at all this week, from the challenges they face to their hopes for the future. The Duncan family run three successful farms close to Loch Lomond. Three of the family's four children now work in the farm operation, and plan to make it their home and livelihood long-term.Presenter = Charlotte Smith Producer = Rebecca Rooney