21/08/2013

Dave Howard looks at the consultation on the government's strategy to eradicate bovine TB that is now halfway through. Over the next month, a series of workshops will be held across the country for farmers, vets and other stakeholders before it ends on the 26th of September. The pilot culls of badgers in two sites in the South West of England could start any day, while vaccinations are already underway in Wales. Experts say every measure, including new research on an oral vaccination for badgers, is needed to tackle the disease.

Also, the flax crop used to be a common sight in Northern Ireland in the 1800s and 1900s where it was once part of the vast linen industry. It disappeared mainly because of foreign competition - but now there could be the beginnings of a revival thanks to a new project...

Produced in Bristol by Anna Varle.