15/01/2025 - UK bans imports of German meat following foot & mouth outbreak in Germany, devolved agriculture ministers, combines

The UK closes its borders to imports of German meat, as the authorities there tackle an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Farmers here are told to be vigilant.

Each of devolved nations is designing a new post-Brexit farm payment scheme, to replace the old EU system. They're all moving towards rewarding farmers not for the land they farm, but for providing better habitats for wildlife, flood mitigation, improving soils and carbon at the Oxford Farming Conference.

This week we're taking a look at machinery, a vital but very expensive commodity on the farm. To keep costs down many farmers are now part of the national network of machinery rings, where those with kit can loan it out to other farms that need it.

Presented by Anna Hill and produced by Beatrice Fenton.