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05/02/25 - Illegal meat imports, council farms and plant nutrients

MPs are told that animal products from Germany continued to enter the UK after an import ban was put in place because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak there.

Animal products from Germany were still getting into the UK days after the Government banned imports in response to cases of Foot and Mouth there. That's according to evidence given to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee of MPs as they started a new enquiry into animal and plant diseases. We have the latest from the first session.

The future of councils farms in England is being thrown into uncertainty by the proposed reorganisation of local authorities - according to one Devon councillor. It comes after many rural councils facing financial problems have chosen to sell some, or all, of their farms.

And scientists at the John Innes Centre in Norwich have discovered a special genetic signal, which allows crops to take up more nutrients from soil, without needing so much chemical fertiliser.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced by Heather Simons

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14 minutes