03/11/2025: Food security, no confidence in DAERA, where seeds start

A cross party group of MPs are warning that UK food production could drop by almost a third, by 2050. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture also says that by 2050 - assuming all Government targets were met in full - almost a quarter of current UK farmland could be used for other purposes including renewable energy, housing, and nature restoration. The group is publishing a report today calling for the most productive farmland to be protected and for output to increase 30%, with 50% less environmental impact by 2050.

The Ulster Farmers Union says it has no confidence in Northern Ireland's Department for Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs. The UFU says DAERA's handling of a range of issues, from TB in cattle to a Nutrients Action Programme aimed at improving water quality with better management of manure and fertilisers , has led to 'deep dissatisfaction' among its members.

And we take a closer look at seeds on the programme this week.

Presenter: Charlotte Smith
Producer: Sarah Swadling