01/10/26 Red diesel; Labour party conference; getting into farming; the sound of worms.

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Diesel prices hit an all time high this week, with drivers paying almost £2 a litre, according to the RAC. The conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt supplies of fuel, pushing up prices. Farmers don’t get their fuel from filling stations, they buy it in bulk and use what’s called “red diesel” - it’s dyed red and is much cheaper - with less fuel duty to pay because it’s only for use in off-road machinery. Industry surveys estimate farmers are paying an average of around one pound 18 pence per litre - 20p more than in July, a rise of more than 40% on this time last year. The Labour party conference has come to an end. The headlines were full of big announcements on the National Care Service and reforming the pensions triple lock. The DEFRA Secretary of State, Angela Eagle, gave a speech. She didn't talk about agri-environment schemes and the Sustainable Farming Incentive, but she did talk about food security and the impact climate change is having on farmers. All week we’re talking about how young people can get into farming, through education, farm placements, apprenticeships and for some, through sheer determination! 23 year-old Nikita Fineran from the Isle of Wight fits into that bracket. Her goal is to have a farm of her own one day where she can breed sheepdogs. Earthworms are an indicator of soil health - but how can a farmer know whether worms are in the soil without digging a hole in a field? Well, apparently….by listening to them. Scientists are using bio-acoustics to record the sounds of invertebrates under ground. They're deploying AI to analyse what different creatures sound like and help farmers work out what's beneath their feet. Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney