07/06/24 Beetle threatening forestry, Northern Irish farmers and the election, moths, post-Brexit pesticide regulation

Farming Today

Spruce trees may not be viable in the UK in the long term because of a pest which is now in the country. Restrictions on spruce trees have been extended after spruce bark beetles were found in East Anglia. This week, we've been hearing from BBC correspondents in the nations about what farmers want from politicians. Today, we hear from Northern Ireland. A study by the University of Sussex found that moths are even more efficient pollinators than bees. So are these nighttime creatures being overlooked in their role as a friend to crop growing farmers? Delays in organising the post-Brexit regulation of agricultural chemicals are making planning on farms harder, according to the Agricultural Industries Federation. It follows calls from the Royal Society of Chemistry for a new UK Chemicals Agency to regulate across all chemicals.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.