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	Podcast:		Farming Today
	Episode:		21/12/23 Cuts to agriculture budgets in Scotland and Wales, The Archers' comedy night, Operation turtle dove
	Category:		Science & Medicine
	Duration:		00:13:27
	Publish Date:		2023-12-21 06:00:00
	Description:		Rural affairs budgets for next year are being cut by both the Scottish and Welsh governments. In Wales spending will fall by around 10% in comparison with this year's budget, while in Scotland agriculture faces an 8% cut. Both governments say the money is being "repurposed" to other areas like the NHS. Both also stress that BPS, the basic payment scheme which pays farmers directly based on the amount of land they farm, has been protected. While BPS is already being phased out in England with farmers now getting about half what they got in 2020, Scottish and Welsh farmers won't start that transition to new schemes until 2025. The turtle dove is always associated with Christmas because of the song, 'The 12 Days of Christmas'. In fact it's a summer visitor to the UK and has been on the RSPB's red list since 1996, meaning it's in decline and at risk of global extinction. Operation Turtle Dove was launched in 2012 and the RSPB has just reported that a record number of farmers are joining in, creating habitats for the birds. We hear about The Archers' Christmas comedy night, called Gagriculture! Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.
	Total Play:		0