27/07/26: Fresh produce checks, hot lettuce, Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Farmwatch.
Why the fruit and veg trade has written to the Prime Minister demanding proposed new checks on imports are scrapped.
The UK's fresh produce trade body has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham asking him to scrap proposed border checks on fruit, veg and flowers, which it claims could cost the industry £300 million. The controls are included in the reset of our trading relationship with the European Union, currently under negotiation. The checks for pests and diseases would affect imports to the UK from outside Europe. The chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium tells us around half of the fruit and veg which comes into the UK is from non-EU countries, and consumers are likely to see higher prices if the changes come into effect.
Salad sales have boomed in the hot weather, but the heat presents a big challenge for lettuce growers.
This week sees Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Farmwatch, which celebrates farm to fork stories around England on Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Sounds and Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Local Radio. We catch up with Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Farmwatch presenter, and farmer, Harriet Cowan as well as visiting a Somerset farm which makes its own unpasteurised Cheddar Cheese.
Presenter: Charlotte Smith
Producer: Sarah Swadling
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- Mon 27 Jul 2026 05:45Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓÆµ Radio 4
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Farming Today
The latest news about food, farming and the countryside