Farming Today

Rural councils are warning that council tax will have to rise and there will be cuts in services, because they say the Government has prioritised urban communities in the recent funding agreement. The County Councils' Network which represents 23 county councils and 13 county unitary authorities says ministers are 'cherry picking' by using a formula based on deprivation, which is targeted towards city and town councils. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government told us the overall funding agreement is a real terms increase which will support places with a significant rural population. This year a charity that collects surplus food and distributes it to charities says that between November and the end of January, it's expecting to rescue enough food to create around 50 million meals. It says this is in part down to the ways it’s now working with growers to reduce waste.And carols, in the pub; a tradition that sprung up in Yorkshire in the nineteenth century, where people would go to the village pub and sing carols to the old tunes. All week we've been looking at the fortunes of rural pubs and to celebrate Christmas, locals in the the small market town of Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, are reviving village carols from Somerset, Wiltshire and Cornwall.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Carrot and sprout discount wars are in full swing as the supermarkets vie to be the best value for Christmas. While growers acknowledge what's becoming an annual pricing competition can be helpful for hard-up shoppers, they're worried that this sends the wrong messages to consumers.At this time of year knitters and crocheters are making gifts and natural wool from local sheep is in demand.All this week we are looking at the challenges facing rural pubs and their importance to local communities. Two entrepreneurs from Oxfordshire think more pubs could grow at least some of their own produce.Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

The figures being used by the Treasury to estimate how many farmers will be impacted by changes to inheritance tax could be inaccurate, because of historical advice given by HMRC. That's according to the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers. The Government has introduced 20% inheritance tax on farm assets worth more than a million pounds. Farmers say the change will affect as many as three quarters of them, but the Treasury says data from previous claims for inheritance tax relief suggest just 500 estates a year across the UK will be impacted.We visit a pub in Perthshire which has an intimate relationship with the fortunes of the river it sits alongside.New Government legislation's being proposed to widen the public's access to National Parks in England, and to restore more protected landscapes. The Government says the changes will cut through bureaucracy to achieve more for people and nature.And if you've bought your festive holly and it's got a lot of berries - you may be one of the lucky ones. We hear from one farmer who say berries are few and far between this year.Presented by Anna Hill Produced by Heather Simons

As many as 7.5 million poinsettias are sold in the UK every year, and 4.5 million of them are grown here. But UK poinsettia growers say next year's crop could be under threat from what they call "disproportionate" plant hygiene rules, which mean crops are being destroyed unnecessarily. They want Government action.We visit a pop-up-pub based on a hop farm, which sells beer made from the hops grown there.And a new Government white paper proposes fundamental changes, with every region of England to get a mayor, and many rural areas which currently have a two tier system of County and District Councils, could see these merged to streamline services.Presented by Anna Hill Produced by Heather Simons