Rural Broadband, Sheep Worrying, British Goats and Late Spring

The Government is promising better broadband coverage in rural Britain by the end of 2020. The pledge to deliver universal broadband of at least 10 megabits per second (Mbps) by the end of 2020 has been presented to Parliament. But one campaigner from B4RDS (Broadband for Rural Devon and Somerset) has told Farming Today it's "too little, too late."

Sheep worrying and dog attacks on farm animals cost British farmers more than a million pounds a year. Now the National Police Chiefs Council is calling for greater powers to obtain DNA from dogs suspected of committing livestock attacks.

The British Goat industry says that farming goats is more popular now than at any time. The majority of herds in the UK are kept for milking but there is also a lucrative market for goat meat, soap and even fudge.

Heavy rain, cold winds and deep snow have all affected arable farmers and delayed the start of spring planting. In East Anglia carrot, pea and potato planting have all been hit by the bad weather.

Presented by Sybil Ruscoe.
Produced by Vernon Harwood.