01/11/2023 - Egg supply chains, winter on the Isle of Lewis and live sheep exported to Georgia

There's to be Government a review into fairness in the egg supply chain - something that was promised at the UK Farm to Fork Summit in Downing Street 5 months ago. Last Spring egg producers warned that retailers weren't paying enough for their eggs, and that was forcing producers to cut back the number of laying hens or give up altogether. That - combined with the pressure of avian flu - led to shortages on supermarket shelves and an increase in imports from places like Italy and Poland. Since then, prices farmers are getting for their eggs have risen by as much as fifty percent, but producers say contracts still need to be fairer.

A flock of pedigree Suffolk sheep has been flown all the way to Georgia in Eastern Europe. Irene Fowlie from Aberdeenshire, who bred the animals, had to arrange the export directly with the Georgian Department of Agriculture, to allow the trade go ahead. The animals, 70 ewes and 3 rams travelled on three flights - from Stansted to Maastricht, then to Istanbul in Turkey and then on to Georgia.

And we visit the Western Isles off the coast of Scotland, which are exposed to some of the worst winter weather. Keeping livestock of all kinds safe and healthy, is the priority for farmers and the local community.

Presented by Anna Hill
Produced for BBC Audio in Bristol by Heather Simons