Farming Today - 11/06/2010

The small hive beetle has been found in beehives in Hawaii. The beetle destroys bee colonies and imports of queen bees from Hawaii to the UK have now been stopped to try and prevent the disease from coming over here. Over the past 15 to 20 years, between seventy five and a hundred thousand queen bees have been imported to the UK from around the world and until now around 20 per cent of them have come from Hawaii. Also on Farming Today, a major study is taking place on twenty four farms across the country to try to breed wheat which would be more resistant to dry conditions. The experiment is funded by DEFRA and carried out by The Organic Research Centre. Charlotte Smith investigates why the rules on GM crops in Europe are likely to change this summer, giving countries the ability to ban GM crops without fear of being taken to court by the European Union. At the moment, the EU decides what is allowed. So far it has approved one variety of GM maize and one of potato. If a member state doesn't want to grow those then it currently has to justify why to the EU. Presenter: Charlotte Smith. Producer:Anna Varle.