Countryfile made a strong comeback on Sunday, 6 July, with Adam Henson leading the first of four special episodes on BBC Two. This series focuses on multigenerational farming families, delving into their traditions, daily lives, and the hurdles they face in modern agriculture.
The opening episode took viewers to Leicestershire, where Adam visited the Eggleston family, who have been supplying milk to a local Stilton cheese dairy for over a century. The show also featured archive clips of various UK farms, highlighting the close relationship between farmers and their livestock.
One significant challenge discussed was bovine tuberculosis (TB), a disease that has troubled Adam’s farm for decades. During his visit, Adam helped round up cattle for their annual TB test and compared the situation in the UK to that in New Zealand during the 1990s. TB rates in New Zealand were nearly seven times higher than in Great Britain back then, but by 2011, they had reduced to about forty times lower.
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Curious about New Zealand’s success in reducing TB, Adam spoke with Michelle Murphy, an animal technician whose role is dedicated to TB testing. Michelle explained that controlling infected wildlife such as possums, feral deer, ferrets, and wild pigs—species considered pests in New Zealand—is crucial to curbing TB spread.
Adam noted that, unlike New Zealand’s non-native vectors, Britain’s main TB carriers, particularly badgers, are native species deeply symbolic to the country. This biological and cultural factor makes TB control far more complex in the UK. He praised Michelle’s robust approach to managing TB outbreaks, underscoring the difficulties British farmers face.
Highlighting the stress TB testing places on cattle, Adam emphasized the farmers’ efforts to complete the process quickly to minimize distress for their animals.
Countryfile continues to air on Sundays at 7:05 pm on BBC Two, bringing audiences closer to the realities of farming life across the UK.