Nearly half of the UK’s fruit and vegetables are now produced to the environmental standards demanded by the LEAF Marque accreditation scheme.

With the dairy sector facing significant challenges, Cedric Porter asks Tony Evans, senior business consultant at Andersons, for his advice on changes which farmers can make now.

Wheat prices have stabilised a little since the middle of March when the full scale of coronavirus hit countries across the world, but the general trend remains upwards amid global stockpiling European weather fears.

It is not just shoppers who are stockpiling in the face of coronavirus, with countries holding back grain to keep for their own food supplies, helping push up UK grain prices.

Fuel prices were softening at a key time when farmers were playing catch-up after the wet winter but they have not yet tumbled in line with oil prices.

A massive over-supply of milk in the UK and across the world is the reason for the dramatic fall in milk prices. UK spot markets have dropped to 15ppl, while some milk is going unsold and starting to be dumped.

Potato growers are calling for special assistance after the sudden closure of many fish and chip shops.

Labour availability, supply chain disruption and volatile prices are the issues uniting farmers around the world as the global industry reacts to coronavirus.

Farmers are being warned to take extra care to ensure livestock and machinery are protected from theft as thieves try to cash in on demand for food amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Farm fuel supplies should be unaffected by the coronavirus, following some farmer reports of delays to deliveries.