Chinese dairy imports could be down a quarter or more as a result of the Covid-19 coronavirus as diners in the country are forced to stay at home, analysis by Rabobank has revealed.

More than a quarter of UK food and drink businesses spent at least £1 million on stockpiling last year for a threatened no-deal Brexit which never took place.

There had been some optimism among beef producers that the turning of the year would bring better prices.

Farmers may look back on the 2019/20 grain season as one of the most buffeted by external events they can remember.

The government is planning a trade policy with as few tariffs as possible, but the farming industry warns that must not allow the import of products which could put British farmers out of business.

A set of goals shared between the farming and food industries and government has led to trade wins for New Zealand over the years, according to government and industry representatives from the country.

Global dairy prices are increasing, but that has yet to filter through to higher UK farmgate prices.

Continued pressure on margins should prompt serious business planning, consultants Andersons advised visitors to Dairy-Tech

Coronavirus is starting to have an effect on global agricultural commodities, largely because of a drop in oil prices.

A potential move to simplify inheritance tax could sweep away special reliefs for farmers and leave them with tax bills they would struggle to pay, a specialist agricultural lawyer has warned.