Farm Business

In line with its commitment to support the UK livestock sector and maintain the food supply chain during the evolving coronavirus crisis, the Livestock Auctioneers’ Association (LAA) welcomes two new online platforms which are helping to support livestock trade via dedicated auction events and services.

As the horticultural sector faces the prospect of thousands of empty vacancies during April and May due to Covid-19, a new digital initiative has been launched to make domestic workers and farms accessible to each other.

There are a number of steps which farmers can take to reduce the potential impact of Covid-19, particularly if they or those that work for them fall ill.

Farmers and recruiters have turned to charter flights to bring in fruit and vegetable pickers from Romania to keep up with demand during the coronavirus pandemic.

Recent milk market turmoil due to Covid-19 impact on supply chains has led to a series of dairy crisis meetings taking place across industry to seek ‘meaningful action’ and avoid a national catastrophe.

Scotland’s finance secretary Kate Forbes has announced a further £220m of grants for businesses, including the recently self-employed, to help them deal with the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 outbreak.

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.

Farm groups have joined forces to help farmers navigate the cashflow crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with banks being urged to be ’flexible’. 

Freshways is the latest processor to further cut and delay milk payments with its boss citing ‘choked up’ markets as a result of Covid-19 making it more difficult to handle surplus milk.

Farmers and crofters across Scotland have united to produce a video to reassure the general public they will continue to work hard to feed the nation as the Covid-19 lockdown continues.