Farm Business

With 40 per cent of food eaten out of the home in the UK, the Government’s decision to close pubs and restaurants will have a major impact on demand.

Concerns have been raised that cattle prices could drop over the coming weeks, with demand for steaks from both the food service sector and retailers plummeting due to the coronavirus epidemic.

With Brexit negotiations now effectively on hold as result of the coronavirus outbreak, NFU director of EU exit and international trade Nick Von Westenholz has warned the transition period must be extended.

Farm groups have praised Channel 5 for its ‘excellent’ depiction of the UK dairy industry, after the broadcaster took an accurate look behind the scenes of a dairy farm.

The fast food giant has announced its decision to close its 1,350 UK stores from March 23 to negate the spread of the virus. 

Last weekend’s (March 21 and 22) recent spring sunshine saw an influx of visitors to the countryside, sparking outrage from farmers over coronavirus concerns.

Lockerbie Abattoir has suspended its slaughter services with immediate effect due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The widening gap between the highest and lowest milk prices was brought into sharp focus when Arla announced it was increasing its manufacturing milk price by nearly 1ppl at a time when Meadow Foods said it would drop its by 2ppl.

Growers have launched a large-scale recruitment campaign to encourage British people to provide seasonal labour to harvest crops, due to a severe lack of local workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Government has committed extra research and development spending, while farmers are being urged to explore the tax benefits of bringing more innovation to their businesses.