Politics

In a joint letter, a cohort of charities and rural campaigners have urged Government to halt US trade negotiations to focus on the health and economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In these unprecedented times, farming’s pivotal role in feeding the nation has been brought back into sharp focus.

The coronavirus crisis has exposed the Government’s failure to think about food policy, and it needs to be properly considered now, says Tim Lang, professor of food policy at City, University of London.

When the coronavirus has been brought under control, politicians must take stock and recognise the importance of food security, says Robert Largan, Conservative MP for High Peak.

The economy must be drastically rebalanced if rural communities are to be shielded from the worst impacts of coronavirus, says Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Rural Affairs Minister.

2020 started badly, and has only got worse since, but it still has the potential to go out on a high, says Leicestershire arable and beef farmer Joe Stanley.

Defra Ministers are ‘in constant discussion’ with industry about delaying the phase out of direct payments, as the Agriculture Bill faces a fresh hold up due to the coronavirus epidemic.

No farm should face the prospect of losing more than a quarter of its direct payment before the new Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme is up and running, the CLA has said.

Plaid Cymru has called on the Welsh Government to put on hold its plans to introduce new water regulations until the coronavirus epidemic is under control.

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.