Coronavirus

The Government is continuing support to help businesses and employees through the second lockdown.

Farmers have been encouraged to develop a Covid-19 contingency plan to ensure the welfare of their stock is not compromised if family or staff become unwell.

Farming industry leaders in Australia have warned the cost and availability of fruit and vegetables could be hit hard by a lack of labour without the restart of the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) programme.

Britain’s food supply chain is better positioned to cope with the second lockdown than it was in the first wave of restrictions in March.

Tighter measures could be on the cards for auction marts in England following Government’s announcement of a four-week national lockdown to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Young farmers are concerned the Covid-19 pandemic will affect their long-term prospects and feel pessimistic about future opportunities to live and work in rural areas, a study has found.

Grocery sales in the UK have accelerated as the restrictions tighten again although there was limited evidence of stockpiling as seen in March.

The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has called on Ministers to extend Covid rules for seasonal workers in the horticulture sector to staff on turkey processing sites in the run-up to Christmas.

Second homes, holiday lets and the availability of affordable property for rural residents are in the spotlight in Wales and Scotland.

A question mark hangs over the future of next year’s major agricultural shows as tougher Covid restrictions come into place once again.