51AVÊÓƵ

The British Sheep Dairying Association (BSDA) has voiced its concerns about the future viability of member businesses with processors cancelling sheep milk orders as a result of the spreading virus.

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.

As the nation strives to keep coronavirus at bay, the farming community is pulling together in extraordinary ways. Farmers Guardian finds out more.

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.

Boosting the country’s valuable reserve of personal protective equipment (PPE), JCB and a team of volunteer employees have set up mini production lines.

Rachael Richards, 40, grew up on a Welsh hill farm and has spent every spring since the age of 18 travelling home to help over the lambing season. Here she discusses how in the grip of Covid 19, after being furloughed from her PR job in Manchester, she is now ‘volunteering’ back on the family homestead, alongside her four siblings, and finds very little changes in the country.

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.