Adam Bedford, North-East Regional Director of the NFU, talks about the job ahead for farmers as the coronavirus crisis continues.

AS WE all start to come to terms with the new reality of our working and home lives, it is clear that farmers have a big job ahead producing enough high-quality British food to meet unprecedented demand.

Nationally, a big area of concern has been the resilience of the food supply chain, given how interlinked it is getting food from farm to fork.

As has become clear in recent days, there are several ‘pinch-points’ along the way. On farm we are already seeing horticultural growers in need of more staff, and livestock markets affected by ‘public gathering’ restrictions.

The supply chain also has a massive challenge diverting food from cafes, pubs and restaurants – which normally provide a third of the food we eat – into the retail sector for people to use at home.

The NFU is a key member of the ‘Food Resilience Industry Forum’ that meets daily and we aim to help resolve these issues, which frankly, are unprecedented. It’s good to see everyone pulling together on this with a common goal.

We are also speaking daily with the Treasury and No 10 officials, along with the wider business community, to tease out the many other issues affecting farmers on the ground.

We have been contacted by huge numbers of farmers and growers across the country trying to understand the new restrictions and how their farming businesses are affected.

We have also been working to make it easier for farmers to get the job done – especially given the very challenging weather conditions we experienced this winter.

We are also trying to encourage co-operation from the many members of the public taking exercise in the countryside, with members reporting record numbers of walkers. We are urging people to follow the Government guidance and maintain social distancing requirements, especially where paths go near or through farmyards.

We are working with the police to clarify why farmers and farm workers are travelling at this time of year. We’re working with Government to understand how business support from the Chancellor fits with farming and we are working to highlight any increases in rural crime.

Finally, we’re regularly updating our ‘Coronavirus Hub’ on our website.

These waters are completely uncharted, but I hope by pulling together and being kind and considerate to each other, we will all pull through these extraordinary times.

Please take care of yourselves, follow the health guidance and know that the NFU is here to support you.