Farming communities respond to Covid19 challenge

Covid19 response

Coronavirus dealt a hammer blow to human health and businesses alike. Charles Abel captures just some of the key moments as farming fought to respond to the new world order. See also p18

HELP AT HAND

Anxiety, isolation, financial worries – the Farming Help partnership created by the Addington Fund, Farming Community Network, R.A.B.I, RSABI and Forage Aid, supported by The Prince’s Countryside Fund, was here to help. Its helpline (03000 111 999), open 7am-11pm every day, has been fielding calls ranging from practical support to help applying for Coronavirus loan scheme and delayed VAT. NFU Mutual Charitable Trust gave £739,000 to aid charities.

AG BILL PROGRESSED

Intense lobbying failed to win crucial amendments in the new Agriculture Bill’s Commons reading – the first legislation to be digitally progressed by UK Parliament. It gives no protection for UK farmers against imports produced to lower standards of animal welfare, plant health and environmental protection. Intnl Trade Secretary Liz Truss’s Trade & Agriculture Commission offers hope. But no-deal EU-exit could mean high WTO tariff exports to EU.

THANK YOU NHS

Smart ways to show support for NHS, care staff and frontline workers included rainbow stacks of silage bales, messages ploughed and mown into fields, and this message sprayed onto a farmer’s airfield near York by a Trimble-controlled Horsch sprayer.

DIVERSIFICATION SHOCK

Lockdown dealt farm diversifications a heavy hit, a Knight Frank survey showing 80% of rural businesses expected a profit slump. Some responded by giving locally produced foods to NHS and key worker teams, including here in Northern Ireland, where Glenarm Castle partnered with local food producers to donate homegrown fruit and vegetables, Shorthorn beef, organic smoked salmon, eggs and bread – the best of British fresh food.

#FEEDTHENATION

Months of negligible demand from caterers and restaurants hit supply chains, although beef and lamb prices subsequently rose. Farmers and farming organisations pulled out all the stops to keep the nation fed, including the Royal Agricultural University producing over 2000 meals for the Feeding the 5,000 project run by The Long Table in Gloucestershire.

EU AID BOOST

EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski urged member states to support Poland’s call for a 10% boost to EU farming subsidies, to help member states continue environmental and climate actions despite Covid19. A 7% rise was agreed. UK government said it would not delay its transition period to reduced subsidies. No level playing field here then!

TECH SOLUTIONS

Supply chain failures saw empty supermarket shelves despite a crash in demand from caterers. Tech solutions, like FruPro, sought to plug gaps, helping Reynolds Catering Supplies and food marketing firm WT Hill divert 180 tonnes of fresh produce to independent retailers and wholesalers, for example – enough for half a million people for two days. On-line became the norm for meetings, advice and assurance scheme auditing too.

LAND ARMY

Lockdown labour issues were a major concern, with Defra, the NFU and even Prince Charles encouraging furloughed staff to be a modern day ‘land army’ and ‘pick for Britain’ on fruit and veg farms. Many applied, but few arrived. Meanwhile, Government pushed ahead with its points and income plan to control migration.

FOOD CHAIN CRISIS

Farmers faced losses as supply chains faltered, especially in the food service sector. As demand crashed millions of litres of milk and thousands of tonnes of fresh produce went to waste. But opportunities were seized too. Graham’s The Family Dairy extended doorstep deliveries of milk, eggs, cream and butter, with the most vulnerable prioritised. In mid-May Dairy UK co-funded a £1m #MilkYourMoments campaign to encourage people to share their special moments of personal connection through their love of milk and dairy products in challenging times.

BOXING CLEVER

Box schemes rocketed – connecting producers with the public like never before. From local fresh deliveries to frozen packs by courier, the public loved direct sourcing. Demand more than doubled, far out-stripping capacity. The Meat Box Company in Devon was typical – switching from restaurant supplies to delivering frozen self-butchered Red Tractor meats nationally, and repeatedly selling out.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Farming’s image soared as #FeedTheNation trended and social media posts reassured a locked-down public that farmers would do all they could to keep food and drink on tables. This video, self-filmed by 23 farming families across Scotland, had 70,200 views on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in its first 18 hours.

SHOWTIME DEVASTATED

Virtually every farming show was cancelled, with severe financial implications. But on-line ventures emerged, including www. OnlineAgShow.co.uk. Developed by Innovation for Agriculture it drew nearly 50,000 visitors to its on-line Main Arena, Livestock, Dog and Equestrian Rings, Beer Tent, and 225+ stands. Live judging of 800+ entries via Cloud-Lines-Shows gave best-in-show to Holstein Dairy cow Racewood Windbrook Ambrosia.