Industry braced for coronavirus hit

The UK farming unions have cancelled a London march set to take place on 25 March on substandard food imports due to the coronavirus outbreak.

NFU Scotland president Andrew McCornick said: “It is of course disappointing to have to postpone our rally but we have to be sensible and put everyone’s wellbeing at the heart of any decision.

“We will be looking to find a suitable date in the future to rearrange the rally but in the meantime, we will continue our campaign to ensure that any future trade agreements do not undermine the high standards which we produce food to in the UK and in Scotland,” McCornick said.

Marts

In the marts, managers report that they have increased signage around premises to remind farmers to wash hands regularly. Ultimately, they are relying on farmers taking a common sense approach and staying away from sales should they feel unwell.

First Milk has also taken steps to mitigate the spread of the disease.

A spokeperson said: “We continue to follow government advice but have implemented additional measures to protect our members, our colleagues and the wider business continuity.

“These include limiting external visitors to our production sites, reducing non-essential travel, introducing an enhanced visitor health questionnaire and postponing planned farmer meetings.”

Contractors

Across the main dairy processors in NI, all have confirmed that they have cancelled outside contractors and non-essential maintenance work at their factories, and will either stop or minimise all farm visits. Processors are also notifying suppliers to avoid personal contact with milk collection drivers.