STORY: Agricultural supply chain update

Provided by AIC 

AIC Members across the agricultural supply chain are reacting to and making preparations for the rapid spread of coronavirus and the resulting impact it will have on the UK’s availability of food and feed. Our top priority is to comply with Government rules to delay the spread of disease, while at the same time ensuring that feed and food supplies continue uninterrupted.

Our part in the supply chain often goes unseen but is nevertheless a critical part of the process. During this difficult time, our member employees will all have a role to play, from mill works and lorry drivers to lab technicians and agronomists. We must work together to maintain continued supplies of inputs, astute advice to farms, collection of produce from farms, and onward delivery to a range of processing destinations.

To our farmer and grower customers, we ask that they plan ahead and liaise with both their suppliers and those they are supplying. It is important at this time to appreciate that flexibility may be required in order to ensure that businesses receive what they need when they need it. The industry needs to be practical in its approach. Whether it is deliveries or collections, we are in the best possible place to keep the UK supply chain functioning smoothly.

We are working with government to seek maximum flexibility to ensure that supplies from AIC Members can continue with the least amount of interruption. We do need support from government to introduce flexibility on driver hours, working time directive, feed labelling and border checks to name just a few. We also need government to recognise the critical role that all Member employees play in continuing to secure an unbroken supply of food to shop shelves. 

To this end, we have asked for details of how Government would categorise and manage essential worker movements in the event of movement restrictions. We will communicate to members on this matter when government’s intentions are clearer.