A coalition of industry groups has warned that Britain needs to fix the supply chain to ensure food security. The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has brought together the group of food and retail organisations today to discuss food security and called on government to help keep British food self-sufficiency at 60%.
NFU president Minette Batters said: “Government has tried to paper over the cracks with short-term fixes, but if we want to avoid this crisis continuing, long-term solutions are urgently needed to ensure a resilient supply chain that enables us to continue supplying everyone at home with fantastic produce, as well as leading on the global stage.”
Labour, inflation and shortages
The call follows a year when the food sector has been affected by a range of challenges including labour shortages of workers from seasonal fruit pickers to abattoir staff and lorry drivers, alongside inflation that has driven up the price of energy, feed and fertiliser.
Organisations making up the coalition includes the NFU, Food and Drink Federation, National Pig Association, British Retail Consortium, Arla Foods UK and ABP UK.
China shutdowns
Authorities are already trying to contain dozens of cases in the Yangtze river delta manufacturing hub. The cities of Hangzhou, Shaoxing and Ningbo, south of Shanghai, have reported almost 200 new cases this week, prompting authorities to impose restrictions on movement until March 2022.
Factories located in the region are facing transportation costs almost trebling as truck drivers have hiked prices and producers fear bottlenecks at ports.
For more information: export.org.uk