Covid -19 agriculture and food production

gozunda · 09-03-2020 10:18pm #1

Thread to cover impacts of the above ...

Well today's government announcements have put the cat among the pigeons

Reckon there's likley to be varying amounts of shortages going forward imo. Deliveries and supplies ditto.

Talking to the guys in the loccal CO-OP - they're saying already seeing a run on various types of feed. Will suppliers be able to maintain supply chains with an increasing number of countries facing restrictions?

Base price · 09-03-2020 11:32pm

The only positive that I see is that we have left Winter behind and Summer (hopefully drier weather) isn't too far away.

I had a herd test today and was chatting to our Vet about how we would deal with animal health issues if the virus spreads exponentially thereby preventing on farm visits or bringing animals to the surgery. She said that Vets will have to take the same approach as GP's with phone consultations. The problem that she sees is dispensing POM med's since Vet's are no longer allowed to leave them in a box for collection. DAFM will have to allow leeway on this.

cj maxx · 10-03-2020 12:09am

What are POM meds,?

Base price · 10-03-2020 12:13am

cjmc wrote: »

What are POM meds,?

Prescription only medication.

Siamsa Sessions · 10-03-2020 10:39am

The resilience and ability to keep producing of some systems will be tested if movement restrictions hit imports of feed. Same on the other end if what's being produced here can't get exported.

Might be a time to look at how exposed we are to random events. And by "we" I mean farmers, not the whole Irish agri-food industry.

_Brian · 10-03-2020 11:28am

I was talking to a friend at the weekend who still works on the maintenance end of multinational companies.

We were saying how we spent the last 20 years planning and modelling system to JIT (just in time) delivery of goods and stocks of spares. Ironically in the event of such a global pandemic it’s going to hurt everybody. Already companies are seeing raw material shortages, particularly those coming from China and soon issues with supplies from Italy.

We see when we have a 4-5 day snow event that stocks on supermarket shelves vanish and can’t be replenished. Imagine a 2 week lockdown, and it’s effects on supplies.

We might smirk at people stocking up on basics, but it’s not a completely unfounded action. We’re natural food hoarders at home here anyway, I’d say at any time we’d have 2-3 weeks stock of food hanging about.

kerryjack · 10-03-2020 5:39pm

100 boxs of cornflakes and a good 30 litre milking cow would keep the show going here for a month, fine roast chicken dinner cooked here today and kids came home from school and out with the cornflakes. I might regret saying it but a few weeks hunger might do them no harm at all.

carrollsno1 · 10-03-2020 6:19pm

Met a kiwi fruit farmer last night the harvest is starting up in 10 days or so, he has 90 staff in the fields and 90 in the packhouse. He is pretty worried about Covid-19 not that for fear of him getting sick from it but for fear if him or one of the staff get it the whole facility has to shutdown for 4 weeks and thats half the harvest as its only an 8 week window to get it done.
Wine season is starting here soon too so that would be in the same bost too

Buford T. Justice XIX · 10-03-2020 8:39pm

carrollsno1 wrote: »

Met a kiwi fruit farmer last night the harvest is starting up in 10 days or so, he has 90 staff in the fields and 90 in the packhouse. He is pretty worried about Covid-19 not that for fear of him getting sick from it but for fear if him or one of the staff get it the whole facility has to shutdown for 4 weeks and thats half the harvest as its only an 8 week window to get it done.
Wine season is starting here soon too so that would be in the same bost too

That would be a huge issue for processors here too. Milk processors on 3 shifts could lose half a shift or more if someone working on a shift is found or suspected of having it. Taking lads from other shifts to fill in will only work for a while and they could find themselves down to bare minimum numbers to run the processing fairly quickly.

In Kerry, contractors have to fill in a 2 sheet page to be allowed enter for work and that form will have to be filled out again the next day. Labs and meat factories will be under similar pressures and that's before we get into the whole distribution network. The UK has allowed night time deliveries of certain items like toilet paper and sanitisers and critical items to ease demand pressures.

ganmo · 10-03-2020 9:57pm

Limit your exposure by avoiding crowds and physical contact with others.

Limit the risk to your business by having alternative suppliers, alternative feed suppliers may not be necessary but a vet definitely and I'd also have a number for a 2nd mechanic and AI man etc.

Overall limit your exposure and control the risk

Siamsa Sessions · 11-03-2020 10:45am

ganmo wrote: »

Limit your exposure by avoiding crowds and physical contact with others.

Limit the risk to your business by having alternative suppliers, alternative feed suppliers may not be necessary but a vet definitely and I'd also have a number for a 2nd mechanic and AI man etc.

Overall limit your exposure and control the risk

Become antifragile, as Nassim Taleb would call it: https://fs.blog/2014/10/an-antifragile-way-of-life/

gozunda · 11-03-2020 1:59pm

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

That would be a huge issue for processors here too. Milk processors on 3 shifts could lose half a shift or more if someone working on a shift is found or suspected of having it. Taking lads from other shifts to fill in will only work for a while and they could find themselves down to bare minimum numbers to run the processing fairly quickly.

In Kerry, contractors have to fill in a 2 sheet page to be allowed enter for work and that form will have to be filled out again the next day. Labs and meat factories will be under similar pressures and that's before we get into the whole distribution network. The UK has allowed night time deliveries of certain items like toilet paper and sanitisers and critical items to ease demand pressures.

Taking to someone who works in construction. Their Dublin office has already been hit by one case requiring self isolation with a work site restricted. Going forward they are now planning on bringing staff from other sites where this happens to ensure continuity of cover and so that onsite work can continue.

farawaygrass · 11-03-2020 3:30pm

kerryjack wrote: »

100 boxs of cornflakes and a good 30 litre milking cow would keep the show going here for a month, fine roast chicken dinner cooked here today and kids came home from school and out with the cornflakes. I might regret saying it but a few weeks hunger might do them no harm at all.

Here here. Oldest lad is shocking picky here, wouldn’t mind but he got lots of food variety as a toddler and ate most things then. Maybe we give in too easily ðŸ˜ž

uck51js9zml2yt · 11-03-2020 10:48pm

kerryjack wrote: »

100 boxs of cornflakes and a good 30 litre milking cow would keep the show going here for a month, fine roast chicken dinner cooked here today and kids came home from school and out with the cornflakes. I might regret saying it but a few weeks hunger might do them no harm at all.

Give me your address and I'll send my 2 over as well.:)

We have eggs, some veg and a freezer full of meat.

gozunda · 11-03-2020 10:56pm

Article from the independent a few days ago

Family farms in Italy's coronavirus-hit regions

https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/news/world-news/family-farms-in-italys-coronavirus-hit-regions-fear-collapse-39015545.html

gozunda · 23-03-2020 8:49am

McDonald's closing all Ireland and UK restaurants due to coronavirus outbreak

The company plans to shut its branches by 7pm on Monday March 23

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/mcdonalds-closing-ireland-uk-restaurants-21735961

This will have an impact on producers in both the UK and here

whelan2 · 23-03-2020 10:16am

I am sure though beef sales will have risen significantly since the outbreak in the shops. Mince is flying off the shelves. I'd say business wouldn't have been hectic in mc donalds recently either

Siamsa Sessions · 23-03-2020 10:18am

gozunda wrote: »

McDonald's closing all Ireland and UK restaurants due to coronavirus outbreak

The company plans to shut its branches by 7pm on Monday March 23

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/mcdonalds-closing-ireland-uk-restaurants-21735961

This will have an impact on producers in both the UK and here

Factories may use it to cut prices but there's nothing in it for them to slow production when volume is their main driver of profit. Question is, who will they try to sell the burgers to now? And at what price?

_Brian · 23-03-2020 10:23am

Be shocked if they don’t use this to pull prices.

gozunda · 23-03-2020 12:17pm

New ‘call and collect’ service at glanbia branch network

https://www.glanbiaconnect.com/news/new-call-and-collect-service-at-branch-network

BENDYBINN · 23-03-2020 2:11pm

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Factories may use it to cut prices but there's nothing in it for them to slow production when volume is their main driver of profit. Question is, who will they try to sell the burgers to now? And at what price?

No fresh meat to be got in any supermarket in the whole of London......that’s some market that needs filling..

tanko · 23-03-2020 3:09pm

BENDYBINN wrote: »

No fresh meat to be got in any supermarket in the whole of London......that’s some market that needs filling..

Anyone with a horse better keep a close eye on it.

Bass Reeves · 23-03-2020 3:15pm

tanko wrote: »

Anyone with a horse better keep a close eye on it.

With the ANC limited on donkeys, there may be a surplus of them around. It might provide a cheap protein supply to processors. However I am sure they do never do a thing like that. They are staunchly ethical businessmen, there history shows that
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Siamsa Sessions · 23-03-2020 4:16pm

Bass Reeves wrote: »

With the ANC limited on donkeys, there may be a surplus of them around. It might provide a cheap protein supply to processors. However I am sure they do never do a thing like that. They are staunchly ethical businessmen, there history shows that
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Nothing at all wrong with "carne de burro": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp87yqMdcLg

gozunda · 24-03-2020 5:10pm

All Marts to close from Midnight

Source RTE

gozunda · 25-03-2020 10:23pm

Report on the RTE new tonight about the Marts being closed and how it will be a problem for farmers ....

Not a word of mention about ensuring national food security and continuity of supply

Like the report last week about the fishing industry going under and boats being tied up.

We are about to enter the greatest global recession ever seen. The government needs to take action now to ensure a food supply not only for now but in 6 months and going forward

If they dont - it will not just be farming that will be fuked...

yosemitesam1 · 26-03-2020 8:04am

gozunda wrote: »

Report on the RTE new tonight about the Marts being closed and how it will be a problem for farmers ....

Not a word of mention about ensuring national food security and continuity of supply

Like the report last week about the fishing industry going under and boats being tied up.

We are about to enter the greatest global recession ever seen. The government needs to take action now to ensure a food supply not only for now but in 6 months and going forward

If they dont - it will not just be farming that will be fuked...

I don't get why the marts were specifically mentioned for closing. Some of them were going to great lengths to limit the amount of people present and also keep minimum distances between people

Robson99 · 26-03-2020 11:25am

yosemitesam1 wrote: »

I don't get why the marts were specifically mentioned for closing. Some of them were going to great lengths to limit the amount of people present and also keep minimum distances between people

The couple I was at were policed much better than the Construction sites which are pretty much a joke. 3 and 4 lads getting out of vans for the Breakfast rolls. No cop on what so ever

gozunda · 27-03-2020 12:48am

For farmers who contract covid-19 ...

https://amp.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/online-tool-developed-to-help-farmers-who-contract-covid-19-990293.html

Direct link

https://www.ifa.ie/planb/

gozunda · 03-04-2020 11:34pm

As much as it hurts me to link to any article in this rag of a paper- this article has some interesting details about the growing shortage of migrant workers in the agriculture and horticulture sectors in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/03/farmers-across-europe-bank-on-improvised-armies-of-pickers-to-save-harvest

Interestingly I had an email from a friend in Italy - who detailed that alot of migrant workers simply got up and left before the worst of the lockdown. Harvesting there is going wanting for people on the ground.

I reckon the current blockdown is going to have a considerable impact on time critical harvests down the line.

I see possible shortages in some of the usual range of horticultural produce - especially the usual smancy out of season stuff favoured by many shoppers

At the start of this myself and the neighbour had already decided to share some of the cultivation for a number of crops over the summer and into the winter.

Have picked a decent area with good drainage and lighter soils. Something there isn't too much of around here.

Even if there arent any shortages - hopefully we will he well supplied either way ....

_Brian · 04-04-2020 12:48am

There’s definitely more articles appearing talking about food shortages in the pipeline. I’m torn between taking it seriously or are the media bored of scaring us with Covid19 deaths and so have moved onto scaring us over something else.

Covid -19 agriculture and food production

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