Coronavirus represents a very significant challenge to daily life and to every part of the economy. We are working with the farming industry to respond to the latest issues you face.
The government’s priority is to save lives, and the best way to protect yourself and others from illness is to follow the latest advice and to stay at home.
What should you do if you show symptoms of coronavirus?
Anyone with mild symptoms - such as a new continuous cough or a high temperature above 37.8C should self-isolate at home for at least 7 days, according to the latest advice.
Don't ring NHS 111 to report your symptoms unless you’re worried. Don’t go to your GP or A&E.
If you are unable to work due to coronavirus, visit this dedicated GOV.UK page to find out more about the support available to you.
Social distancing advice
If you and your staff cannot follow the social distancing guidelines in full because of a particular activity, for instance if your business is situated outdoors (e.g. market stalls, farms or commercial forests) you should ask your staff to:
Further advice can be found on GOV.UK
If you need to carry out activities such as sheep dipping or shearing, or foot trimming on different premises where it may be difficult for workers to stay 2 metres apart at all times:
Support available to your business
Business support available to you includes:
Farmers as key workers
As you’re involved in the production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery of food you’re a key worker. Your children will be prioritised for continued school provision.
Milk and Slurry
We will temporarily relax further elements of UK competition law to support the dairy industry.
This means dairy farmers can work together to address current market challenges, avoiding waste and maintaining productive capacity to meet future demand. This could include sharing labour and facilities, cooperating to temporarily reduce production or identifying where there is hidden capacity in the supply chain for processing milk into other dairy products.
The Secretary of State said, “Our dairy industry plays a crucial role in feeding the nation and it is essential that they are able to work together at this time. ... I am also urging farm businesses to access the loans that are available from their bank to support them in this period.
“We welcome our farmers’ heroic efforts in ensuring food supplies remain resilient and will continue to support them through this difficult time.”
The Environment Agency advises that if you are experiencing supply chain disruption as a result of coronavirus and you need to spread slurry and milk on to land, you must comply with certain requirements.
These requirements aim to make sure that you do not apply nutrients to land in a way that:
Read more about spreading slurry and milk on agricultural land.
Farm Visits
Defra, Natural England, Rural Payments Agency, Environment Agency and Forestry Commission have paused most fieldwork, and visits to farms and other types of land. This is to protect both our staff and you, by reducing person-to-person contact and eliminating non-essential trips.
Certain high-priority visits and inspections will need to continue, for example to protect the environment, identify and control plant and animal disease, or to protect animal welfare.
To support Countryside Stewardship 2020 applications, including Higher Tier applications (1 May application deadline), Natural England staff will provide advice remotely (by phone or video call) so that schemes can be progressed in the absence of a site visit.
NE will continue to offer technical advice and support on Catchment Sensitive Farming remotely, including help with Countryside Stewardship mid-tier applications. Please contact the CSF team by calling 020 8026 2018.
For advice on managing protected sites or species, such as requests for consent for work on an SSSI, please contact [email protected] and NE team will advise on next steps.
Where visits must continue, they will follow current coronavirus guidance.
For further information visit:
Looking after your livestock
Coronavirus spreads from person-to-person and to date there have been no reports of farm animals becoming sick.
If you have symptoms of coronavirus, you must remain at home for 7 days. All other household members who remain well must stay at home for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house becomes ill. Further information can be found on GOV.UK
If you have livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, you should arrange for someone else who is not self-isolating to care for your animals.
If you are too unwell to care for your animals and there is no one to help, you should call your local authority.
Read our latest pet guidance for more information.
If you want to know more about TB testing of cattle herds during coronavirus, including what happens if it’s overdue, read APHA guidance. The current situation is fast-moving and subject to change. Check the TB Hub website for the latest updates.
If you keep pigs, you can order free ‘Do Not Feed the Pigs’ signs from AHDB Pork to remind anybody walking or exercising close to your farmland not to feed leftovers to your livestock, helping to prevent animal disease. Fill in an order form to receive a sign for free.
To ensure that there is sufficient availability of animal feed and nutritional supplies, feed merchants, as a key part of the supply chain, are allowed to stay open.
Environmental Land Management scheme
Due to the impacts of coronavirus and the concerns expressed by our stakeholders, we are pausing the ELM Policy Discussion Document.
While we won’t be accepting any new responses, we’ll reopen the discussion document once it’s possible to do so, giving everyone the opportunity to respond then.
Thank you to those of you who have already responded to the discussion. Your response is still valid and will be reviewed along with all other responses received.
The government’s priority is to save lives, and the best way to protect yourself and others from illness is to follow the latest advice and to stay at home.
We’ll continue to add new information to update you on how we’re supporting farmers and land managers during this time.
What should you do if you show symptoms of coronavirus?
Anyone with mild symptoms - such as a new continuous cough or a high temperature above 37.8C should self-isolate at home for at least 7 days, according to the latest advice.
Don't ring NHS 111 to report your symptoms unless you’re worried. Don’t go to your GP or A&E.
If you are unable to work due to coronavirus, visit this dedicated GOV.UK page to find out more about the support available to you.
Social distancing advice
If you and your staff cannot follow the social distancing guidelines in full because of a particular activity, for instance if your business is situated outdoors (e.g. market stalls, farms or commercial forests) you should ask your staff to:
- work side by side, or facing away from each other, rather than face to face if possible, if a 2-metre distance cannot be maintained
- wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or more, and more frequently than normal
- avoid touching their face at all times.
Further advice can be found on GOV.UK
If you need to carry out activities such as sheep dipping or shearing, or foot trimming on different premises where it may be difficult for workers to stay 2 metres apart at all times:
- try to meet the separation advice as far as is possible. You should assess whether you and your staff are able to carry out these tasks safely
- remind your staff to wash their hands more frequently than normal and always when arriving at or leaving a farm or premises. They should wash their hands for 20 seconds using soap and hot water, or hand sanitiser. They should avoid touching their face at all times
- ensure that staff can frequently clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, using cleaning products. This should be done both during the working day and when moving between premises.
Support available to your business
Business support available to you includes:
- reclaiming Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) - small and medium sized businesses and employers can reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) paid for sickness absence due to coronavirus, for up to two weeks per employee
- apply for a loan under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) - farmers experiencing cash flow or other financial difficulties due to the coronavirus outbreak are eligible to these loans. Further information, including how to apply, can be found at GOV.UK
- accessing low-cost government backed loans – the Government will be providing £330 billion of guarantees so any business needing cash can access a low-cost government backed loan.
Farmers as key workers
As you’re involved in the production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery of food you’re a key worker. Your children will be prioritised for continued school provision.
Milk and Slurry
We will temporarily relax further elements of UK competition law to support the dairy industry.
This means dairy farmers can work together to address current market challenges, avoiding waste and maintaining productive capacity to meet future demand. This could include sharing labour and facilities, cooperating to temporarily reduce production or identifying where there is hidden capacity in the supply chain for processing milk into other dairy products.
The Secretary of State said, “Our dairy industry plays a crucial role in feeding the nation and it is essential that they are able to work together at this time. ... I am also urging farm businesses to access the loans that are available from their bank to support them in this period.
“We welcome our farmers’ heroic efforts in ensuring food supplies remain resilient and will continue to support them through this difficult time.”
The Environment Agency advises that if you are experiencing supply chain disruption as a result of coronavirus and you need to spread slurry and milk on to land, you must comply with certain requirements.
These requirements aim to make sure that you do not apply nutrients to land in a way that:
- exceeds the needs of the soil and crop
- creates a risk of point source or diffuse pollution to surface water or groundwater
- nitrate vulnerable zones
- storing silage, slurry and agricultural fuel oil (SSAFO) rules
- rules for farmers and land managers to prevent water pollution.
Read more about spreading slurry and milk on agricultural land.
Farm Visits
Defra, Natural England, Rural Payments Agency, Environment Agency and Forestry Commission have paused most fieldwork, and visits to farms and other types of land. This is to protect both our staff and you, by reducing person-to-person contact and eliminating non-essential trips.
Certain high-priority visits and inspections will need to continue, for example to protect the environment, identify and control plant and animal disease, or to protect animal welfare.
To support Countryside Stewardship 2020 applications, including Higher Tier applications (1 May application deadline), Natural England staff will provide advice remotely (by phone or video call) so that schemes can be progressed in the absence of a site visit.
NE will continue to offer technical advice and support on Catchment Sensitive Farming remotely, including help with Countryside Stewardship mid-tier applications. Please contact the CSF team by calling 020 8026 2018.
For advice on managing protected sites or species, such as requests for consent for work on an SSSI, please contact [email protected] and NE team will advise on next steps.
Where visits must continue, they will follow current coronavirus guidance.
For further information visit:
- Natural England webpage
- Rural Payments Agency webpage
- Forestry Commission webpage
- Environment Agency webpage
Looking after your livestock
Coronavirus spreads from person-to-person and to date there have been no reports of farm animals becoming sick.
If you have symptoms of coronavirus, you must remain at home for 7 days. All other household members who remain well must stay at home for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house becomes ill. Further information can be found on GOV.UK
If you have livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry, you should arrange for someone else who is not self-isolating to care for your animals.
If you are too unwell to care for your animals and there is no one to help, you should call your local authority.
Read our latest pet guidance for more information.
If you want to know more about TB testing of cattle herds during coronavirus, including what happens if it’s overdue, read APHA guidance. The current situation is fast-moving and subject to change. Check the TB Hub website for the latest updates.
If you keep pigs, you can order free ‘Do Not Feed the Pigs’ signs from AHDB Pork to remind anybody walking or exercising close to your farmland not to feed leftovers to your livestock, helping to prevent animal disease. Fill in an order form to receive a sign for free.
To ensure that there is sufficient availability of animal feed and nutritional supplies, feed merchants, as a key part of the supply chain, are allowed to stay open.
Environmental Land Management scheme
Due to the impacts of coronavirus and the concerns expressed by our stakeholders, we are pausing the ELM Policy Discussion Document.
While we won’t be accepting any new responses, we’ll reopen the discussion document once it’s possible to do so, giving everyone the opportunity to respond then.
Thank you to those of you who have already responded to the discussion. Your response is still valid and will be reviewed along with all other responses received.
