Monmouthshire NFU Cymru members were given the opportunity to learn more about the impact Covid-19 has had on the supply chains and consumer behaviour at a recent county AGM.
NFU’s Food Chain Adviser Helen Hunt, who was guest speaker at the AGM, said: “During the start of the pandemic, 42 million extra shopping trips took place, with 88% of households visiting a food retail outlet. This placed enormous pressure on supply chains having to make sure food was readily available. People were shopping differently and preparing to eat more meals at home, as restaurants and pubs closed their doors.
“In month one, more people were eating together and by month two, people had got used to preparing food and healthy eating moved back up the menu. Over the summer, the good weather and the restrictions on where people could meet meant BBQ food was in huge demand. Consumers changed the way they shopped by visiting stores less frequently but leaving with larger baskets. Online shopping was up by 68% but interestingly, butchers were up 30% as consumers liked to see what meat they were buying and also bought into the shopping local idea.
“The closing of the food service sector really did have an impact on beef and dairy, and as Wales heads into further restrictions within the hospitality sector, we need to ensure supply chains continue to meet demand. This time, supply chains are more prepared, and we hope there will be lessons learned to avoid such disruption again.”
The annual general meeting saw the end of Kate Beavan’s term as County Chair as she handed over the reins to Dave Edwards, who is a dairy farmer near Monmouth. Emma Robinson, a dairy farmer from Grosmont was elected as County Vice Chair.