A FARMERS' union boss has warned that "considerable difficulties" may lie ahead for farmers in Wales during the coronavirus outbreak.

John Davies, president of NFU Cymru (the National Farmers' Union), has written to the UK and Welsh Governments, reassuring them Welsh farmers are committed to keeping the nation fed amid significant changes to demand and consumer habits.

Farmers are facing increased demand from food retailers and a huge drop in demand from the food service industry, driven by the closure of many restaurants, bars, and cafes across the UK.

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Mr Davies said farmers' supply chains were “highly complex and vulnerable to disruption".

He added: “As primary producers we rely not only on having an outlet for what we produce, but also on the ability to bring essential inputs onto farm, such as fuel, fertiliser, veterinary supplies and animal feed.

"If our ability to bring any of these key inputs onto farm is disrupted, then it goes without saying that this will have an impact on our ability to produce outputs such as milk, livestock and crops.”

Dairy farmers have been hit hard by the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, he said. In the first half of March, the NFU recorded a 70 per cent drop in demand for milk in the food service sector, as the public stayed away from cafes and restaurants.

And although the retail sector recorded a 15-20 per cent rise in demand over the same period – as shoppers sought to stock up – this was not enough to offset the financial losses from the food service sector.

Mr Davies said lamb prices had also fallen significantly "as buyers become increasingly concerned about consumer demand and the ability to get product into export markets".

He added: “Production cycles in agriculture are of course long and complex and cannot be adjusted easily or quickly in response to rapidly changing demand, something which makes our sector especially exposed to such a volatile marketplace.”

The NFU president said the union welcomed the "sensible and welcome steps" taken in Westminster and the Senedd, but has called for clarification on whether the Welsh Government's £100 million grants for some traders would extend to diversified farm businesses in the tourism or hospitality sectors.

The union has also called on the Welsh Government to pay all outstanding Direct Support and Rural Development Plan payments to farmers.

A spokesman said the Welsh Government was "working to put a series of measures in place to support farmers at this challenging time and an announcement will be made shortly.

"Support is available for farm businesses through Business Wales and a number of mental health charities are available to support farmers. "In light of the covid-19 outbreak, we are also bringing forward the launch of FarmWell Wales – a resource hub focusing on personal and business resilience for farmers and their families.”