Retail and foodservice demand for beef, lamb and other products is starting to settle following the easing of lockdown.

After one of the quietest ever periods for farm sales, the market is bouncing back, partly driven by city buyers looking for rural isolation in the wake of lockdown.

Immediate action on rural planning is needed to help businesses thrive and secure jobs.

Measures to protect young people’s jobs may benefit farming businesses looking for new staff.

Farmers may benefit from extra demand from the Eat Out to Help Out measures designed to encourage people to return to restaurants, cafes and pubs.

There was confusion over how much threat a strain of swine flu discovered in China posed.

The pig market continues its run of stability, with sales underpinned by domestic demand, relatively tight supply and export demand.

Strong export sales helped pig and poultry processor Cranswick increase sales by 16 per cent to 1.66 billion and profits by 14 per cent to 105 million in the year to the end of March.

Beef and lamb prices continue to be above those last year against a background of higher retail sales, the prospect of increasing foodservice sales and pressure on slaughter numbers.

Australia has lowered its forecast for beef exports to China by 1.5 per cent for the 2020/21 season due to ongoing trade tensions between the two countries.