‘Bounce Back’ plan for Agriculture, Food & Drink industry

A Government ‘bounce back’ plan of trade measures for the agriculture, food and drink industry has been announced to help support businesses that have been impacted by coronavirus. The plan introduces a new programme of physical and virtual events that have been tailored to help a variety of businesses and exporters. These include an overseas virtual buyer trial, a ‘Smart Distance Selling Process’, and a package of “Ready to Trade’ Exporting Masterclass webinars.

The plan will also see the launch of a new SME E-commerce Accelerator Pilot and the introduction of Defra’s first Agri-food Counsellor serving the Gulf who will support the UK’s food and drink industry and represent the interests of UK businesses already exporting, or planning to export, to the region.

These measures are being announced as part of a programme of support for the agriculture, food and drink industry to ensure they benefit from the new trade and investment opportunities – including future free trade agreements (FTAs).