AFTER lockdown conditions were imposed on the UK in March, one industry did not break its stride.

The announcement came at a key time for farmers - seed sowing time.

Andrew Fairs, 48, owns 4,800 acres of arable farmland around Great Tey, growing everything from peas to specialist crops like chia, borage and quinoa.

After the lockdown announcement, the farm brought in measures to make sure its team, including seven members of outdoor staff and three office-based staff, would be kept safe.

But the work must go on.

Mr Fairs said: “From March until the end of April is prime sowing time.

“We were listed as key workers, and we benefit from having few staff covering large acreages of land.

“Measures taken included talking about not sharing machinery as much as possible, keeping staff in the back safe in any way possible and making sure deliveries are left outside.”

He added: "We need to be allowed to keep sowing our crops and fertilising them, protecting them from diseases.

“I know you can import things, but we don’t want to be a country which relies on imports.

“People are going through a lot worse than we are, we are lucky here, we are out in the countryside.

“We can socially distance ourselves from everyone else.”