Urgent warning issued over Christmas panic buying amid "crippling" shortages

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the day's biggest stories sent direct to your inbox The food and farming sector has warned the government that shelves could go empty among fears of consumers panic buying this winter.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) has called for an urgent Covid Recover Visa to allow firms to recruit from outside the UK to supplement "crippling" shortages in labour.

The head of the NFU, Minette Batters, has written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson warning that the food and farming sector is on a “knife edge” due to a shortage of workers across the entire supply chain.

The letter was signed on behalf of 12 food and drink trade bodies and urges the government to introduce the recovery visa which would open up new