This time last year it would have been difficult to believe we would face a greater threat to our local and national economies than Brexit.
Uncertainty loomed but following the Tory landslide in December the immediate
aftermath saw markets rally and the value of the pound soar.
As a result, at the start of the year I was writing in here about renewed optimism for 2020.
Little did anyone think that fast-forward to the summer and we would be living through a global pandemic which would go on to cause more disruption to businesses than anything ever experienced before in our lifetimes.
But it could be said that the north-east has been preparing for this long before the rest of the country.
The formation of Opportunity North East (One), in response to the 2014 oil and gas downturn, has seen focus turn already to other sectors of our economy so that the region is not solely reliant on just one industry.
As a result, a lot of work had already been done in boosting our food, drink and agriculture sector, which has been pivotal throughout the coronavirus outbreak.
In this month’s edition of the business we look at what the industry has done to not only weather the storm of the pandemic but to ensure it manages to meet the demand which had been forced upon it as a result of stockpiling and national panic.