Westminster strikes agreement with CF Industries over CO2 production

Downing Street has struck an agreement with CF Industries to restart production of carbon dioxide across its UK sites after talks between the company and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng.

The Illinois-based firm stated last week that it had halted work at its fertiliser plants in Billingham-on-Teesside and Ince on the back of a recent surge in gas prices, shortly after Norwegian company Yara also moved to reduce production at ammonia factories across Europe - including one based in Hull.

As a result, a crisis was created in the food industry as the CO2, a by-product of the fertiliser manufacturing process, was used to stun farm livestock prior to slaughter and also in the vacuum packing process, prompting warnings that shoppers across the UK may begin to notice shortages in poultry, pork and assorted bakery products within a matter of days.

While further details of the agreement between Westminster and CF Industries were expected to be revealed at a later, the move comes shortly after prime minister Boris Johnson stated the energy crisis was a "short-term problem" and that he did not believe there would be disruption to food supplies come Christmas time.