Many of you will know how I’ve championed our industry in the recent lamb welfare review and now we have a health review on the table, beef permitting and an ongoing battle regionally to explain to vegan activists that they don’t get to lie about the sheep industry on my watch.
So a busy first couple of weeks, but also incredibly exciting when you look beyond and focus on the massive opportunities for our sector in the North and beyond.
Right now, the UK beef and sheep sectors are at a critical point. Farm businesses are under sustained pressure from rising input costs, labour shortages, and tightening margins, while policy shifts following Brexit continue to reshape support and trade. At the same time, global competition is increasing, and we must ensure imports meet the same high standards we uphold at home. As we look into EU alignment there’s also a job for the NFU to ensure any alignment is sympathetic and not detrimental to our industry. We can’t stop it under this government but we need to carve out the non negotiables.
But this is also a moment of opportunity. The UK has a strong reputation for high-welfare, grass-based beef and lamb, and a domestic market that values quality. The challenge is making sure that value is returned fairly to farmers, not lost in the supply chain. Lots to do and I’m hoping to make the livestock board a vibrant and active part of the region and in turn national policy making. We can help drive a clear, confident political strategy, one that pushes government on fairer returns, delivers workable environmental schemes, and defends our standards in trade deals. We must be proactive, not reactive: bringing evidence, economics and practical solutions to the table. The northern region has the most diverse livestock sector in the country
and needs to have special consideration.
Then there’s the human side of this role. The first time I walked into a livestock board meeting, I walked out knowing I could make a difference – not just on my own farm, but for the wider industry. That’s the strength of the NFU, turning farmers’ voices into real influence. But I also felt supported, heard, and it gave me a much needed mental break from the isolation of the farm. I hope to build a livestock board that welcomes members and empowers everyone to make a difference, among friends. As we also need to remember how much the people matter, I’m not only working for members, I’m working for families, friends and people whose abilities and work ethic I admire greatly. That’s as good a motivation as you’ll ever need to make a change.
Our industry has a strong future – but only if we shape it. Now I’m elected, I will give this role everything to ensure the voices of Northern beef and sheep farmers are not just heard, but acted upon locally and nationally and that we can all come together afterwards for a pint and the crack.