The NFU Combinable Crops Board has recently set itself up for the next two-year term, with a combination of returning and newly-elected regional members being complemented by another mix of old and new national appointees, helping ensure the board has expertise across all our policy priorities within the sector.
We are excited by the level of knowledge that the Board possesses, and when we meet formally for the first time in mid-May we will set our Board priorities for the following term.
While not premeditating this process, it seems unlikely that some of our important ongoing work is going to fall off this list.
“Our long-term strategic work is often interrupted by shock events, and the Iran conflict has piled on additional input costs for a sector that is already suffering from a crisis in profitability.”
NFU Combinable Crops Board Chair Jamie Burrows
Progress on fairness
We continue to benefit from our lobbying efforts across the past couple of years which delivered a government supply chain fairness review years ahead of when it was originally planned.
Our comprehensive response combined with the direct feedback from members should leave the government in no doubt of the need for intervention. The government is unable to comment on the consultation responses during a pre-election period, so we are expecting to hear more in the next month when we can then set out next steps on achieving much greater fairness and transparency in the supply chain.
Fairness in the combinable crops supply chain – read the NFU’s response
‘Once-in-a-generation’ opportunity to create a fairer future for arable farmers
New analysis predicts red diesel price hikes could significantly hit farm incomes
NFU welcomes CMA response as farmers feel the brunt of key input price rises
Need for change on farm assurance
Our work on farm assurance reflects the vital need for change in the standards which growers need to adhere to.
The NFU representatives on the Red Tractor Sector Board and Technical Advisory Committee are leading the charge on identifying the legislative baseline for feed grains and investigating the opportunities of segmentation so that the additional needs of specific added-value supply chains might only need to be met if the growers wishes to access that market.
Middle East conflict leaves farmers exposed
Our long-term strategic work is often interrupted by shock events, and the Iran conflict has piled on additional input costs for a sector that is already suffering from a crisis in profitability.
It is estimated that the increase in red diesel prices could have driven an extra £20,000 of cost into a large cereals farm over the cropping season, while fertiliser prices are so high that growers are considering whether it is viable to continue producing food.
Ultimately, it is the lack of transparency which leaves farmers so exposed to these rapid market movements, and the Board is focused on improving how these markets operate.
As always, we welcome all members in the combinable crops sector to continue to feed into our work and contribute through your regional structures, to help magnify your voice in our critical policy work.
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