Tim is part of a brother and son third-generation farming business that grows 650 acres of processing and crisping potatoes in Ryedale, North Yorkshire.
He said: “I’m delighted to have been elected to represent the Potato Policy Group on the Horticulture and Potatoes Board, and I look forward to working with the rest of the PPG to feed into the board on key issues facing the sector.
“Like other sectors, potato growers are facing significant rising costs and it’s essential we continue to work within the NFU and with the government to ensure these are recognised in government and across the supply chain.”
Edward Backhouse elected second representative
Edward Backhouse, a Yorkshire potato and arable grower, has been elected as the second representative of the Potato Policy Group on the Horticulture and Potatoes Board.
He mainly grows 80 hectares of main crop potatoes to sell through a number of merchants to fish and chip shops, and grows on a combination of owned land, permanent rented, contract farmed and single crop rented land.
Following his election Edward commented: “Having already been on the Potato Policy Group for five years, I have really enjoyed the opportunity to represent the potato sector and the chipping trade in particular, and so I’m delighted to have been appointed to represent potatoes on the wider Horticulture and Potatoes Board.
“With so many challenges and opportunities facing potato growers I am looking forward to helping steer the direction of the board for a sustainable and resilient future for growers.”
The role of the NFU Potato Policy Group
The PPG (Potato Policy Group) works alongside the national board for Horticulture and Potatoes and has a critical role in shaping NFU policies that impact on potato growers.
Whether it is crop protection or business resilience, or shocks to the supply chain and cost inflation, the PPG helps identify the issues affecting members and creates a plan of action to address them.
The group meets three times a year and has regular email/video call contact throughout the year, addressing key policy priority areas and reacting to sector issues rapidly.
