Supporting documents
NFU horticulture & potatoes board nominations form (Word doc)
NFU horticulture & potatoes board call for nominations: 2021 - 2023 (Word doc)
With the combined challenges of COVID-19 and Brexit, 2020 has been an unprecedented and difficult year across the sector, truly testing businesses.
Over the year, your board and NFU team worked to successfully secure the expansion of the Seasonal Workers Pilot for 30,000 visas in 2021, secured the reopening of garden centres over the March lockdown, helped grower businesses navigate food chain business closures and secure sufficient seasonal workers throughout the COVID pandemic, but also gained clarity for members over future EU-UK plant and plant product trade, working to resolve issues raised.
Moving into 2021, the board will be working to ensure new and current regulation for the sector works for UK businesses and drives productivity and growth, including securing government support for attracting and retaining seasonal workers, and ensuring as smooth as possible plant and plant product trade with the EU. The board will also be focusing on current and future sector productivity schemes, the Red Tractor standards review and AHDB reforms, whilst continuing to balance the on-going issues created by COVID-19. To address longer term challenges for the sector, the board will be also looking ahead at how to ensure environmentally sustainable horticultural production; working on topics including net zero and the development of the new Defra ELM scheme.
It’s a big challenge but an exciting time to get involved, so don’t miss your opportunity.
The NFU's horticulture and potatoes board consists of 12 appointed members, including an elected chairman, plus up to 3 additional co-options. The board has a rolling process of annual appointments, and this year 8 positions are up for re-appointment (including 6 board members, 1 co-opted appointment and 1 early retiree). Both board members and co-opted members can serve a two-year term of office and members can then stand for re-appointment. This year’s appointments will commence March 2021 and run until February 2023.
Interested?
For more information on the nomination and appointment process, please read our briefing document and nomination form. The deadline for applications is Friday 12 February 2021.
Please note the first board meeting that members will be expected to attend is Tuesday 23 March 2021, conducted via video call due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.
To find out more on the work of the NFU Horticulture and Potatoes board on behalf of members, visit our sector pages.
More from NFUonline:
- A pivotal year for the horticulture industry - Ali Capper looks at the challenges of 2021
- Growers set out views ahead of AHDB horticulture ballot
- National Action Plan on sustainable use of pesticides consultation - have your say
- Consultations round up
