Yorkshire sheep farmer Richard Findlay has been re-elected as chairman of the NFU’s national livestock board for another two-year term.
He will be supported by Welsh sheep and beef farmer Wyn Evans who has also been re-elected as vice chairman of the board.
Richard Findlay said: “I am delighted to be re-elected as chairman and am proud to continue to represent livestock members across Britain. We have a great team here at the NFU and I look forward to working with Wyn and the rest of the board over the next two years.
“While we are living in increasingly uncertain times, from Brexit to climate change to the COVID-19 outbreak, the government is now starting to recognise the importance of food security and domestic production. I believe that this will present us with many opportunities in the long term.
“Achieving the NFU’s net zero ambition will continue to be an important priority for the livestock sector over the coming years. As a board we will work to help members asses their carbon impact and develop ways to become more carbon neutral, as well as showcasing British livestock farming’s positive story to the public when it comes to climate-friendly beef and lamb.
“Leaving the EU and the introduction of the Agriculture Bill is new and unchartered territory for us, but could help address a number of long standing issues for our sector. Crucially it is a chance to increase fairness and transparency within the supply chain through a mandatory processor code and price reporting and creating a more uniform approach to carcass classification and trimming specifications for the sheep sector.
“Above all we need to ensure that the market rewards the quality of British beef and lamb. I’m clear that our sector can embrace new technology and make better use of data, which will deliver long term improvements in our productivity.”