Meet the NFU Potato Policy Group

He farms in partnership with his brother and has a mixture of tenanted and owned farms. He also grows wheat, oats, and oilseed rape.

Previously, he has been a member of United Potato Farmers Limited, a director of Alpha Group, and member of the AHDB potatoes marketing group.

Alastair farms with his brother near Telford.

They took over the farm in 2010 at which point all the land was being contract farmed by a third party and they had free range layers. 

Since taking over they have converted their poultry site back to broilers with 114,000 birds per flock.

They've also taken all the arable land back in hand and now rent a large acreage on a mix of annual and long term tenancies.

Alastair now grows 168 hectares of processing potatoes, 168 hectares of cereals and 46 hectares of Oilseed Rape. 

Tim has worked in his family business for all his life, a joint farming tenancy which includes managing a peatland area of 200 hectares.

Tim's policy interests include water, farm assurance, environmental sustainability and farm safety.

Tim is also involved in local community work with Open Farm Sunday, and often works closely with young farmers and student events.

The Knapton family has been growing potatoes in northern Lincolnshire for over 70 years. Along with her father and sister, Louise is driving the business forward, and oversees the day-to-day operations of the business, including planting, lifting and staffing. Louise also takes on an equal role in marketing all produce grown.

Louise has been an active member of the NFU Potato Forum and East Midlands horticulture and potatoes board for six years, contributing to regional and national policy discussion.

In recent years she has completed a Foundation Degree in Agriculture at Riseholme University, taken part in the NFU Farming Ambassadors training course where chairing and negotiation skills were developed and, within a team, set up the first Institute of Agricultural Management in Lincolnshire, aiming, through events and visits, to maintain and develop skills, training and delivering information to farmers and industry leaders in the local area.

Allan is very concerned for the future of the potato sector and was a member of the Potato Marketing Board for the last 18 months of its existence, he then became a founding member of the British Potato Council and continued in that role for nine years.

When the NFU Potato Forum was launched he was happy to be a part of it and has continued into the newly constituted Potato Policy Group.

Alex is a founder board member of GB Potatoes and a former chair of the NFU Potato Forum.

Andrew enjoys meeting up with like-minded potato growers and is passionate about new technologies and products which contribute to farming sustainably, ensuring a future for many generations. 

Andrew believes the potato industry needs to make its voice heard within government as well as higher up the supply chain, to ensure British potato growers remain sustainable. 

Edward, who works off an 80 hectare farm, sells potatoes through a number of merchants to fish and chip shops. 

He grows on a combination of owned land, permanently rented, contract farmed and single crop rented land. 

Peter is a former potato grower who now works at NIAB as Research Development Manager for potatoes.

In 2020, Peter won the Nuffield Farming Scholarship. 

Robin went to a local comprehensive school and went on to attend Lancashire College of Agriculture, studying part time and was recognised as the top agricultural student in Britain, 1978.

After college, Robin started an agricultural contracting business focusing on the specialist application of ag chem on a range of agricultural and horticultural crops.

Robin was a founder member and vice chair of a North West Potato co-operative.

At the same time, Robin and his brother expanded their farm to around 1500 acres growing combinable crops and specialising in the production of chipping potatoes predominantly for distribution throughout the North West.

He has been actively involved with the NFU at a local level, on the North West Regional Commodity Board for Horticulture.

At national level, Robin sat on the NFU Potatoes Committee and latterly as a member of the Potato Forum.

He has also been involved in promotional work for the industry (TV, radio and national press) in his position as a Potato Ambassador for the Potato Council.

Robin is a father of three and has a particular interest in the cooking and promotion of potatoes as a healthy choice for consumers.

CUPRA member, Andy Alexander, is well seasoned when it comes to potatoes, having been an Associate Independent Potato Consultants member, Andy has also sat on the Nematicide Stewardship Board.