NFU23: Find out about our conference sponsors and exhibitors

27 January 2023

A promotional image for the NFU's 2023 annual conference

The NFU would like to express sincere thanks and appreciation to the organisations sponsoring the 2023 conference. A number of them have display stands in Hall 3 and they look forward to meeting you to discuss products and services that can help you run your farming business.

 

ABP

ABP UK is a leading agrifood business, operating across 17 locations, working with over 12,000 farmers.

It is a significant contributor to the UK rural economy and has been delivering premium quality meat for the UK’s retail, food service wholesale and manufacturing sectors for over 60 years.

Visit ABP Food Group’s website

Addington Fund

The Addington Fund helps farmers and the farming community by providing retirement homes and affordable housing for those who wish to retire or live in their chosen location and cannot afford modern day rental prices. It also provides disaster relief when inclement weather and / or certain disease outbreaks severely impact your farm.

Their Farmworker Grant Scheme for active and retired farmworkers helps with any household goods that may need fixing or replacing, while its Young Entrants Scheme helps and encourages first generation talent into the farming industry.

For more information about the Addington Fund and if you would like to support its work visit: addingtonfund.org.uk

Registered charity number 109092.

Asda

ASDA

Founded in the 1960s by Yorkshire dairy farmers, ASDA is one of Britain’s leading retailers.

Headquartered in Leeds, ASDA is the UK’s third-largest supermarket by market share, employing more than 140,000 colleagues and serving over 18m customers every week in its 633 stores and online.

Visit the ASDA website

The Co-Operative

Co-op

The Co-op is a leading convenience retailer with more than 2,500 stores across the UK – that’s one in every postal area. As a member-owned co-operative, it is guided by principles that include open membership and concern for community.

As set out in the Co-op Future of Food ambition, it is committed to caring for the environment in which ingredients are sourced from. By working closely with its farmers and suppliers, the Co-op puts a lot of thought and care into the food that goes into its members’ and customers’ baskets.

Co-op knows that animal welfare is important to its customers and members, so it is committed to creating products that have been produced to good animal welfare standards, regardless of their budget.

Visit the Co-op's website

CT Planning

CT Planning

CT Planning is part of the NFU group of companies and provide Town and Country Planning advice and services throughout England and Wales.

Visit CT Planning's website

Defra

Defra is committed to working with the sector to deliver changes to farming.

As it works with farmers, land managers and stakeholders to revive new schemes, it will share its thinking, work policy progress and developers in the wider farming world, so please visit Defra's stall to share your views, concerns and suggestions.

Visit Defra's website

The Farming Community Network

FCN (Farming Community Network)

The FCN (Farming Community Network) is a voluntary organisation and charity that supports farmers and families within the farming community through difficult times and in managing change.

The charity has over 400 volunteers across England and Wales who are available to support anyone who seeks help, regardless of whether the issue is personal or business-related. FCN runs a confidential helpline (03000 111 999), which is open every day from 7am–11pm, as well as an e‑helpline ([email protected]).

Each year FCN helps approximately 6,000 people deal with a variety of issues, including financial difficulties, animal disease, mental health and family disputes.

Visit the Farming Community Network website

Forestry Commission logo

Forestry Commission

Established a century ago, the Forestry Commission is the Government’s forestry expert responsible for protecting, expanding and promoting sustainable woodland in England. It aims to increase the value of woodlands to society and the environment. Trees have far reaching benefits for individuals, the land, the environment and for future generations. By planting the right tree in the right place for the right reason, we can ensure those benefits are realised.

The Forestry Commission provides advice on woodland creation and management, tree health, offer financial support, including our flagship grant the EWCO (England Woodland Creation Offer) and administer felling licences.

It works with two agencies: Forestry England, which manages the Public Forest Estate, and Forest Research, the principal organisation for forestry and tree related research.

Forestry is a devolved matter, with a range of agencies leading the sector in the devolved administrations. The Forestry Commission leads the sector in England and looks after the English Public Forest Estate through Forestry England. Forestry Research continues to operate across the whole of Great Britain

You can talk to the Forestry Commission about the variety of funding options available to support the creation and management of new and existing woodlands and get advice on woodland design and management.

You can find out more by visiting: Forestry Commission | GOV.UK

More information about the grants, advice and support on offer can be found on at: Tree planting and woodland creation overview | GOV.UK

Frontier

Frontier

Frontier Agriculture is the UK’s leading crop production and grain marketing business, recognised for its close customer relationships with farmers and grain consumers and its successful management of the arable supply chain.

Frontier has 46 sites across the UK and employs more than 1100 colleagues. Operating across all aspects of arable crop production and grain marketing, Frontier supplies seed, crop protection products and fertiliser to farmers, as well as providing specialist agronomy advice through our team of 160 agronomists.

Frontier’s grain marketing business has well-established contracts with the UK’s key grain consumers, giving our farmer customers unrivalled access to end markets.

Visit Frontier's website

HSBC UK

HSBC

HSBC UK Agriculture is delighted to be a sponsor for the 2023 NFU Conference.

As one of the UK's leading banks in the agriculture industry, HSBC's national network of over 90 dedicated specialist Agriculture Managers are focused on providing support so you can make the most of opportunities that arise and progress your business. HSBC is proud to be the bankers for the NFU and greatly value the relationship it enjoys with both NFU officeholders and members alike.

HSBC wishes the NFU, its staff and members a very successful Conference and farming year ahead.

Lidl

Lidl

Lidl GB’s first ever stores opened over 28 years ago, and during this time it is proud to have developed and maintained strong, long-standing relationships with its suppliers, some of which it has worked with for decades. It now has over 940 stores across Great Britain, and as it has grown, so too have many of the British businesses Lidl work with.

In 2017, Lidl were proud to sign the NFU's Back British Farming Charter, signalling its commitment to supporting the growth of the British farming sector.

This is further reinforced by its commitment to selling 100% fresh British Beef, Chicken, Eggs, Pork, Milk, Cream and block butter. Lidl is also delighted to offer a wide range of fresh produce to its customers from a variety of growers in Great Britain, with around two thirds of its core products sourced from within the UK.

At the end of 2019, Lidl committed to investing £15 billion in British suppliers over a five-year period, helping to provide certainty and allow them to invest for the future, create new jobs and develop their businesses.

Visit Lidl's website

m&s food logo black

M&S

M&S is one of the most trusted brands in the world and is proud of its long-standing and close working relationships with more than 8,000 UK farmers and growers. It works with them through its M&S Select Farm programme to provide delicious, great quality food for our customers.

M&S is committed to collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders from across the agri-food sector and beyond to address the global challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. It does this through its Farming with Nature and Low Impact Farming programmes, which see M&S developing new business models to deliver long-term sustainable food production.

Visit the M&S website

Morrisons

Morrisons is one of the UK’s largest food retailers and a proud supporter of British farming.

Uniquely, Morrisons sources and makes most of the fresh food that it sells through its own manufacturing facilities. This helps to maintain its commitment on only selling 100% British across our fresh beef, lamb, pork, chicken, eggs and milk.

Because it makes food themselves, Morrisons has built up many long term relationships with British farmers making it British farming’s biggest direct supermarket customer.

Visit Morrisons' website

Moy Park

Moy Park is focused on creating better food for everyone, sustainably. This commitment is built on almost 80 years of agriculture heritage, and in this time Moy Park has grown to become one of Europe’s leading poultry producers, working with 800 farming partners.

Moy Park's team members and farming partners across the UK make the difference on its journey to becoming the best and most respected company in its industry.

Visit Moy Park's website

NFU Employment Service

The NFU Employment Service offers a personal, professional, flexible service that provides businesses with the practical support and legal guidance needed to comply with employment law.

Visit the NFU Employment Service website

NFU Energy

NFU Energy supports Members in finding the best renewable energy solution, ensuring compliance, helping to reap rewards from energy incentives or simply finding you the best energy contract available.

Our services include:

  • Electricity and gas contract and PPA negotiations
  • Renewable Energy Solutions, Electric Vehicles chargers and feasibility
  • Compliance and permitting, to ensure installations and records can withstand Ofgem audits
  • Energy audits and carbon reporting

NFU Energy – here to assist you on your journey to Net Zero.

Visit the NFU Energy website

nfu logo web crop

NFU External Affairs team

Visit the NFU External Affairs team to get top tips for lobbying your MP and see the breadth of work being done to engage MPs and Peers on the issues and challenges impacting British farmers and growers.

NFU Legal Services

Providing NFU Farmer & Grower members with free specialist advice, discretionary financial support and professional guidance when facing legal disputes affecting their farming and growing businesses, as well as direct access to the NFU’s carefully selected Legal Panel Firms.

Find out more about our legal services

NFU Mutual

Throughout its 112-year history, NFU Mutual has worked closely with the National Farmers Union to support the farming industry and rural communities.

Today its relationship has never been stronger. Its voluntary financial support for the NFU was £6.81 million in 2022 – this benefits members of both organisations and supports the shared local network of over 295 agency offices.

NFU Mutual is the UK’s leading rural insurer, covering those running small farms through to larger enterprises. As a mutual at the heart of the rural community, it continues to move with the times, developing products and services to support businesses that have diversified to capitalise on new opportunities, or adopted precision technology and practices to improve productivity. It also offers Union Advantage, available to NFU members who commit to insure with the Mutaul for at least three years. Union Advantage offers discounts of 20% on NFU Mutual Risk Management Services Limited consultancy and training days, as well as excusive cover benefits.

The Mutual also run initiatives and support a wide range of charities to help farmers and their families. Last year NFU Mutual invested over £400,000 in rural crime initiatives, including support for a dedicated agricultural vehicle theft unit at the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (NaVCIS). The unit delivers intelligence, training, and works directly with police forces across the country to combat rural crime, in addition to joint international operations to seize stolen machinery from overseas.

In 2022, NFU Mutual donated £3.25m to local and national charities in response to the ongoing challenges faced by communities across the country.

This included £1.92m distributed through its Agency Giving Fund, a national fund to support local charities that was first set up in 2020 in response to the pandemic – to provide emergency support and assist with recovery. NFU Mutual invites all local agency and branch offices to nominate local charities, using their local knowledge, to ensure funding is directed all across the UK to where it matters most.

NFU Mutual also pledged £1m to the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust to support a range of initiatives, including projects that tackle isolation, support mental health and wellbeing, and enrich young lives through agricultural education and innovation. The Farming Community Network, The Prince’s Countryside Fund, The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) and FareShare have all benefitted from donations in 2022.

NFU Mutual is also proud to support the Farm Safety Foundation (or Yellow Wellies as many know them). An independent UK registered charity, The Farm Safety Foundation helps preserve and protect both the physical and mental wellbeing of those living and working in the agriculture industry.

Visit the NFU Mutual website

RABI

RABI is a charity that helps farming people in England and Wales.

It provides a range of support and professional services, including:

  • mental health training
  • in person and online counselling
  • financial support for living independently and help at a critical time.

RABI also works with farming people to help them claim the benefits they are entitled to.

Free, confidential support and advice is available via our 24/7 helpline: 0800 188 4444, or visit rabi.org.uk.

red tractor certified standards logo

Red Tractor

Red Tractor is the UK’s most recognised and trusted food and farming scheme, covering animal welfare, food safety, traceability and environmental protection. It sets standards for every stage of the supply chain, from farms to pack. These standards are the bedrock of progressive farming in Britain.

The Red Tractor logo is visible across household brands, supermarkets and restaurants. So, when shoppers and diners buy food with the Red Tractor logo, they know it is British, and responsibly produced.

Red Tractor looks forward to talking to you about the benefits of being a member of the Red Tractor scheme, and how you can work together to ensure standards remain the bedrock of British food and farming.

Visit the Red Tractor website

RPA

The RPA plays an important role in delivering and making annual payments for the Basic Payment Scheme, Countryside and Environmental Stewardship Schemes and supporting delivery of Grant Schemes.

The RPA runs the BCMS system, is a delivery partner for the new ELM National Pilot Scheme and holds all land data for England.

Visit RPA | GOV.UK