I’m fed up with talking about the weather, but I can console myself with the fact we have grabbed every opportunity so far and progress is not too bad.TB tops Kendall election pledge
THE fight to eradicate bovine TB from British farms will top Peter Kendall’s agenda if he is re-elected as NFU president.
But Derek Mead, Mr Kendall’s challenger for the top job, said the NFU was ‘not tough enough’ to make a difference.
The two presidential candidates locked horns for the first time in the South East regional hustings in London yesterday (Monday) – the first of 7 hustings across all regions of England this week.
The incumbent president, Mr Kendall, urged members to back him for a third term so that he could use his momentum with Defra to take on ‘the big issue’ of bovine TB which he said ‘would define the next year’.
“We wanted a government department that backed us and they are just starting to do it,” he said, using the recent pledge to set up a supermarket ombudsman as an example.
“Because we have changed the perception of farming from being a pain in the backside to one that is seen through media and government as a valuable resource we now have the best chance to change the TB situation and we must make sure we knock it home.
“That is why I am standing here and asking for your endorsement in the coming elections,” he said.
Managing members through the financial crisis, getting the best deal on cost and responsibility sharing and improving the industry profile were other key priorities for Mr Kendall.
But Mr Mead, a farmer of 1,600 acres near Western Super Mare, said Defra treated the NFU ‘as a rubber stamping organisation’.
“We have major problems with Defra and they need a firmer hand from us,” said Mr Mead, who doubted whether the supermarket ombudsman would have any substantial powers.
Mr Mead also called for a wholesale revamp of cost and responsibility plans so that the food industry, not farmers, would fund the body.
He added he would give tenant farmers ‘a louder voice’ in the union.
He concluded: “I have the calibre to be president, I run a substantial business, I am a great negotiator and I am firm and tough enough to make a difference.”
Under union rules, Mr Kendall will require 75 per cent of the vote to retain his position, as he has held it for four years.
The elections will be decided by the votes of the 93-strong NFU council at the end of the union’s conference and AGM, in Birmingham, on February 24.
Battle for deputy and vice president is keenly fought
The four candidates for deputy president and the 10 candidates for vice president also set out their case for election at the hustings yesterday. Here is a selection of their quotes.
Deputy president
Thomas Binns, Lancashire
“I have a great degree of optimism going forward. My mind is focused on reversing 20 years of decline in production to feed a population for the future.”
Gwyn Jones, Sussex
“We need a new team behind the president, new faces and new ideas to get things done. I have a good track record and will grab the initiative and deliver.”
Meurig Raymond, Pembrokeshire
“It has been a privilege to work with Peter Kendall over the last 4 years and our team has delivered. We now have a supermarket ombudsman and I think at last the Government has started to recognise the importance of our industry.”
Paul Temple, East Yorkshire
“I care about farming and I care about our members. For me the key is people and the problem with this Government is they haven’t valued the people in agriculture.”
Vice president
Nick Adams, Derbyshire
“I am very positive about the long term future of farming but I believe we must strengthen the union. We need to push for profit and to reduce the regulatory burden.”
Thomas Binns, Lancashire
(As above)
Rosey Dunn, East Yorkshire
“Farmers I know always talk about profitability and regulation. I want to return viability to them by tackling those key issues.”
Richard Hirst, Norfolk
“NFU HQ needs to communicate with its branches better. As an industry we need to work harder to engage with our customers.”
Mark Leggott, Lincolnshire
“I am concerned about a little word – profit. I would oppose any measure that would undermine our profitability.”
Gwyn Jones, Sussex
(As above)
Alistair Mackintosh, Cumbria
“I am honest, tell it how it is and don’t use 100 words when 10 will do. We need a sustainable and profitable industry to attract young farmers and I think I can make a credible and influential impact.”
Adam Quinney, Warwickshire
“The NFU would have better policy if it had more involvement from members and got active members on the ground to help deliver those policies. I would get more people involved.”
Anthony Rew, Devon
“I speak for members. Our members are our biggest asset and they are my priority.”
Guy Smith, Essex
“I pay tribute to the work done by Peter Kendall and I want to build on the progress made by injecting fresh vibrancy into the organisation. If there is one quality I want to hand the next generation, it is self-belief.”
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