AHDB

[Grass And Grain]

^^^As above. Yes.

Whilst everyone else reduces output.

That's what I want. Afraid it probably won't happen.

Seriously though, one must question investing levy payers money on research to increase yields into an over supplied market. It will just keep the price depressed.

 

[Brisel]

It’s a world market price with currency fluctuations FFS!

Well it is while we have trade anyway...

 

[Grass And Grain]

True, but I think there's a big price difference in the UK if we are either trying to export feed wheat as a country, or we're short of grain and need to import.

Oil is a commodity but producers limit supply (or at least they try).

However, cereal producers want high prices and livestock producers want low grain prices. Don't know how you square that one if you're ahdb .

I do actually agree with you Brisel, I just have this utopian idea that we should limit supply to the needs of the market. It's not that many long ago we had potato area quotas, suckle cow quotas, sugar quotas, milk quotas and set-aside in one form or another.

I don't think there is any political appetite for such things at this moment in time, but it doesn't mean that it wouldn't work.

Grain is a world market commodity, but remember that all of the EU's production is underpinned by area based subsidy, which although not directly linked to growing the crop, I think it does stimulate supply and hence keep prices low.

Could we all keep producing at the last 20 year average price without sub? I suspect many couldn't.

P.S. Brisel's correct about it being a world commodity.

 

[Brisel]

Swap the word "supply" in supply control to production as in production control and you might have something that could be worked. Knock up some more AD plants or biofuel power stations & we'd be back to import parity instead of export parity. The difference is around £13/t depending on freight shipping rates.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Even keeping more pigs and supplying our own bacon rather than importing from Denmark would use some of our feed grain.

Think it might not be quite as simple as that though. We import loins but not forequarters??? Not certain.

I've strayed off the thread topic. Sorry.

 

[yellow belly]

Current price here is import parity

Ahdb investment in fungicide trials and independent variety testing is essential the alternative is to pay direct to NIAB

 

[Condi]

If you dont like it, get 50% of farmers in 1 sector to write to AHDB and you can challenge they levy.

Or write to your MP, as its run by statutory levies, and ultimately is responsible to DEFRA I think.

Or how about actually trying to engage with the company and tell them what you want to see?? There are various regulatory things they have to do, but the rest of the money is allocated to whatever use they see fit. With more farmer representation at meetings or replying to surveys, or even picking up the phone and talking to them maybe you can change the direction they're going in.

I dont agree with a lot of comments in this thread, especially that about the grain passport - that is IMO exactly what AHDB should be doing; pushing the industry forward towards a more efficient market place. Remember, merchants and millers pay levy too, not just farmers. I bet a more than a few crates of beer the levy bill we as merchants pay per year is bigger than that of any single farm!

 

[Iben]

the levy bill we as merchants pay per year is bigger than that of any single farm!

1) what is that supposed to mean?

2) why is it relevant to the thread?

 

[Condi]

1) what is that supposed to mean?

2) why is it relevant to the thread?

Because a lot of the comments have been about how the ahdb levy should be used to help farmers, whereas everyone in the supply chain pays into the levy and therefore it's true use should be to help the supply chain become more efficient. Electronic passport was exactly that.

 

[An Gof]

Because a lot of the comments have been about how the ahdb levy should be used to help farmers, whereas everyone in the supply chain pays into the levy and therefore it's true use should be to help the supply chain become more efficient. Electronic passport was exactly that.

Approx 80% levy income is from growers.
Trade perform a very efficient collection service for AHDB for which they are paid. They also get to hold on to the money for 3 months on cereals and 6 months on oilseeds.

 

[Condi]

Approx 80% levy income is from growers.
Trade perform a very efficient collection service for AHDB for which they are paid. They also get to hold on to the money for 3 months on cereals and 6 months on oilseeds.

Non of which contradicts anything I wrote.

But because both sides pay the levy, AHDB are unable to for example 'make contracts more favourable to farmers' as has been suggested in this thread.

 

[An Gof]

Non of which contradicts anything I wrote.

But because both sides pay the levy, AHDB are unable to for example 'make contracts more favourable to farmers' as has been suggested in this thread.

Well 80% more favourable to growers would be a good start

 

[gone up the hill]

Non of which contradicts anything I wrote.

But because both sides pay the levy, AHDB are unable to for example 'make contracts more favourable to farmers' as has been suggested in this thread.

If farmers are paying 80% of the levy money collected then the AHDB should be working more in their intrest's rather than the supply industry that only pays 20%.

 

[Condi]

If farmers are paying 80% of the levy money collected then the AHDB should be working more in their intrest's rather than the supply industry that only pays 20%.

And that is exactly what it does. I would argue that most, if not all, the work AHDB does benefits the farmer, and comparatively little benefits the trade.

All the bench marking - farmers
Market reports and analysis - farmers
Export drives - farmers
Research into diseases etc - farmers
......

The trade do use some of the AHDB outputs, such as the supply and demand balance sheets, and farmers can use them too, but the majority of output is of no use to the trade.

 

[Iben]

but the majority of output is of no use to the trade.

If the ahdb information to the farmers helps them produce higher yielding, better, more consistent quality produce that can be stored better. Would you not agree that the trade benefits directly from that?

 

[Brisel]

And that is exactly what it does. I would argue that most, if not all, the work AHDB does benefits the farmer, and comparatively little benefits the trade.

All the bench marking - farmers
Market reports and analysis - farmers
Export drives - farmers
Research into diseases etc - farmers
......

The trade do use some of the AHDB outputs, such as the supply and demand balance sheets, and farmers can use them too, but the majority of output is of no use to the trade.

New varieties - trade and farmers. Knowing what has a good chance of being grown in future
Planting surveys - trade benefits from knowing what will be for sale the following autumn

 

[Farmer T]

And that is exactly what it does. I would argue that most, if not all, the work AHDB does benefits the farmer, and comparatively little benefits the trade.

All the bench marking - farmers
Market reports and analysis - farmers
Export drives - farmers
Research into diseases etc - farmers
......

The trade do use some of the AHDB outputs, such as the supply and demand balance sheets, and farmers can use them too, but the majority of output is of no use to the trade.

I'm sorry- but WTF?! [emoji34]

Benchmarking-

provides staff at the AHDB with 'work' all year round. Has a momental embarrassing uptake of farmers. Will ultimately lead to no industry efficiencies as those who benchmark already do and no who couldn't be bothered before aren't going to sit through hours on their laptop. Costing levy payers millions.

Market intelligence

The cereals AHDB spend £1,000,000 a year of levy payer's money on this. In an age now when technology has meant we have access to market news instantly and grain companies sending daily emails. If anyone actually knew which way the market was going they wouldn't be working for the AHDB!!! Pathetic.

Export drives

Cereals spend 3% of their budget promoting exports. I imagine 2.9% is on plane flights (turning left please). They say farmers aren't prepared for Brexit but all the AHDB is print weekly papers on the 1,001 possible outcomes. Keeps the staff busy mind you so- oh well.

Research into disease

The response curves are useful to a point. They are also incredibly useful in telling us 12 months later what to use once the grain price and weather has been decided! Before then the farmer/ agronomist must make a judgment call- as we do every year!


I love the idea of the AHDB and in theory am a fan of them. However they've pathetically lost their way and some of the self serving staff and farmers that work for them are completely blinkered in the direction they are heading.

However @Condi I hope you enjoy working for the AHDB and as long as we're forced to pay the levy I guess it's a job for life!

 

[Iben]

I'm sorry- but WTF?! [emoji34]

Benchmarking-

provides staff at the AHDB with 'work' all year round. Has a momental embarrassing uptake of farmers. Will ultimately lead to no industry efficiencies as those who benchmark already do and no who couldn't be bothered before aren't going to sit through hours on their laptop. Costing levy payers millions.

Market intelligence

The cereals AHDB spend £1,000,000 a year of levy payer's money on this. In an age now when technology has meant we have access to market news instantly and grain companies sending daily emails. If anyone actually knew which way the market was going they wouldn't be working for the AHDB!!! Pathetic.

Export drives

Cereals spend 3% of their budget promoting exports. I imagine 2.9% is on plane flights (turning left please). They say farmers aren't prepared for Brexit but all the AHDB is print weekly papers on the 1,001 possible outcomes. Keeps the staff busy mind you so- oh well.

Research into disease

The response curves are useful to a point. They are also incredibly useful in telling us 12 months later what to use once the grain price and weather has been decided! Before then the farmer/ agronomist must make a judgment call- as we do every year!


I love the idea of the AHDB and in theory am a fan of them. However they've pathetically lost their way and some of the self serving staff and farmers that work for them are completely blinkered in the direction they are heading.

However @Condi I hope you enjoy working for the AHDB and as long as we're forced to pay the levy I guess it's a job for life!

Pretty much agree with what you have said, although worded some bits a little stronger than I would.

How would you like to see them spend the money?

 

[Condi]

However @Condi I hope you enjoy working for the AHDB and as long as we're forced to pay the levy I guess it's a job for life!

Um.... I dont work for them? But equally I dont really understand the 'anger' against what they do, especially when they work for you...

How would you like to see them spend the money?

Exactly this.... if everyone is so unhappy with how they're spending the money, why not tell them what you want them what you would rather do with it. Its no secret what their address is, its no secret what their telephone number is, and its no secret who to talk to.

But obviously far easier to vent on here....

 

[Farmer T]

The problem is- they don't work for me. They work exactly they way THEY want to and tell you after why they're doing it.

Venting on here is a useful way to gauge general Farm reaction and the majority of people are disappointed with the AHDB. No anger- just genuine disappointment.

I'm currently in email conservation with Jane King's office over several issues after talking to her after a meeting.

Paul Temple was good enough to phone me after the debacle of the failed grain passports. They wasted £400,000 on a failed scheme and wanted to spend £2,500,000 on a system which would bring a net income increase of £0 to the farmer and answer a problem we don't have.

However my main issue is when you talk to these people. They listen. They smile. They then explain that they are right. Anything they can't explain- they say it's a good point and they'll look into it but you know that's as far as it'll go.

Make the AHDB accountable. Have elections. It's a farce that a levy based organisation has no accountability.