Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
I got better much better much cheaper .
Cancel your NFU membership now
- Thread starter warksfarmer
- Start date
SilliamWhale
Member
V
Very supertankerish turnabout if that is the case.
I also find the lack of judgement on all this baffling.
Cancelled ours.
This was always the way. Our local LR dealer (when the deal was exclusively with LR so some time ago) said that they often did better deals than the affinity deals from membership groups like the NFU could achieve. He said that he made more money with the NFU voucher system because the customer usually stopped pushing once he had agreed to honour the voucher.
Interesting post on Linked in today from Max McGillivray about United Fresh Produce Association in the USA.
https://www.linkedin.com/video/live...i:control:d_flagship3_feed-live_external_link
I think the principle point to come out of this in my view at least, is that a collective, one-size-fits-all approach to lobbying benefits no-one. I know one MP who tells me he gets more contacts from the animal rights brigade in a week than he has had from the NFU in 5 years. his local NFU rep barely bothers him. He thinks it is funny
The conflicts of interest between sectors' interests means the NFU are often jack of all trades and masters of none. I think of an accountant who is more concerned about his relationship with the HMRC than skewering them on behalf of his clients.
If you are being entirely cynical (and possibly a little unfair), you might take a view that it is officered in some cases by gong-hunting CV polishers who depend upon their relationship with DEFRA and other ministries for their authority. In extreme cases you might think that some (not all) would prefer to bite the hand that feeds them than biting the backsides of civil servants tripping the industry over. If you are into DEFRA on one sector's account, but about to take a whack from them on another, is it possible there may be a soft trade-off? Couldn't happen I am sure.
After years of having little functional value other than rubber stamping EU policy - which did not require serious industry knowledge, are DEFRA fit for purpose in a post Brexit Britain?
After years of helping farmers implement EU edicts and policy rubber stamped / gold plated by DEFRA - is the NFU fit for purpose ?
All of the serious stuff was being done in Europe, our ministry and trade association just twiddled the knobs and rushed around with clip boards trying to look busy.
Is there no sense in fragmenting the lobbying industry properly and kicking the status quo into the ditch? The status quo is clearly dysfunctional. If it was a ewe, you'd shoot it.
Does a producer of high value salads with a requirement for a large, fit, motivated migrant work force for 6 months of the year, really want a cereals or dairy specialist campaigning on their behalf? If your Fendt breaks down, would you take it to the bloke that fixes your mower?
Do you think that the NFU would ever say to Government "no, you are not doing that. We will advise our members not to co-operate."?
Do you really want a serial committee member linked to the system in a number of ways making decisions about which fights to pick on your behalf? Who tests his worth? Who evaluates his motivations and commercial interests?
Is it not a time for dedicated sector specialists to hold the Government to account on our behalf regardless of the established relationship? We need to be telling DEFRA and others what we need and want in order to play our part in rebuilding Britain and the economy, not asking their permission: "we'll shut up about Glyphosate / coastal pathways etc. if you let us have more students through the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme". I wouldn't suggest that this had ever been said but everything they do will be measured against their various internal interest groups.
Voice of British Farming. really. I think they have "Stockholm syndrome" in some respects. In other respects they are good and genuinely dedicated. Sadly, that doesn't necessarily win fights.
Interested to hear your thoughts. I just wonder if the answer to yesterday's questions are not necessarily adequate for tomorrow's. I think our representatives need to be harder and sharper. I see evidence of neither.
Getting three farmers to look in the same direction on many issues is often impossible, maybe this is our weakness and why the NFU is as it is.
https://www.linkedin.com/video/live...i:control:d_flagship3_feed-live_external_link
I think the principle point to come out of this in my view at least, is that a collective, one-size-fits-all approach to lobbying benefits no-one. I know one MP who tells me he gets more contacts from the animal rights brigade in a week than he has had from the NFU in 5 years. his local NFU rep barely bothers him. He thinks it is funny
The conflicts of interest between sectors' interests means the NFU are often jack of all trades and masters of none. I think of an accountant who is more concerned about his relationship with the HMRC than skewering them on behalf of his clients.
If you are being entirely cynical (and possibly a little unfair), you might take a view that it is officered in some cases by gong-hunting CV polishers who depend upon their relationship with DEFRA and other ministries for their authority. In extreme cases you might think that some (not all) would prefer to bite the hand that feeds them than biting the backsides of civil servants tripping the industry over. If you are into DEFRA on one sector's account, but about to take a whack from them on another, is it possible there may be a soft trade-off? Couldn't happen I am sure.
After years of having little functional value other than rubber stamping EU policy - which did not require serious industry knowledge, are DEFRA fit for purpose in a post Brexit Britain?
After years of helping farmers implement EU edicts and policy rubber stamped / gold plated by DEFRA - is the NFU fit for purpose ?
All of the serious stuff was being done in Europe, our ministry and trade association just twiddled the knobs and rushed around with clip boards trying to look busy.
Is there no sense in fragmenting the lobbying industry properly and kicking the status quo into the ditch? The status quo is clearly dysfunctional. If it was a ewe, you'd shoot it.
Does a producer of high value salads with a requirement for a large, fit, motivated migrant work force for 6 months of the year, really want a cereals or dairy specialist campaigning on their behalf? If your Fendt breaks down, would you take it to the bloke that fixes your mower?
Do you think that the NFU would ever say to Government "no, you are not doing that. We will advise our members not to co-operate."?
Do you really want a serial committee member linked to the system in a number of ways making decisions about which fights to pick on your behalf? Who tests his worth? Who evaluates his motivations and commercial interests?
Is it not a time for dedicated sector specialists to hold the Government to account on our behalf regardless of the established relationship? We need to be telling DEFRA and others what we need and want in order to play our part in rebuilding Britain and the economy, not asking their permission: "we'll shut up about Glyphosate / coastal pathways etc. if you let us have more students through the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme". I wouldn't suggest that this had ever been said but everything they do will be measured against their various internal interest groups.
Voice of British Farming. really. I think they have "Stockholm syndrome" in some respects. In other respects they are good and genuinely dedicated. Sadly, that doesn't necessarily win fights.
Interested to hear your thoughts. I just wonder if the answer to yesterday's questions are not necessarily adequate for tomorrow's. I think our representatives need to be harder and sharper. I see evidence of neither.
Getting three farmers to look in the same direction on many issues is often impossible, maybe this is our weakness and why the NFU is as it is.
- Location
- Stratford-upon-Avon
Hi there - Sorry just getting to this now as we've been pretty busy this week but just thought we would let you know that the Farm Safety Foundation (or Yellow Wellies as many know us) has nothing to do with the NFU or TFF! We are a small independent charity with a team of two! Hope this helps
Last edited:
- Location
- Stratford-upon-Avon
Hi Eden.Agri.AD - Thanks for your nice comments about the work we're doing. But just to make sure you know we are not linked to either TFF or the NFU - As an independent charity, we have our own board of trustees and report to the Charity Commission. I wish we had the luxury of a 'press office' - there are two of us working for the charity delivering our all our training, campaigns, research etc.
Also, we don't "promote" things and, to our knowledge, we haven't promoted Sir David Attenborough's new show anywhere. Maybe you're confusing us with the National Farmers Union again. Please be assured we wouldn't be highlighting anything that undermines the amazing work our industry does. Hope this helps
deleted user 436632456
Member
Yea but one of your yellow welly takeover's did and they do mention quite a lot about the "highest food standards in the world" and they will chat about the NFU and RT and such.
But here.. I'm defiantly not hating.. I love your work. The "faketannedfarmer" did a cracking reel on insta yesterday as part of mind your head week.
- Location
- Stratford-upon-Avon
Haha glad you’re not hating - we’re all about sharing the love
and thanks for pointing this out.. will keep a tighter reign on takeovers in future. Vickie is just lovely - her story features tomorrow as we finish up the week and she’s so authentic and genuine. We’re lucky to have people like her sharing their stories for the campaign. Take care.
- Location
- Hammerwich
What did you say your reasons were?
Seems to be a lot of this going on now, I've had several PM's for TFF members who read but don't post
surely they must be getting the message ?
- Location
- Hammerwich
This is the perfect protest suggested by @warksfarmer as the NFU could run for 4 years while getting zero from subs (it has over £100 million in reserves and a £20 million wage bill). So doing this isn't going to effect anyone's job. However they can't claim to be the "voice of farming" unless they have farmers members. So the choice is listen to your members or lose them.
The fact it has come to this shows how out of touch they have got on key issues. But it is also a easy fix as its one main issue - NFU just have to withdraw support for Red Tractor unless it changes to meet the needs of farmers, not the needs of suppliers. Assurance is good - Red Tractor is bad. Accept that, fix that and move on to arguing about the next thing.
The fact it has come to this shows how out of touch they have got on key issues. But it is also a easy fix as its one main issue - NFU just have to withdraw support for Red Tractor unless it changes to meet the needs of farmers, not the needs of suppliers. Assurance is good - Red Tractor is bad. Accept that, fix that and move on to arguing about the next thing.
unlike RT - the nfu doesn’t have ownership and creator conflicts of interest I guess so can more independently represent farmers in this instance
This entire red tractor issue is just too conflicted for them to ever deal with properly unless forced to
seeing members resign over it is the only way to force that
warksfarmer
Member
This is still the only way to get changes across the industry. The NFU want red tape in place to justify its existence of £21 million per year on wages. Stop the gravy train!
- Location
- Lancashire, Home of the Deluge
.....membership cancelled today...........had a chat on the phone citing RT as the main reason why...
Acorn.
Acorn.
- Location
- Ceredigion
Never thought I would say this but nfu insurance have really done my head in the last few weeks . After being with them over 50 years
Total petty attitude
Not relevant to the point in hand but needed to vent my frustration
Total petty attitude
Not relevant to the point in hand but needed to vent my frustration
warksfarmer
Member
That’s a shame as historically the mutual have been good to deal with.
We’ve just had a quote from another insurer and it’s £7,000/year cheaper than the NFU. I genuinely think they don’t want our business since we cancelled the membership a couple of weeks ago. We’ve insured with the NFU for 50 years but I am afraid that’s it we’re off.