Post of the week from Clive about AHDB (and a poll)

[Widgetone]

Good thread, and well put.

Remember however to vote with your feet - you may feel obliged to 'belong' to RT etc to secure outlets for your produce, but you could sell away from some of the merchants who also sit on the boards of some of these outfits. There was a post somewhere naming and shaming some...

 

[Clive]

DO NOT GIVE IN PLEASE you are doing a very hard job very good

more than £100 million a year of farmers cash is going into the AHDB, NFU and Dead Tractor between them, that's a LOT of money being sucked out of this industry that really cant afford such things UNLESS they add value and perform to our benefit

It also really makes any opposition pretty futile really, pointless even maybe

 

[Steevo]

@Marshall Trailers started engaging on here after they were getting some serious stick about their trailers. They absolutely took all the feedback on board and turned their whole range around.

To me that was a sign of a well run business not afraid to face its critics and use that feedback to channel improvement.

Following on from my post I look a look back at the first @Marshall Trailers post on here.

@AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds you have a lot to learn. As do NFU and Red Tractor.

We have been in business for 61 years and sold over 118,000 units of machinery, naturally this means we have dealt with a huge number of people and occasionally we do make mistakes. Customer service is something we take extremely seriously, and we passionately care about our customers. If someone has had a bad experience then we apologise. Someone mentioned that they had a bad experience at a show, and I would appreciate if they contacted us so we could find out what actually happened and rectify this for the future.

The other point that is worth mentioning, which is the same for any manufacturer and has been touched on already, is that if you have a problem and the manufacturer sorts it then I'm sure most people would think of that manufacturer in a good light. However if the manufacturer says no to rectifying a problem then the customer will probably think of them in a bad light, and there will always be instances when a manufacturer has to say no. It is not easy thing to make the correct decision 100% of the time, but I think our warranty is now extremely fair.

Paintwork has also been mentioned, and is something that every company has problems with at somepoint. We now shot-blast all our products, which makes a huge difference. It provides much more surface area for the paint to stick to and inevitably we use more paint building the profile the shot-blast leaves back up. Our prducts are then finished with a high-build undercoat and gloss top-coat.

If anyone would like to discuss anything I have mentioned then please feel free to contact me at [email protected]

 

[steveR]

They will break ranks but not in the way you were expecting.

I now think you are right about the collusion and we will be better off without them. And the baby will have to go out with the bath water, sadly.

6 months ago, I would have almost certainly have begged to differ with this viewpoint.

All the information that has come to light has made me move away, the final straw must be that AHDB will now refuse to meet and speak with one or two individual levy payers.

Begone with them...

 

[D14]

The AHDB is of no use any longer and should be disbanded. Its their own fault.

 

[Barleymow]

As said earlier by @carbonfibre farmer it's not a levy it's a tax ,we can't opt out of paying it

 

[graham mc]

the best thing to do it pick them off while we can by voting them out. the more hangers on and leaches we can get rid of the more of our £100m a year we can keep. they clearly work behind the scenes to work together and this gives them strength.

divide and conquer or what ever the saying is

dont fall for the promises and tears its all a front

 

[Grass And Grain]

the best thing to do it pick them off while we can by voting them out. the more hangers on and leaches we can get rid of the more of our £100m a year we can keep. they clearly work behind the scenes to work together and this gives them strength.

divide and conquer or what ever the saying is

dont fall for the promises and tears its all a front

I think the announcement that's supposed to be coming soon, about the level playing field for UK cereals vs imports, will be the pivotal factor.

If they get it right, and we have a non-assured route to feed and flour mills, then everyone will get back behind AHDB. They will have finally worked for us.

If NFU, Red Tractor and SQC (read AIC) get their way, and we are still forced into the full fat RT cereals scheme, then AHDB will face a ballot. It will all be their own faults. They are in charge of their own destiny.

Be a shame if RT, NFU and AIC throw AHDB under the bus. RT and SQC have benefited by the Cosy Club's own rules for 20 years. They now need to cut AHDB some slack.

What we're not entirely certain of at the moment is if AHDB are working for levy payers or if they are snuggling up to RT and NFU. We know, only a few months ago, they were very pally wit RT, NFU, AIC and UK Flour Millers. We tried, in confidence, to help AHDB, and they ran off and immediately told the cosy club what we were doing.

Think this is the last straw. Behind the scenes on DM's, there are some farmers now ready to trigger a ballot on future of AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds. Today, I suggested to one forum member to just hold off until we hear what the announcement says.

 

[teslacoils]

There's a limit to how long folk can wait for change. I'd suggest to the Ahdb that getting the numbers required for a ballot would be a complete piece of cake, and that those likely to sign up to a ballot would be strongly in favour of its disbandment.

 

[graham mc]

There's a limit to how long folk can wait for change.

talk is cheap get the ballot sorted and watch them suddenly come to live as the threat ramps up.

If they come good the ballot would go their way wouldnt it?????

 

[teslacoils]

talk is cheap get the ballot sorted and watch them suddenly come to live as the threat ramps up.

If they come good the ballot would go their way wouldnt it?????

Unsure. I'd vote for them to be disbanded anyway. However faithful an old dog was in the past, I'd prefer to put it down before it starts pissing all over the carpets.

 

[tepapa]

more than £100 million a year of farmers cash is going into the AHDB, NFU and Dead Tractor between them, that's a LOT of money being sucked out of this industry that really cant afford such things UNLESS they add value and perform to our benefit

It also really makes any opposition pretty futile really, pointless even maybe

That's a lot of money off UK AG's bottom line.

Imagine the uplift to a upland farmers profit if he stopped paying membership and levy to NFU, RT and AHDB.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Ahdb, NFU and the dead tractor will all throw each other under the bus in the fight for their own survival which is coming.

Farm profits are being squeezed like never before; we're learning very quickly how to reduce fertiliser, bought in feed and diesel usage. The obvious next step is to look hard at which of these bloodsuckers we can manage without. It's pretty clear to me that it's all of them.

 

[Bloders]

@Marshall Trailers started engaging on here after they were getting some serious stick about their trailers. They absolutely took all the feedback on board and turned their whole range around.

To me that was a sign of a well run business not afraid to face its critics and use that feedback to channel improvement.

ive a book at home "how to triple customer complaints" when i tell people they very often mock the title.
The reality is, increased customer complaints (in a sales environemnt) means your engaging with your customer better, whihc will lead to improved product, and improved business. EXACTLY how Marshal did whihc you reference to. Good business sense.

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Pretty depressing rereading this thread after 6 months in view of how little has changed.

 

[stroller]

Pretty depressing rereading this thread after 6 months in view of how little has changed.

It’s almost like they all want the gravy train to keep running, quelle surprise

 

[Grass And Grain]

Pretty depressing rereading this thread after 6 months in view of how little has changed.

It’s almost like they all want the gravy train to keep running, quelle surprise

I wonder if AHDB are going to stand up and save themselves. They just might be finally coming to their senses.

I also think they've been leant on by certain organisations. AHDB must work solely for levy payers' in interests, not to keep semi-professional agricultural wanabee gravy train riders in a nice board role.

 

[roscoe erf]

good for @Clive and yourself for your efforts agin the 'cabals' that aflict our industry in the last year

but....is there a shorter version for those of us with 'shorter attention spans'

like fleas on a cat you'll never be completely rid of em but worth the effort too