- Location
- Montgomeryshire
The trouble is, the AHDB works for us all. This is often OK for the industry but rather fails to acknowledge that what is good for processors, may not be good for farmers.
This has worried me too much in the past but the recent actions of the NBA, which has falsified information to try and let one part of the industry to have an advantage over the rest,has proved the need to keep these organisations under close supervision.
Many of these associations, processors, supermarkets and AHDB have a fairly incestuous relationship. Lots of staff switch between them and they all sit on each others committees.
I think it is reasonable to say, and the evidence suggests, that the interests of farmer is not a priority.
None of this would matter so much if the UK had a properly functioning market.
As @delilah often reminds us, market share is the root of evil.
Each processor is controlled by a supermarket and the 4 or 5 'partnerships' account for the vast majority of the UK market. They can and do manipulate the price.
Surely it is best not to aid them in these endeavours?
The NBA is a producer organisation, much like the NSA is, and has nothing to do with levy funded bodies or processors.
Their views are those of their members, and it is their members that decided it was a good idea to push for all cattle to be finished earlier.