What should the NFU be doing?

[delilah]

For anyone who doesn't believe that the NFU is controlled and run by the cartel:

https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/dawn-meats-dunbia-merger-finalised

Time and time again the NFU has welcomed consolidation in the food chain. It is an utterly insane point of view, that works directly against their farmer members. Any statement from the NFU, they proof read it to check that there is nothing in it that will upset the cartel. Until that changes they are on a road to nowhere.

 

[Andy Nash]

This is/ has been the number one problem with the NFU. One man bands haven't had the time to get involved, big knobs have, and have shaped the NFU to their own needs.

Very true and added to this the money coming in from corporate membership, which whether you like it or not is moving the organisation away from the interests of grassroots farmers.

All that and the lack of one member one vote puts it in an irretrievable situation in my view.

The government doesn’t even take any notice of it. I remember reading about the nfu rep being sidelined at a recent agriculture select committee meeting; the committee wanted to hear from an actual farmer, who was fortunately present as well, about what was actually happening on an actual farm.

I respect the time and effort people are putting into it, but unless you are a large arable farmer in the south east of England you are wasting your time. In my opinion.

 

[ajd132]

Very true and added to this the money coming in from corporate membership, which whether you like it or not is moving the organisation away from the interests of grassroots farmers.

All that and the lack of one member one vote puts it in an irretrievable situation in my view.

The government doesn’t even take any notice of it. I remember reading about the nfu rep being sidelined at a recent agriculture select committee meeting; the committee wanted to hear from an actual farmer, who was fortunately present as well, about what was actually happening on an actual farm.

I respect the time and effort people are putting into it, but unless you are a large arable farmer in the south east of England you are wasting your time. In my opinion.

i am a large arable farmer in east anglia and it certainly isn’t doing any good for us either.

calls for getting involved irritate me. Time is valuable and I honestly believe there would be very little value in attempting to climb the nfu ladder to try and get things to change.

 

[jonnieboy]

Farmers do not have an industry body which represents them. Reading James’s Twitter this morning this becomes very apparent there is no one voice going back to the AIC and pulling them up
The NFU in its present form will never achieve this.
If such an organisation could get off the ground then then real change could happen
Someone should be asking Corteva some real questions and not if they would like to sponsor a knees up somewhere
I’m not saying the organisation should be militant but should have the interests of primary food producers at its heart whilst championing British produce
If our customers (AIC members) want farm assured produce then instead of fighting it they should be saying it’s a premium product over world stocks and getting that premium.

 

[Sid]

One man bands haven't had the time to get involved,

Please define one "man" bands.
Also that is very sexist and not a welcome comment.

I know plenty who get involved in a whole heap of different discussions.
From students to "one man bands" to owners of large businesses

the committee wanted to hear from an actual farmer, who was fortunately present as well, about what was actually happening on an actual farm.

Was that was his own opinion?
If so in no way a fair representation of the whole of that sector.

There's a thread on here already highlighting people's disappointment in the way the NFU has gone......

British Farming Union

Join the BFU to see and take part in discussions. This section for members of the British Farming Union to discuss farming matters, have votes and support farmers. As a democratic organisation, we strive to protect British farmers and voice the concerns of our members. Want a profitable &...

thefarmingforum.co.uk

Just sayin'

I have noticed the slowly decreasing number of posts within various topics on the forum since the closed threads were started.

 

[tullah]

Having a discussion last night with some friends about the power of the NFU or lack thereof.

i have thought for a while now they mostly focus on the wrong things. For example, lobbying the government to stop imports not grown to our standards (this is utterly impossible waste of time and will never happen, they are commodities) rather than sorting out red tractor/AIC and the extra burden put onto us for no benefit. Imagine telling a Ukrainian farmer they need a red tractor sticker to export their wheat to the uk! Another example is social media campaigns for British food which basically seemed to be aimed at farmers, and is just a load of NFU type farmers tagging and congratulating each other.

in my opinion the NFU are too focused on the agricultural industry in general, rather than farmers. The wider industry extracts money from farmers and gets no questioning or opposition. Be it red tractor, fertiliser cartels, chemical being all supplied through 5 companies, questionable serviced agronomy, contracts where you are forced to buy inputs in order to grow the crop, processors putting in questionable claims on loads, wheat having to be a certain moisture when being higher is absolutely no issue.
An example: CF fertiliser for years have been demonising and lobbying against urea fertiliser, based on science we know is flawed and out of date, to the point where it was very nearly banned in the UK. The NFU acted like this was a win for them. It is not. They should have aggressively stamped out CF fertilisers mis-truths years ago, it should never have got to the point where it was nearly banned. Instead the NFU have CF sponsor their AGM.

i guess my point is that I think the NFU need to become aggressive, stop being overly pally with the wider industry as they are not the ones they are meant to represent and start truly fighting for farmers.
I think the NFU does do some good work, but have lost the path of who they truly represent. This is why I am no longer a member.

what do others think the NFU should be focusing on?

Isn't this why the British Farming Union has sprung up to represent farmers.

 

[ajd132]

Isn't this why the British Farming Union has sprung up to represent farmers.

Yes true, I just joined. My original questioned answered in a thread on the NFU section.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Farmers do not have an industry body which represents them. Reading James’s Twitter this morning this becomes very apparent there is no one voice going back to the AIC and pulling them up
The NFU in its present form will never achieve this.
If such an organisation could get off the ground then then real change could happen
Someone should be asking Corteva some real questions and not if they would like to sponsor a knees up somewhere
I’m not saying the organisation should be militant but should have the interests of primary food producers at its heart whilst championing British produce
If our customers (AIC members) want farm assured produce then instead of fighting it they should be saying it’s a premium product over world stocks and getting that premium.

Yes, NFU should be refuting what AIC say, or at least working to find some middle ground solution. I don't think they will, because they're so in love with RT. But no matter, now we've got the BFU, we can take up the mantle and represent the views of the working farmer

I have noticed the slowly decreasing number of posts within various topics on the forum since the closed threads were started.

Essentially, BFU isn't in a state to promote it. That will come in next few weeks when members create a steering committee. Then BFU systems can be made fit for purpose, and promoted to the wider world. Note none of us have really promoted it outside of here.

I think it will get there, and be structured in a way that any member can quickly bring any issue to the table if support is there for it.

@agricontract this is where we can make progress, probably in a different way to the NFU. Have NFU working as they currently do, and work in a different way with the BFU.

I'm not an NFU member, and I just haven't the time to go to meetings here there and everywhere, but I can work remotely, 5 mins here and 5 mins there in my working day. We can quickly bring grass roots issues forward. As @ajd132 says, social media and forums can quickly identify what matters to people.

BFU will be a few weeks from being fit for purpose, then I think it will he a great addition to bring to the party what NFU can't, and bring people to the party who are too geographicaly remote or time poor to commit to helping NFU. Maybe it's folks with young families, or tied to milking, or etc. I think there's talent out there who haven't/can't commit to the top NFU jobs, but collectively each providing a bit of time to BFU, and creating something awesome. It's two minds are better than one type stuff. There's some very sensible talent on TFF alone, such as Ajd, feldspar, treg, hollwellcourtfarm, jackovalltraids, JP1, Clive, Home farm, Teslacoils, DrWazzock etc, etc. Mostly people who won't rejoin NFU. We can utilise this talent collectively, and really make a difference to ag.

 

[delilah]

Please define one "man" bands.
Also that is very sexist and not a welcome comment.

I know plenty who get involved in a whole heap of different discussions.
From students to one man bands to owners of large businesses

 

[texelburger]

The NFU does represent its membership. It’s corporate membership.

Exactly,nail on head.

 

[Sid]

I'm not an NFU member, and I just haven't the time to go to meetings here there and everywhere, but I can work remotely, 5 mins here and 5 mins there in my working day. We can quickly bring grass roots issues forward.

Sorry but that post just shows a lack of knowledge of how various organisations are connecting with members in the post covid world.

who are too geographicaly remote or time poor to commit to helping NFU. Maybe it's folks with young families, or tied to milking, or etc

Remote access via teams either on a computer or by phone in is very much part and parcel of a multitude of organisations now and in no way reserved just for BFU.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Sorry but that post just shows a lack of knowledge of how various organisations are connecting with members in the post covid world.




Remote access via teams either on a computer or by phone in is very much part and parcel of a multitude of organisations now and in no way reserved just for BFU.

Fair enough observation Sid.

Still think there's milage in many people with individual specialist skills and knowledge, who can collectively move mountains. e.g. yourself and others know about organic production, and your sector can nail issues important to it. Same for pigs, or upland etc. Obvs NFU have their sector boards in a not dissimilar fashion, and they can work as they do now, with BFU pushing without being afraid to say what they think.

The sectors can speak for themselves, rather than a president being jack of all trades, and it's an amount of time committment working farmers can give. To be NFU President you need farm staff, but can be influential at BFU in our individual sectors, so more open to the working farmer to make a difference.

NFU pres, deputy etc get criticised for being able to afford time for the role, it's elitist etc. It's not their fault, they are in a position where they can give the time, and they work dam hard at it. Working farmer one man band decides they can't be NFU pres because they've a farm to run, then we've lost potential talent. So let's utilise the advantages to be gained from having the brain power of these people. It might be 15 mins of time from each good brain, but that's enough to make a difference.

Let's keep positive.

 

[Treg]

Having a discussion last night with some friends about the power of the NFU or lack thereof.

i have thought for a while now they mostly focus on the wrong things. For example, lobbying the government to stop imports not grown to our standards (this is utterly impossible waste of time and will never happen, they are commodities) rather than sorting out red tractor/AIC and the extra burden put onto us for no benefit. Imagine telling a Ukrainian farmer they need a red tractor sticker to export their wheat to the uk! Another example is social media campaigns for British food which basically seemed to be aimed at farmers, and is just a load of NFU type farmers tagging and congratulating each other.

in my opinion the NFU are too focused on the agricultural industry in general, rather than farmers. The wider industry extracts money from farmers and gets no questioning or opposition. Be it red tractor, fertiliser cartels, chemical being all supplied through 5 companies, questionable serviced agronomy, contracts where you are forced to buy inputs in order to grow the crop, processors putting in questionable claims on loads, wheat having to be a certain moisture when being higher is absolutely no issue.
An example: CF fertiliser for years have been demonising and lobbying against urea fertiliser, based on science we know is flawed and out of date, to the point where it was very nearly banned in the UK. The NFU acted like this was a win for them. It is not. They should have aggressively stamped out CF fertilisers mis-truths years ago, it should never have got to the point where it was nearly banned. Instead the NFU have CF sponsor their AGM.

i guess my point is that I think the NFU need to become aggressive, stop being overly pally with the wider industry as they are not the ones they are meant to represent and start truly fighting for farmers.
I think the NFU does do some good work, but have lost the path of who they truly represent. This is why I am no longer a member.

what do others think the NFU should be focusing on?

The problem is the NFU has become so intertwined with the companies it should be questioning it can no longer ask difficult questions without harming itself.

Years ago there was a story of a small American church that felt companies could be changed from within, so set about buying shares and getting on the boards of the companies they wanted to change , I think it worked for them and I think initially this may have been what the NFU tried to achieve but with NFU Mutual as well really there was a conflict of interest, the union side on boards for change but Mutual on boards for profit.

Some of NFUs statements make me cringe and question where their loyalty stands, with farmers or their corporate partners/ sponsers/ share holders.

 

[Treg]

All of the failures of the NFU stem from taking money from bodies other than farmers, specifically those further up the food chain. Active farmers need to be the only members. It's why I have given a tenner to BFU. Will though remain a member of the NFU in the hope of change.

See post above , it's not just their being sponsored by the very companies that are against us , NFU has shares in them so are part of those companies.
It's all intertwined that much their part of each other, that has to change.
Was talking to someone a few weeks ago who's not involved in farm and he was saying to me the NFU actually seems to speak opposite to farmers opinions and interests , if the public can see it, why have we let it carry on so long?

 

[thorpe]

For anyone who doesn't believe that the NFU is controlled and run by the cartel:

https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/dawn-meats-dunbia-merger-finalised

Time and time again the NFU has welcomed consolidation in the food chain. It is an utterly insane point of view, that works directly against their farmer members. Any statement from the NFU, they proof read it to check that there is nothing in it that will upset the cartel. Until that changes they are on a road to nowhere.

not heard of john royle before, i dont think ive missed much!

 

[Sid]

Fair enough observation Sid.

Still think there's milage in many people with individual specialist skills and knowledge, who can collectively move mountains. e.g. yourself and others know about organic production, and your sector can nail issues important to it. Same for pigs, or upland etc. Obvs NFU have their sector boards in a not dissimilar fashion, and they can work as they do now, with BFU pushing without being afraid to say what they think.

The sectors can speak for themselves, rather than a president being jack of all trades, and it's an amount of time committment working farmers can give. To be NFU President you need farm staff, but can be influential at BFU in our individual sectors, so more open to the working farmer to make a difference.

NFU pres, deputy etc get criticised for being able to afford time for the role, it's elitist etc. It's not their fault, they are in a position where they can give the time, and they work dam hard at it. Working farmer one man band decides they can't be NFU pres because they've a farm to run, then we've lost potential talent. So let's utilise the advantages to be gained from having the brain power of these people. It might be 15 mins of time from each good brain, but that's enough to make a difference.

Let's keep positive.

You shouldn't lose talent just because they can't be president or chairman

I know of plenty of amazing contributers to various sectors and organisations that have no interest in becoming anything more than a representative of grass roots members.

Majority of who give the time foc.

 

[Grass And Grain]

The problem is the NFU has become so intertwined with the companies it should be questioning it can no longer ask difficult questions without harming itself.

Years ago there was a story of a small American church that felt companies could be changed from within, so set about buying shares and getting on the boards of the companies they wanted to change , I think it worked for them and I think initially this may have been what the NFU tried to achieve but with NFU Mutual as well really there was a conflict of interest, the union side on boards for change but Mutual on boards for profit.

Some of NFUs statements make me cringe and question where their loyalty stands, with farmers or their corporate partners/ sponsers/ share holders.

Generally agree with this, and the OP from Ajd.

 

[robbie]

Sorry but this is all I ever hear from NFU reps, “change from within” they say, it’s never going to happen until one member one vote.
I wholeheartedly agree with the OP, I could see this 20 odd years ago and left then.
The other issue is a lot of them think they are above conversing with normal everyday farmers, if you don’t agree with their blinkered views or question them they ignore you.
High time for a shake up, with the loss of SFP any additional costs that don’t add value need to go.

This.
I had a NFU bigwig come into my yard looking for directions. I said I recognised you, your the NFU bigwig. I then sized my chance to ask him about the red tractor debacle and he just completely cut me off. I know I'm not a NFU member and he was on "other business" but the arrogant way he just brushed it all aside made me bloody ademant that the NFU doesn't give a shite about everyday farmers and that I will never be a member.

 

[ajd132]

This.
I had a NFU bigwig come into my yard looking for directions. I said I recognised you, your the NFU bigwig. I then sized my chance to ask him about the red tractor debacle and he just completely cut me off. I know I'm not a NFU member and he was on "other business" but the arrogant way he just brushed it all aside made me bloody ademant that the NFU doesn't give a shite about everyday farmers and that I will never be a member.

Name

 

[texelburger]

The problem is the NFU has become so intertwined with the companies it should be questioning it can no longer ask difficult questions without harming itself.

Years ago there was a story of a small American church that felt companies could be changed from within, so set about buying shares and getting on the boards of the companies they wanted to change , I think it worked for them and I think initially this may have been what the NFU tried to achieve but with NFU Mutual as well really there was a conflict of interest, the union side on boards for change but Mutual on boards for profit.

Some of NFUs statements make me cringe and question where their loyalty stands, with farmers or their corporate partners/ sponsers/ share holders.

Very true,unfortunately with their voting system the "yes men" get elected.I firmly believe the corporate members are very strong and influence decisions to the detriment of their core farmers.You can't be a panacea to all,the money ultimately does the talking.
I remember in the good old days of the NFU where they would fight for a better deal with the Supermarkets. These Supermarkets are now,I believe, corporate members of the NFU.I think the BFU is a result of the frustration farmers feel and how poorly their so called union represent them.
The BFU may not succeed but at this moment in time they are gaining momentum,quite quickly too.