Backing the Business of British Farming
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BACKING THE BUSINESS OF BRITISH FARMING NFU Conference 2014 Welcome Welcome his is my eighth and final Conference as President and once again we have what I to the NFU Tbelieve is a conference that is both thought provoking and packed with speakers who are right at the heart of both British and global agriculture. Conference 2014 In that time we have seen such a monumental change in the attitude towards • The Conference Registration farming here in the UK that we have deliberately chosen a business theme this Desk is situated in the main year. ‘Backing the business of British farming’ highlights how, in the wake of last registration area where NFU year’s horsemeat scandal, we need to work tirelessly to get politicians, retailers and staff will be happy to help with consumers to Back British Farming’. any queries you may have during conference. Owen Paterson returns this year and is joined by the new farming Minister George Eustice. Political support for the badger cull by the Government has been superb, but as we all know there are • Conference badge – For your many ingredients to building a competitive business. It is just as vital that ministers battle for security please ensure that science-based decision making on crop protection products as well as delivery on better regulation. you wear your delegate badge at all times inside the Jim Rogers is the world renowned ex-partner of George Soros, a global investor who believes conference areas. agriculture is the ‘industry of the future’ and, living in Singapore, he brings a truly global perspective. His session includes the New Zealand High Commissioner, a passionate cattle breeder and former • I f you have not prebooked Agriculture Minister, who will again focus on the opportunities of a changing world. an Early Bird/Breakout or Workshop session you may Science must be at the centre of how our business addresses the uncertainty of the future; Mark do so, space permitting, at Walport the new Government Chief Scientist will give his first high-profile speech specifically the Document and Question on farming. After being in the news recently for his comments on climate change his words at Registration Desk situated in conference will be eagerly awaited. the main registration area. The recent floods experienced by so many areas of the country have devastated farm businesses. • To gain entry to the Farming and food production should not be granted the lowest priority when it comes to flood Conference Dinner, if management. I hope that many of you affected will attend our special Early Bird session on flooding booked, please ensure that on Day 2 with the Environment Agency. you continue to wear your conference badge. However, it is retailers that we have in abundance. The start of Justin King’s farewell tour will deliver challenges as well as his view on how retailing will evolve; even if the media thinks he will be telling • Conference evaluation forms us about pit stops and tyre changes! can be placed in the bins provided or can be completed Before our national officeholder elections commence we have our concluding panel session chaired online at www.nfuonline.com. by Jay Rayner. A line up of leading retailers will explain their response to the horsemeat scandal and Conference badges can also we will hear critically how consumers are reacting. Most shocking of all is the fact that even now the be recycled in these bins on House of Commons cannot serve a British meal if asked. George Eustice will say why and how this your departure. disconnect still exists. • I nformation on hotel check-in I hope you will all find the next few days of interest, please be challenging, ask searching questions and transport facilities can and chat to the 100 young farmers who are here and are the future of our exciting industry. be found on page 23 If you are tweeting from conference, please use #nfu14 to share the messages about Backing the • C offees, teas and lunches will Business of British Farming. be provided in Hall 3. • A number of the conference sponsors and exhibitors have display stands situated around the conference venue and they look forward to meeting you. Peter Kendall, NFU President 3 | NFU Day one Tuesday 25 February 10.15am Opening Address Peter Kendall, President, NFU 10.45am Session 1 Political Chairman: Peter Kendall, President ,NFU Rt Hon Owen Paterson MP, Secretary of State, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Defra 11.45am Session 2 Economics Part 1 – Business Chairman: Meurig Raymond, MBE FRAgS, Deputy President, NFU Jim Rogers, author of Street Smarts: Adventures on the Road and in the Markets Rt Hon Sir Lockwood Smith KNZM PhD High Commissioner for New Zealand to the United Kingdom 1pm Lunch 2.15pm Session 2 Economics Part 2 – Consumers and Retail Chairman: Meurig Raymond, MBE FRAgS, Deputy President, NFU Edward Garner, Communications Director, Kantar Worldpanel Justin King, CBE, Group Chief Executive, J Sainsbury Plc 3.30pm Coffee 4pm Commodity breakout sessions (Details on page 6) 6.45pm Drinks Reception 8pm Dinner After Dinner Speaker – Gyles Brandreth 4 | NFU Day two Wednesday 26 February 8am Early birds (Details on page 7) 9.30am Workshops (Details on page 8) 11am Coffee 11.30am Session 3 – Science Chairman: Adam Quinney, Vice President, NFU Sir Mark Walport, Chief Scientific Adviser to HM Government George Freeman, Member of Parliament for Mid-Norfolk Hadyn Parry, Chief Executive Officer, Oxitec 1pm Lunch 2pm Session 4 – Who’s backing British? Chairman: Jay Rayner Kevin Grace, Group Commercial Director, Tesco plc Martyn Jones, Group Corporate Services Director, Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc Michael Fletcher, Trading Director, The Co-operatve Food Retail George Eustice MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Minister for Farming, Food and Marine Environment, Defra 3.25pm Close of conference Peter Kendall – President, NFU 3.30pm AGM 5 | NFU The commodity breakout sessions Breakout sessions – are held on Tuesday afternoon commodities 4.00pm – 5.30pm Handouts for breakout sessions will be available in the session rooms. Additional copies can be obtained from the Document and Question Registration Desk situated in the main registration area. The NFU Board Chairmen and NFU Chief Advisers invite you to join them at one of the following breakout sessions: 1. 2. 3. Compete to Grow: British livestock: Global Combinable crops: ‘For your The growth agenda for opportunities business today, for your British dairying business tomorrow’ With markets opening up in Hong Kong Speakers and Russia and EU-US trade negotiations Andrew Watts, chairman, and Guy Gagen, chief Mansel Raymond, Dairy Board Chairman and now taking place, join NFU Livestock Board policy adviser, to set out the Board’s activity in Rob Newbery, Chief Dairy Adviser, NFU will be Chairman Charles Sercombe and Head of Trade helping members’ businesses now and what it is joined by George Eustice MP, Parliamentary Development at EBLEX Peter Hardwick to look doing to support a strong arable sector for the Under Secretary of State for Defra. at the latest global prospects for beef and future. Guest speaker – Stuart Knight, Director lamb and to gain an overview of NFU work to of Crops and Agronomy, NIAB, to describe Chaired by ensure British farmers are in a position to supply opportunities to exploit for crop production Kevin Pearce, Director of Regions, NFU markets at home and abroad. systems in the future, including control of pests and how pre-breeding can help crops withstand Location Chaired by attack from pests and the elements as extreme Hall 1 Andy Robertson, Director General, NFU weather events become more common. Location Chaired by Hall 8 Pamela Forbes, Regional Director, East Anglia, NFU Location Hall 9 4. 5. 6. Horticulture and potatoes: NFU Sugar: Preparing the The British poultry industry: Growing in the right industry for life after quotas Opportunities and challenges direction With only three more crops to be grown under Speakers Michael Barker, Editor of the Fresh Produce quotas before the sugar regime ceases on 30 Ian Pick, Principal Planning Consultant, Pick Journal, will lead a panel debate, offering you September 2017, William Martin chairman Associates and panel; Alan Gibson, Moy Park; a chance to question growers and industry of the NFU Sugar Board and Richard Pike the Catherine Brown, CEO of the FSA; Duncan experts on the hot topics and prospects for fruit, Managing Director of British Sugar will present Priestner, National Poultry Board Chairman and vegetable and ornamental production in Britain. their vision and the industry preparation for the Gary Ford, Chief Poultry Adviser. new era. Chaired by Chaired by William White, Regional Director, Chaired by Richard Hezlet, Regional Director, East Midland, NFU South East, NFU Martin Haworth, Director of Policy, NFU Location Location Location Hall 10b Hall 11a Hall 10a 6 | NFU Early Bird sessions are held Early Birds on Wednesday morning 8.00am – 9.15am Teas and coffees will be served outside each hall. 1. 2. 3. Implementing CAP Farming Delivering for the Flooding Reforms 2015 Hills and Uplands Speakers Dr Paul Leinster, Chief Executive, Environment Speakers Speakers Agency; David Rooke, Executive Director of Flood Mark Grimshaw, Chief Executive Officer, RPA; Kevin Bishop, Chief Executive, Dartmoor & Coastal Risk Management, Environment Agency. Geoff Sansome, Director of Land Management National Park; David Hall, Northern Assistant (South) and National Delivery, Natural England Regional Manager, EBLEX. Chaired by and Ian Trenholm, Director General and Chief Meurig Raymond MBE, FRAgS, Operating Officer, Defra and in attendance Hugh Chaired by Deputy President, NFU Craddock, Head of CAP Direct Payments, Defra. Robert Sheasby, Regional Director, North West, NFU Location Chaired by Hall 5 Martin Haworth, Director of Policy, NFU Location Hall 10a Location Hall 1 4.