Levy payers have the chance to find out more about the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s ‘Shape the Future’ campaign through a series of face-to-face and online events.
Throughout February and March, members of the AHDB team will be on-hand at existing Monitor Farm meetings, agronomy conferences and webinars to answer questions from levy payers about ‘Shape the Future’, the voting process and how it will work.
The aim is to help beef and lamb, cereal and oilseeds, dairy and pork levy payers gain a greater understanding of the campaign before voting goes live in April.
The activity taking place also includes the final in a series of auction mart events for beef and lamb producers, at Hexham on 7 February, focusing on current and future export markets, a butchery demonstration as well as details on the ‘Shape the Future’ campaign.
Levy payers have until 31 March to register to have their say on which products, tools and services they value most – which will feed into the newly formed Sector Councils to ensure they better understand how levy payers want their money invested.
AHDB’s Director of Engagement Will Jackson said: “It is important that at all events organised and hosted by AHDB over the coming months we are emphasising to levy payers that they are at the heart of everything we do, and that we want them to benefit from being given a greater voice.
“By registering to take part in ‘Shape the Future’, levy payers get to have a say on the challenges they want AHDB to focus on and the services we will deliver for them over the next five years.
“As this is the first time we are engaging in this way we feel it’s important to use every opportunity we have to be on hand to explain the purpose of this activity and how the process works.
“These events will give levy payers the chance to ask any unanswered questions about the process we are undertaking.”
Examples of the tools, products and services which levy payers may wish to highlight as being of high value include:
– The exports activity being carried out on behalf of producers in the beef and lamb, pork and dairy sectors.
– The Recommended List produced for cereals and oilseeds growers.
– The marketing and reputation work carried out on behalf of all levy payers including the ‘We Eat Balanced’ campaign, featured on social media and prime-time TV throughout January.
