At the beginning of the year, the NFU Council approved a series of reforms, including several aimed at improving member representation in the policy-making process.
At the outset, Council recognised the critical role of the sector boards and the importance of ensuring that members continue to have the opportunity to be involved.
Your Horticulture & Potatoes Board has been considering what changes (if any) may be appropriate for this sector. The foremost consideration is that the National Horticulture & Potatoes Board must continue to reflect the range of cropping systems (ranging from top fruit, soft fruit, vegetable, protected salads, potatoes, ornamentals, trees and viticulture). We also need to look at representation across the regions, areas of technical expertise and business sizes.
We are formed by a total of 13 appointments and have often supplemented these with co-options to provide further insight, expertise and a balanced perspective. The appointment process runs in February every year, and we encourage more members to come forward.
New faces welcome
In recent years, there hasn’t been a large number of applicants, but one of the applicable reforms will be a maximum term of 6 years as an ordinary board member – so it is vital that we see some new faces.
Alongside the National Board, we have our specialist branches (BPOA, LVGA and WSGA) and several structures based on regions. These all support and influence our policy development and communications. We will always welcome any initiative that brings groups of members together. Still, it is through the strength of the National Board, with managed and regular membership, that we have a forum that effectively represents the whole industry.
The main issue impacting members’ engagement with our various Boards and Associations is the availability of time. With this in mind, we need to ensure the policy development and communication process is efficient – making the National Horticulture and Potatoes Board a one-stop shop whenever possible.
Can you contribute?
If you would like to contribute to giving your form of horticulture the best representation on the National Horticulture & Potatoes Board please discuss this with either a serving Board member or our policy team at [email protected].