These groups are made up of county representatives with high levels of ‘Less Favoured Areas’.
The two chairs of the groups sit on the National Livestock Board and are essential in providing the upland perspective in red meat policy development.
The Upland Groups also represent upland members in meetings with politicians, including Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner, upland stakeholders such as National Parks and environmental NGOs, and Defra, particularly on the development of ELMs.
Meet the North group
Dave Stanners
NFU Uplands North Group chair
The couple farm 700 breeding ewes with all lambs sold store or for breeding and 70 pedigree Luing cows, steers sold at 12 months in the store and surplus heifers sold for breeding.
Around one third of the farm is in an upland offer, mid tier countryside stewardship with the remainder entered into the SFI pilot scheme, from 1 January 2022.
- Vice chair and Cumbria representative – Richard Pedley
- Derbyshire representative – Joe Dalton
- Lancashire representative – Helen Drinkall
- Staffordshire representative – Andrew Stone
- North Riding & Durham representative – Richard Findlay
- West Riding representative – David Airey
Meet the South group
Mat Cole
NFU Uplands South Group chair
They also have 250 suckler cows all with followers which are retained on farm for finishing or sold as breeding stock, as well as a small herd of Dartmoor ponies.
Mat actively grazes over 5 commons with hefted stock and therefore has considerable experience of agreements on commons as well as on the home farm.
He is also a director of Dartmoor Farmers a marketing group that sells premium beef and lamb into select Morrisons stores as well as retailers and wholesales.
- Cornwall representative – Stephen Best
- Somerset representative – Chris Webber
- Shropshire representative – Carol Griffths
- Herefordshire representative – Phil Sankey
