Businesses have been invited to comment on a new three-year strategy for cereals and oilseeds published this month by the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

The AHDB hopes its new ‘Inspiring Success’ corporate strategy will “create a world-class food and farming industry”, while redefining AHDB’s purpose as “inspiring farmers, growers and the industry to succeed in a rapidly changing world”.

The strategy focuses on five areas:

  • Delivering a step change in driving productivity through an enhanced knowledge exchange programme
  • Ramping up information available to growers on soils, break crops and animal feed needs, with a spotlight on rotations in the light of diminishing access to chemical pest and disease control
  • Focusing on whole supply chains to improve their efficiency for the benefit of levy payers, with a particular spotlight on feed chains
  • Identifying and providing access to alternative export markets post-Brexit
  • Ensuring the industry has sufficient data for planning needs longer term.

“In putting our strategy together, the Cereals & Oilseeds Sector Board considered how levy-funded activity could specifically add value and have greater impact, how we could learn from other industries at home and overseas, and how we could encourage farming to get fitter to prepare for life post-Brexit,” said AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds sector board chair Paul Temple.

“AHDB needs to work harder on building long-term relationships with agronomists, consultants and other third parties to speed up the pace and variety of activity in a way that does not compromise our independence.”

As part of the strategy, AHDB plans to reduce activity around cereals and oilseeds marketing, education and nutrition work - instead looking to make better use of AHDB’s existing cross-sector activities with schools and health professionals.

The consultation closes on Monday 9 January 2017. The strategy can be found at ahdb.org.uk/publications/consultation.aspx

Last month greater availability of home-grown milling grade wheat and a reduced competitiveness of imports boosted the use of GB wheat.

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