AS AGRICULTURE enters a new and brave world, the NFU in Lancashire has called on a familiar face to steer the organisation through changing times.
Jim Birkett, 57, farms 260 acres of land in Heysham, Lancashire with his brother Roger. He has been bestowed with the honour of being NFU county chairman for a second time and will be in office for the next two years.
During a time in which Lancashire farmers will be faced with, amongst other things, implementation problems of the Single Farm Payment and the need for a sensible solution to bovine TB, the NFU has decided that experience is vital.
"Doing this job before has made me appreciate what other NFU members go through on a daily basis and I think I have a good understanding of how they want this organisation to help them through farming's current period of uncertainty," said Jim.
"As county chairman I now have a seat on the NFU's national council which I'm really looking forward to being involved in. Whilst one council member cannot change the world, he can influence the opinion of others and Lancashire members can be assured that I shall be making their voices heard at the highest levels."
Jim has been married to his wife, Unity, for 25 years in March. He has a mixed dairy, beef and sheep farm where he milks 70 cows has 50 beef cattle, rears replacement stock and has 100 sheep.
His farm is very near to the highly populated areas of Morecambe and Lancaster which Jim says gives him priceless opportunities to talk with consumers.
With the help of wife Unity, Jim, also writes a regular column for the Lancaster Guardian newspaper and is the chairman of the Lancaster and District Choir that has approximately 100 members.
"Being Lancashire County Chairman three years before gives me an advantage this time around as I already know most of the members and how the various funding agencies and government bodies operate," added Jim.
- More Follows -
page two: familiar face brings new optimism to nfu
"I have a great deputy county chairman in Mrs Anne Bell who farms with her husband Peter in Pilling near Preston. I have a great deal of confidence in Anne and look forward to working closely with her during my two years in office."
Jim was officially inaugurated as Lancashire County Chairman at the NFU's county luncheon which took place at the Crofters Hotel in Garstang on Tuesday 25 January. Jim took over as Lancashire County Chairman from Mr Albert Webster who is a retired farmer from Ormskirk.
