National Livestock Chairman at Brailsford Ploughing Match

NFU's national livestock board chairman, Richard Haddock, will visit Derbyshire next month to attend the 100th Brailsford Ploughing Match.

Mr Haddock and local NFU staff will be there to discuss the current situation with livestock marketing, especially the low farmgate prices for beef and lamb. Farmers should look out for the NFU exhibition unit on the show site.

"NFU is concerned that the farming industry is not getting the positive signals from the supply chain," said Mr Haddock. " The current producer prices for both beef and lamb are not at realistic levels for beef and lamb finishers. As we enter the critical autumn period this is sending the wrong signals to purchasers of store and breeding animals. The net result is a total lack of confidence for many producers. In coming up to Derbyshire, I'll be able to get a feel for producers' concerns and thoughts for the future of their industry and give an update on what NFU has been doing on their behalf to try and rectify the situation."

This year's ploughing match is being held on Wednesday 5 October, at Covert Farm, Ashbourne Road, Church Broughton, just north of the A50 (post code DE65 5AT), in south Derbyshire. As well as ploughing, the event hosts hedge-laying competitions and is a popular social event and meeting place for the farming community.