NFU response to farming pressure group

Tim Bennett, President of the NFU, responded today to the creation of a new farming pressure group 'Better NFU'.

Speaking during a journalists' briefing before leaving the country to take part in the World Trade Organisation talks he said:

"The NFU is a democratic organisation and is open for any member to stand for any leadership position.

"I take great offence, however, at claims the NFU is not doing its job. It has had many recent successes. To name but a few, these include: playing a major role in persuading the Blair Government to sign up to the Renewable Energy Transport Obligation; overseeing £5 billion of produce into the well-known red tractor food assurance scheme; and ensuring confidence in the poultry market was maintained during the recent Avian Influenza scare.

"The NFU remains at the heart of a process that is seeing farming go through its biggest change in a generation. Farmers now have to operate in a modern business environment where they can no longer produce whatever they want and see a government cheque at the end of the month. Most importantly, no one should believe that the real difficulties farmers face today could easily be reversed by simply shouting louder.

"Finally, the NFU is a non-partisan organisation. It works for the benefit of all farmers, whatever their political allegiances, and represents them to UK governments, whatever their political persuasion. That is why we have a seat at the table, that is why we succeed, and that is why we remain credible."