Prince praises organic livestock group
The Prince of Wales has congratulated the Graig Producer Group of organic livestock farmers for reaching their first decade.
In a letter to the Group, based in mid-Wales, The Prince said "You have been pioneers in collaborative organic marketing for beef and sheep and I have watched your development over the last decade with considerable admiration. Today, it is being increasingly understood that to succeed in farming it is essential to add value to products, to collaborate more closely and to market better. Graig Producers has achieved all this while reducing costs and improving management. Above all, you have seen that farmers can find greater safety in numbers and are in a far better position to negotiate with the retailers as a group than as individuals."
Although operating since the early 1990's, Graig Producers formalised itself in 1996, when there was initial interest in organic meat by the supermarket sector. The Group created a marketing organisation to supply organic beef and lamb to the multiple retailers, whilst offering its farming members a range of services aimed at keeping them financially viable. Graig Producers have a policy of 'local first', which means that within this Group structure, farmers should supply local markets if they want to, but the Group also offers a gateway to the supermarket sector. Director, and pioneering organic farmer Nigel Elgar explained "We very much believe in the principles expressed in the Curry Report of a more joined-up food chain, with collaboration replacing mistrust. It is absurd that until recently we have had no structure for the pricing of organic livestock, and so we are very pleased that the major multiples are now beginning to embrace this idea as a sensible way to ensure a regular and increasing supply of UK meat for their shelves. We work closely with both processors and supermarkets."
Currently the Group has some 250 organic farming members across Wales and the Borders, supplying processors for retailers such as Sainsburys and Tesco. Earlier this year, Graig Producers South West was established in the West Country, and the Group has also been asked to manage the marketing of livestock for Caledonian Organics, a new Scottish livestock Co-op, which is already making rapid progress.
Managing Director, Bob Kennard, said such marketing arrangements had to work for all stages of the chain "Farmers representative groups have no God-given right to be actively involved in the marketing process if they cannot add value to the system. By a wide range of activities, from store stock movement to improved continuity of supply, to cost of production exercises, and low-cost inputs, we try to lubricate the whole supply chain to bring benefits for everyone. Of course, our primary aim is to ensure the financial sustainability of organic livestock farmers, but we can only do that if we have strong support from the organic livestock farming community. Thankfully, our experience in Wales and The Borders is that if you offer a professional and positive service, with a bottom-up, rather than a top-down approach, members will stick with it – even in the difficult times".
Nigel Elgar expressed the Group's long-term goals "Our aim is that in the regions in which we operate, as many organic livestock farmers as possible join us. We should be able to reach the stage where, within organic livestock farming, a well-managed, efficient Group is the natural way for farmers to market their produce. With organic meat we have a unique opportunity to achieve an efficient food chain to the considerable benefit of all. However, we have to get away from short-term opportunism from all players - farmers, processors and supermarkets."
The Prince of Wales wished Graig Producers well for the future "It is little wonder that you have spread from Wales into the South West and now Scotland, and I do congratulate you and all your members on your first ten years and send you my warmest good wishes for an equally successful second decade."
