Call for united front across the UK over marketing post-brexit

A call for all sectors of the farming industry from all corners of the UK to pull together to ensure a profitable and viable future for the industry was made at one of Scotland’s leading agricultural shows yesterday.

Speaking at a Brexit debate at Turriff show, the vice-president of the English NFU, Minette Batters, said that the industry had to present a united front if it was make its voice heard at both political and commercial level.

She said that it was important that English and Scottish farmers stuck together – as any opportunity to “divide and conquer” would play directly into the hands of the many bodies with agendas which were at odds with the future success of the industry.

Batters said that a pooling of marketing efforts would also be to the benefit of an industry which was up against the marketing might of the global brands and international supermarket groups, with huge advertising and marketing budgets:

“And working together under the Red Tractor brand would be one way of gaining recognition,” she said. Despite some scepticism from the audience, she drew support from fellow panellist Jimmy Buchan, a Peterhead trawlerman and board member of the Scottish Fishermen’s Organisation, who said that he both recognised and respected the brand.