3 minute read
Chairman’s Comments
IT has been good to welcome members back to the Club after another lengthy lockdown. On 17 May I was able to travel to London for the first few days following the re-opening. We had fun filming the short videos that have been used on social media and the website, introducing some of the team to you. They were so pleased to be back serving the membership.
Freedom Day
We are delighted Freedom Day actually happened on 19 July, so let’s hope life can now return to something much closer to normal, albeit with some necessary caution.
I was back at the Club at the end of June for the WCF Banquet. It was busy with members staying for that event. There was a great atmosphere. The Club was buzzing. Then on 6 July the General Committee met in the Club, with the AGM afterwards, and the AGM Lunch, addressed by NFU President Minette Batters.
Events planning
I trust you are all up-to-date with the Club Events that are being organized. We have put together a busy programme and I am pleased to report members are signing up to attend. We hope to keep adding to the list, so keep watching the website and book using the new booking system, which is now working well. If you have any problems do not hesitate to contact Events Administrator Emily.
I am pleased a few Agricultural Shows are going ahead this year, including the Royal Highland Show’s showcase 14-20 June. It was filmed with all types of classes competing – livestock, food and drink, forestry etc. Although not open to the public 252 hours of footage were filmed and over 270,000 people have watched the livestream from 87 countries. It is estimated over 2 million people could be reached via social media, something I don’t think the agricultural sector has done on such a scale before. I congratulate them for organizing the showcase and displaying the best of farming and food and drink to such a wide audience.
Agricultural Shows
Our first Farmers Club Show Reception was at the Devon County Show on 2 July where Allan Stevenson and Andrei represented the Club. This was followed by a reception at The Great Yorkshire Show on 13 July when Andrei and I met many members and friends from Yorkshire and the North of England. Other shows we hope to visit are the Balmoral Show and the Westmorland Show in September. Please look out for booking information and join us at the Farmers Club Events if you intend to be at either of those shows.
Harvest hopes
As we approach harvest crops are looking promising. The weather has been good for several weeks and I hope summer stays settled, with lots of sunshine so crops can ripen to their full potential. Prices remain buoyant for cereals, with beef and sheep also doing well. Sadly, not all commodities are enjoying profitable times. I sympathize with potato producers who have had a difficult year. I hope prices will improve for them in 2021/2022.
Labour challenges
A major farming concern is the labour shortage. We have been so used to bringing staff from the EU prior to Brexit. Recruiting the shortfall from the domestic workforce is unlikely to fill seasonal vacancies. With over 60,000 workers needed for fruit and veg harvest we will be desperate to bring in workers from abroad.
Agriculture offers many interesting and challenging careers, that can be very rewarding and offer a good quality of life. We do need to attract people from the non-agricultural world to fill many of these vacancies. There is a similar problem in many other sectors, including hospitality, which is a concern for the management of the Club. As business returns to normal we will need to recruit several new people to work at the Club, which could be more difficult than it has been in previous years.
As a more normal way of life is returning I am looking forward to meeting many of you at the Club or Events around the country. Grace and I are also looking forward to welcoming the group coming on the Chairman’s Tour of the Borders in late July. We hope our guests experience our home area at its best and enjoy a few days in our beautiful borderland.
