The NPA’s Spring Regional meetings take place next month, with a focus on preparing for life outside the EU.
The first meeting, the South Central Regional, is at Newbury RFC on Tuesday April 2, with a hot buffet at 6.30pm and the meeting starting at 7pm. This will be followed by meetings at Diss (April 9), Exeter racecourse (April 16) and York (April 23). See the NPA website for more details
With huge uncertainty over our post-Brexit future Brexit, the NPA has invited speakers from the market research and banking sectors to address the meetings.
Emily Norton, from Savills’ Rural Research department and a Nuffield scholar, will provide an overview of agriculture in 2019, and the wider trends producers will want to be aware of.
Andy Hipwell, Regional Agriculture Director at HSBC, who will give an update on views from the agricultural banking sector. Bethan Wilkins from AHDB’s Market Intelligence team will also address the meetings, presenting impact analyses and Brexit scenarios from AHDB strategic insight teams.
The NPA staff will be providing their usual updates on the hot topics affecting the industry. Once again, NPA will be running a one hour surgery prior to the start of the meeting, from 5:30-6:30pm, during which time members can book a one-to-one slot with NPA staff should you wish to discuss something specific with them.
South Central regional chairman Sally Stockings said: “As always, the more people that attend these meetings the more everyone will get out of them by way of active discussion, so please do make the effort to come along. Your views are also very important in helping the national Producer Group and the NPA team formulate policy on your behalf.”