NPA chairman Richard Lister has issued a rallying call for people to step forward and represent their industry, as nominations for the next round of NPA elections open next week.
Voting in the first ever elections for the new NPA Pig Industry Group will take place in January and February, but candidates can be nominated from Monday, October 5.
Mr Lister, North Yorkshire producer who has been on Producer Group since 2003 and was elected as NPA chairman in 2015, said the elections represented an opportunity for producer and allied industry members to help shape their industry at this critical time.
“It is no good standing on the sidelines and complaining about things. You have got to get involved and make things happen,” he said.
“It is very important that we get the right people representing our fellow producers – people who feel passionate about the industry and want to make a difference.
“It is a chance to shape your own industry, rather than just sit there and let it happen. From a business and personal perspective, you get the chance to interact with a lot of influential people – it is up to you what you make of it.
“But, ultimately, once you have stood and been elected, it’s a fantastic opportunity to do something for your own industry.”
“So I would urge anyone who is thinking about it, if you have the fire and the drive, put your name forward and go for it!”
NPA elections – a new format
The format has changed for the 2021 elections.
This follows the successful amalgamation of the NPA’s Producer and Allied Industry Groups this year in a bid to reduce duplication and concentrate knowledge and expertise.
The new Pig Industry Group (PIG) is currently made up of 12 elected producer members and 10 elected allied industry representatives.
The Board has agreed to a number of changes:
- 10 producer and seven allied industry members will be elected to form the next Pig Industry Group.
- Five producers will be elected on a geographical basis with one guaranteed seat per region (North, East, Midlands, South Central and South West). The remaining five seats will be ‘free’, determined by the number of votes cast.
- Six allied industry representatives will be elected on a sectoral basis, with one each from the following sectors: nutrition, pharmaceutical, veterinary, marketing groups, manufacturing and processing. The remaining seat will be ‘free’, awarded to remaining person with the highest number of votes.
- A broad range of candidates will be encouraged to stand to ensure that we get good representation from all systems, sizes and sectors.
- Producers will still only be able to vote for producers and allied members for allied candidates.
- One space has been set aside as a co-opted seat to ensure that we have the flexibility to plug any gaps in representation.
- The Young NPA chair will also be given a permanent seat the for the first time.
- The PIG will meet four times a year and some meetings may be held remotely, depending on the situation with COVID-19.
NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said: “Amalgamating the two groups has been really successful, combining the breadth of knowledge of allied members with the specific interests of the producers.
“It will be critical however to retain the geographical and sectoral balance of the group to ensure that it properly represents the interests of our membership.”
“We are really looking forward to strong field of candidates coming forward for the first ever PIG elections.”