A group of prominent potato industry stakeholders has published proposals for a new representative body to replace AHDB, provisionally called ‘GB Potatoes’.
The ten people, who have distanced themselves from the Growers’ Better Levy Group, include Agrico UK executive director Archie Gibson and Perthshire potato grower Euan Grewar as well as others across the UK. They say that a new inclusive organization is necessary to represent the industry, commission future research and bring together all elements of the supply chain in the wake of the vote to reject the statutory AHDB levy.
They group says they want to bring all sectors of the industry together using a voluntary subscription and membership. A paper on provisional ideas for a GB Potatoes organization is currently being circulated to stakeholders in an attempt to define how the industry should go forward, how any representative body would operate and what it would do.
The paper emphasises that any new group must be a ‘less bureaucratic, more inclusive, and more appropriately funded successor to the AHDB. The priorities include promoting industry interests; collaborating to support pre-competitive work; bringing the GB potato industry together; being affordable and accountable and delivering value back into the supply chain; and representing the sector to governments, DEFRA and regulatory authorities.
Archie Gibson told The Courier, “The industry is a bit bruised and battered and there are mixed feelings about what should come next, but there’s no time to waste when we consider the need ensure the future of blight and aphid monitoring and future research priorities. We are consulting widely and trying to feel our way gently with seed and ware growers, processors, packers, merchants, grower groups, the farmers’ unions, independent advisers, research organisations and breeders.”