In this section

• Agriculture & rural affairs
• ARAC Forum
• Farm business development competition
• Agriculture events
• Agricultural training
• YFC industry representatives
• Lantra
• Help and advice on rural issues
• Think Food & Farming

NFYFC
YFC Centre
10th Street
Stoneleigh Park
Kenilworth
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG

t: 024 7685 7200
f: 024 7685 7229
e: post@nfyfc.org.uk

YFC industry representatives

YFC members represent the organisation on various industry committees and councils. All YFC members have the opportunity to feed their thoughts and opinions to the industry representatives on relevant topics. Why not arrange a visit or talk for your county or area YFC meeting by contacting your regional representatives on this page?

Ideas for your YFC meetings

Following on from NFYFC's study tour to Brussels, NFU head of economics and international affairs Tom Hind shares his top five reasons why the CAP is relevant to YFC members.

"The debate on the future of the CAP has started and will intensify later this year when the European Commission publishes its first paper on the future of the policy. A reformed policy will not come into being before 2014 and will face pressure both in terms of the size of the budget and the legitimacy of farm payments. Within this debate, young farmers have an important voice as succession as seen as vital to responding to some of the big challenges farming faces,” says Tom.

• CAP direct payments currently form the core of the CAP. This is likely to continue after 2013 although there are pressures to reduce their scale. How important is the Single Payment Scheme to young farmers and their incomes? Is support essential or does it hinder progress in the industry?

• What role should the environment and other public goods play in the policy? Should farmers be asked to do more through cross-compliance? Are agri-environment schemes seen as important? Is it better to invest in skills and infrastructure rather than land-based schemes?

• The farming sector needs to invest to become more competitive and productive. What investments does your business need to make and how could the CAP help you make these investments?

• How best to support young farmers? Should installation aid (grants to young farmers) be made compulsory or would it be better to subsidise the costs of loans and credit for young farmers to make it easier to acquire capital? Are there any other ideas?

• What can you do in terms of lobbying? MEPs will now have an important role in shaping the policy? How will you engage with your local MEPs in order to get the message across from young farmers about the kind of policy you want to see?
   

Why not arrange your own county or area talk to consider CAP reform by getting in touch with your regional NFU representative?

Tenancy Reform Industry Group (TRIG)

Get involved

The most recent TRIG meeting has posed a number of questions for YFC members to get involved and share their views. Download the questions below and feed back to either Louise Elliott or Sarah Palmer.

• TRIG meeting and questions for YFC members: March 2010

YFC members can obtain more information about the Uplands Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) on the Defra website page here.

Copies of a new Defra booklet on the subject can be obtained from Sarah Palmer.

Country Land and Business Association (CLA)

Hannah Skingley  and James Mugleston are your Country Land and Business Association (CLA) representatives

Click here to submit your feedback

AgriSkills Forum

In February 2008 as part of its Future for Farming initiative, Defra held a meeting with industry which led to the creation of the AgriSkills Forum later that year to ensure skill issues were being addressed in the agricultural and horticultural sector.

The forum's primary objective is to encourage the development of businesses and workers in he land-based sector by ensuring development and skills training is available, affordable and meets the needs of both the individual and business.

The NFU acts as co-ordinator and facilitator for the forum, which has a management group made up of Agriskills Forum chairman Richard Longthorp, the NFU, Lantra Sector Skills Council for the Environmental and Land-based Industries, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Landex and the NFYFC.

Learn more

At the NFU AGM in February 2009, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn MP recognised that skills development had improved in agriculture but there was more to be done to improve risk management, stem the loss of practical skills, improve understanding of new technologies, develop business and leadership skills and bring about a more coordinated approach to skills development. The minister challenged the AgriSkills Forum to develop a strategy to bring about these changes.

• Click here to read the full background to the draft strategy

Have your say

The AgriSkills Strategy has been developed in response to Defra’s original desire to ensure agriculture remains strong, productive, resilient and sustainable and to use skills to help achieve this. The actions arising from the strategy will ensure the UK can equip itself with the right skills to guarantee a profitable and sustainable agricultural industry for the future, delivered by a workforce that is recognised for its professionalism, where farming is valued and is an attractive career of choice.

The draft AgriSkills Strategy is now available for consultation to the wider AgriSkills Forum and the agricultural industry. It is anticipated that the final strategy will be launched with the support of the Minister in spring 2010.

1. Download the strategy consultation document
2. Click here for a copy of the proposed strategy action plan