North Yorkshire potato grower Tim Rooke has been re-elected chair of the NFU Potato Forum. Edward Backhouse, a Yorkshire potato and arable grower, has been elected as vice chair.
Tim, who farms 240 hectares of potatoes, also grows crops on 400 hectares of his farm. He said: "I'm delighted to have been elected as the chair of the Potato Forum and I look forward to working with the rest of the Forum on key issues facing the sector.
Tim Rooke
"Like other sectors, potato growers are facing significantly rising costs and it's essential we continue to work within the NFU and with the government to ensure these are recognized in government and across the supply chain.
Edward Backhouse, a Yorkshire potato and arable grower, has been elected as vice chair.
Edward Backhouse
He mainly grows 80 hectares of main crop potatoes to sell through a number of merchants to fish and chip shops and grows on a combination of owned land, permanently rented, contract farmed, and single crop rented land.
Following his election Edward commented: "Having already been on the Potato Policy Group for four years, I have really enjoyed the opportunity to represent the potato sector and the chipping trade in particular, and so I'm delighted to have been appointed as vice chair.
"With so many challenges and opportunities facing potato growers, I am looking forward to helping steer the direction of the group for a sustainable and resilient future for growers."
For more information:
Jo Rector
NFU
Tel: +44 02476 858 686
Email: jo.rector@nfu.org.uk
www.nfuonline.com