The future of farming in Northumberland will be under the spotlight at Hexham Auction Mart next week, as farmers and others from across the agricultural sector meet to discuss how the industry can respond to uncertainty.
The Northern Farming Conference will take place on Wednesday, November 4, under the theme Turning a Corner: Building the Future of Farming. The event comes as changing government policy, international uncertainty affecting markets and growing environmental pressures continue to influence agricultural businesses.
What farmers will discuss
The conference will examine the economic, political and environmental forces shaping British agriculture. It will also give attendees the opportunity to hear different perspectives on the direction of the industry and consider how wider developments could affect decisions made on individual farms.
Organisers say the event will bring together voices from across the agricultural sector. Alongside the main discussions, farmers will be able to exchange experiences and share ideas about how their businesses can respond to the issues being raised.
‘Focus on what we’ve got behind the farm gate’
Joe Nelless, a livestock farmer at Thistleyhaugh Farm near Morpeth, said understanding the wider industry was increasingly important, while farmers also needed to concentrate on what could be achieved at farm level.
“With everything that’s changing across the UK and internationally, whether that’s government policy, global conflicts or the climate, I think it’s becoming increasingly important for farmers to focus on making the most of what we’ve got behind the farm gate.”
He added that sharing ideas with other farmers could help them find better ways of managing their businesses.
“Understanding the wider industry and sharing ideas with other farmers helps us find better ways of doing that.”
The conference is being held as decisions made by agricultural businesses are described as having potentially lasting implications for Northumberland’s rural economy.