Growers in parts of England have the chance to become one of eight new monitor farms, as the AHDB Cereal and Oilseeds scheme looks to expand next year.

The programme, which was first launched in Scotland in 2003, is looking to recruit a new monitor farm from each of the following counties: Kent, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Cornwall, Dorset and Cheshire.

After shortlisting and interviews, the eight new monitor farms will be launched in spring 2016, with the first meetings being held in early summer.

The programme is looking for farmers who want to:

• Boost technical performance, profit and long-term sustainability
• Manage costs of production and benchmark against similar businesses
• Share knowledge and influence best practice within the local community
• Forge relationships with the wider industry

Tim Isaac, AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds acting head of regional development, said: “The expansion of our regional team, along with the changes happening across AHDB, allow us to expand the monitor farm programme and offer its benefits to more levy payers.

“Alongside the new monitor farms, we will also be able to establish more arable business groups.”

For more information, growers should contact their AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds regional manager by 31 December 2015:

• harry.henderson@ahdb.org.uk (Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire)
• judith.stafford@ahdb.org.uk (Cheshire)
• philip.dolbear@ahdb.org.uk (Cornwall, Dorset)
• tim.isaac@ahdb.org.uk (Kent, Norfolk)