THE HOME Grown Cereals Authority has outlined its key priorities for future development following the Cereal Industry Review recommendations last November.

Four areas have been highlighted, including: non-food uses of cereals and oilseeds; the effectiveness of HGCA communications; improved supply chain efficiency and effective stakeholder consultation.

“Last year the CIR highlighted a number of areas which the review group felt would be key for the industry over the next few years,” explained HGCA chairman, John Page.

“We have taken those areas, looked at what we are currently doing, then asked ourselves what we can do to improve these, or whether in fact we are doing as much as we can at the current time.”

Strengthening collaboration with industry partners is another area that will be focussed on, he added.

But in order to develop some of these key areas, funding constraints mean that some existing activities – such as research projects and a price risk management programme – may need to be put on hold, Mr Page acknowledged.

“Inevitably, priorities will have to be made. But HGCA will try to determine whether funding for these can be found elsewhere.”

A full copy of the response can be found at www.hgca.com.