OPINION: A potential new role for agricultural societies

Seven years ago I published a paper entitled “The Challenges Facing World Agriculture”. Its theme was the increasing world population and suggested that to feed the extra mouths there would soon be a need to double the production of food, triple crop yields and do it on less land with much less water.


A few years later, Sir John Beddington, who was chief scientific adviser to the government, published his “Foresight Report” on the same subject. He called for “sustainable intensification” of agriculture. Since then, several organisations have examined the same scenario and come to similar conclusions. The Labour government set up an enquiry into food security. The RASE, NFU, AIC, and AHDB commissioned “Feeding the Future”. And DEFRA is developing an Agritech Policy. But apart from all these words, not a lot has happened here in the UK.


True, DEFRA has recently come up with modest new funding for research and we should be grateful for that. But average crop yields in the UK have remained on a yield plateau that has lasted 30 years. One reason is because UK farmers, like the rest of the EU, have been forbidden from introducing the latest scientific technology. Other regulations have also inhibited us from growing optimum yields.


But another crucial factor is the lack of a co-ordinated extension service to interpret the basic research that is done and advise how to apply it. This has left a void that used to be filled by experimental farms and by ADAS.


Consultants and agronomists, both independent and associated with inputs, have multiplied since free ADAS advice was stopped and many farmers benefit from their expertise. But good as these advisers are, their activities have not led to the integration of research and application that we knew when they were all under the Ministry’s management.


But a possible alternative solution to this industry weakness is being initiated. The RASE has, since its annual show ceased, been searching for a key role consistent with its longstanding motto “Practice with Science”. David Gardner, RASE chief executive, has observed the developing situation summarised above and concluded it provided an opportunity show societies could respond to. He has been touring the country trying to sell the idea of basing an extension service around them.


Unveiling the plan at the Institute of Agricultural Management (IAgrM) annual conference last week, he outlined his vision that each society would adopt an appropriate sector of farming and, by devoting resources to the project and pulling in top farmers, create a knowledge base on its showground that would be locally owned but would deliver nationally, co-ordinating with all other participating societies.


Few agricultural societies are flush with cash and attendance at shows is declining. Organisers are often preoccupied with staying solvent. The initiative envisaged by the RASE would necessarily be in addition to the annual shows societies arrange and some may think it too big a drain on resources. But every showground has underused facilities and local expertise could be harnessed. The dissemination of knowledge gained would take societies back to their roots.


Shows have, let’s face it, become mainly social in recent years. This could be an opportunity to make agricultural societies work again for the good of their parent industry.





David Richardson farms about 400ha of arable land near Norwich in Norfolk in partnership with his wife Lorna. His son, Rob, is farm manager.


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