Salary spotlight falls on levy board chiefs
The Meat and Livestock Commission has defended itself against accusations in the national press that its director general is overpaid.
According to the MLC, the salary details of director general Kevin Roberts, as recently published on a government website, are wrong due to accounting rules that require it to assign pension payments in a certain way.
This led to an over-inflated figure being lodged for Mr Roberts, which was reported in last weekend’s Sunday Telegraph. The MLC claims that his salary is actually £146,000, not £206,000 as listed.
Following this revelation, Farmers Weekly asked the main UK levy boards to provide salary details of their chief executives and to list what they consider to be their greatest achievements.
An MLC spokesman praised Mr Roberts for leading a team that had made the MLC “more modern, efficient and effective”.
“Levy collection costs have halved as a proportion of income, the MLC head count has been reduced by 27%, £9m of commercial profits have been delivered during the last decade to supplement levy funds and he has successfully prepared the MLC for the post-levy board review landscape.”
Jonathan Cowens, chief executive of the Home-Grown Cereals Authority, receives a basic salary of £98,000 a year. He said the thrust of HGCA activities in the past two years since he was appointed has centred on supporting development of non-food uses for cereals and oilseeds, reducing cereal production costs and improving chain efficiency.
“Other work has focused on improving effectiveness of the HGCA’s communication, engaging in effective consultation with stakeholders and strengthening collaborative links with other bodies,” said Mr Cowens.
For every pound of levy-payer contribution to research and development the HGCA attracted an extra £3 from other sources, he added.
Milk Development Council chief executive Kevin Bellamy receives £70,690 and MDC spokeswoman Amy Jackson said Mr Bellamy had been instrumental over the past five years in the MDC’s work serving dairy farmers.
“The team effort between our Council, Kevin and our staff, and the farmers on our regional committees has focused on three key areas: More relevant research, delivered better on-farm to increase farm efficiency; targeted marketing campaigns resulting in proven uplifts in milk consumption; and the Datum market information service, which is now vital to many direct supply groups achieving better milk prices.”
Ms Jackson added: “We know these services are now delivering results because farmers are beginning to tell us themselves.”
Helen Priestley, chief executive of the British Potato Council, receives a £68,742 basic salary.
Ms Priestley said: “All of the BPC team work on priorities set by industry that have measurable results. First, would be delivering a much better understanding of consumers.
Our industry has responded to this and we are starting to see fresh sales rise. Our knowledge transfer team has also been particularly innovative in the way it gets R&D into use, resulting in thousands of levy payers participating directly in work on soils, water, blight, storage and bruising.”
She also pointed to the BPC’s role in tackling issues such as safe havens, residues, healthy eating and educating children.
Horticultural Development Council chief executive Martin Beckenham receives a basic salary of £57,304.
A spokesman said:”Mr Beckenham steered the HDC through a significant cost reduction exercise over a two-year period from 1999 to 2001 resulting in a 23% cut in the costs of running the organisation.
The HDC is now considered the ‘leanest’ of the agricultural levy bodies with the highest proportion of levy collected being directed towards research and development.”
*What do you think of the salaries and the explanations? Have your say on our forums
 |  |
Helen Priestley | Martin Beckenham |
| British Potato Council | Horticultural Development Council |
Salary: £68,742 | Salary:£57,304 |