NFU fights grain contract costs

By FWi staff

THE NFU has launched a campaign to tackle increasing charges and deductions imposed on cereal farmers.

It will target what are seen as a growing number of grain contracts that contain unfair claims and disproportionate penalties, including rejection costs, quality penalties and weighbridge charges.

Grain merchants are all too quick to make charges for below-quality specification, but offer no premium for above-quality specification, or any opportunity for payment to be based on average quality, says Richard Butler, chairman of the NFU cereals committee.

If we do not redress the balance we will continue to see grain farmers driven out of production by the very industry it serves.

The union is also producing a free document before harvest which outlines checks farmers should make before signing grain contracts.