Potato Review

16 POTATO REVIEW NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 AHDB ON THE SPOT BY: ALISON LEVETT Interim Chair AHDB Potatoes Board I TOOK over as Interim Chair of the AHDB Potato Sector Board in July 2020 and while I have experienced some challenging times in my career to date, I am not sure any compare to the ‘maelstrom’ that the potato industry has been facing and will continue to face. e list is long: Di cult harvests, chemical withdrawals, Brexit and now of course COVID-19. In this context, more than ever, growers need to feel con dent that they are getting real value for money from AHDB but, while we know that those who use our services rate them highly, there are still many that have their doubts about us. Frequently those who are dubious are those who don’t engage with us and we’re aware that we need to increase the numbers of people that engage with our services - not least because those that do tell us our work is bringing about practical improvements and better results on their farms. At the same time, we also know that we need to change - both in terms of the work programmes we deliver and the ways we communicate with you. To make these changes relevant and e ective, we must listen to our customers, our levy payers. I don’t want these to be hollow promises so would urge more people to connect with us directly. Open to change - and face the maelstrom Representation and the way we collect the levy It’s my job and that of the Potato Sector Board to ensure that AHDB is rmly focussed on programmes of work that ensure the sustainability of the industry that might otherwise struggle or even fail. Our board has widespread representation from the di erent sectors, with many being levy payers themselves so their guidance is heartfelt. In the words of one of our members at a recent board meeting: “We need to help growers be e cient, produce healthy crops and keep the industry in the UK”. Firstly, regarding the levy itself, we have heard your concerns on fairness and have committed to review the collection mechanism. At our open board meeting back in July and subsequent feedback from various stakeholders, the consensus seems to be that there isn’t a perfect method. Instead our priority needs to be on delivering value for money and being transparent on how the levy is spent. However, that doesn’t rule out making changes, such as introducing a levy ‘claw back’ for growers in crisis situations when a crop cannot be lifted and this is under active consideration. In terms of where the money goes, top of “We need to help growers be e cient, produce healthy crops and keep the industry in the UK.”