Quality, Price and Delivery
I firmly believe that we are at the beginning of another agricultural revolution in the UK, driven by policy reform and the application of vastly improved understanding of the genetics of our livestock and crops. The challenge for all is to harness the new knowledge and make the most of the new opportunities that will appear. With Market Forces our new masters we will all be judged on the quality, price and delivery of what we do!
To be successful in the future market you need to have satisfied customers! Obvious, I know, but to achieve this blissful state you must understand what your customers want, and know how you, beef and dairy farmers, can utilise the right animals with the right traits to produce the right products profitably. The Conference is here to help.
Through this conference, I hope all the delegates will pick up at least one good idea and spark off another in someone else. As usual the standard of the speakers who have agreed to address the meeting is high and I urge you to listen carefully to what they say. I would also encourage you to challenge and debate their views in a constructive way, which will help progress everyone's thinking.
The Conference will cover two full days on the 23rd and 24th January. The first day will be mainly beef topics and the second mainly dairy. The evening of the 22nd will have an informal Pub Quiz hosted by Mark Roberts - so start swotting now.
My sincere thanks go to Lesley Lewin, the Club Secretary, who has worked tremendously hard this year with conference, publication and constitutional issues to resolve. I am also indebted to Dr Mike Coffey, the Vice Chairman this year for his support in arranging Dairy Day speakers.
I hope all delegates enjoyed the Conference and left stimulated by the papers and discussions. To those who read the papers later, I hope you find something that encourages you to develop your business and attend the next conference!
Duncan Pullar
