1. The Ups and Downs of KT in GB Rob Clayton Director of Potato Council Potato Council is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Supporting the British potato industry

2. Part of a big family Statutory levies from 6 sectors (ring-fenced) Beef + lamb (Eng) - EBLEX £14.4 million Cereals + oilseeds (UK) - HGCA £10.3 million Pigs (Eng) - BPEX £7.9 million Milk (GB) - DairyCo £6.9 million Potatoes (GB)- Potato Council £6.2 million Horticulture (GB) - HDC £5.7 million Potato Council is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Supporting the British potato industry

3. With a common purpose Existence enshrined in law AHDB’s shared objectives –Deliver value for money in everything we do –Improve efficiency and productivity in the industry to help levy payers have thriving businesses –Improve marketing in the industry to help profitability and customer awareness –Improve services that the industry provides to the community –Improve ways in which the industry contributes to sustainable development An NDPB linked to the UK Gov’t – DEFRA Audited by National Audit Office (NAO) Potato Council is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Supporting the British potato industry

4. £4.8M Grower levy (£41/ha) £1.2M buyer levy (18p/t) 28% R&D 17% KT & Trade comms 24% Marketing & corp affairs 5% Seed and Export 5% Market info 20% support 4+97531.5 AHDB Corp. Our spend Our people …that is funded by statutory levy Potato Council is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Supporting the British potato industry CompetitivenessDemand

5. Top 12 producer / consumer Potato Council is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Supporting the British potato industry Latest verified FAOSTAT GB as a subset of UK closer to 98kg for 2009 down from 109kg in 2000

6. Areas relatively stable Potato Council is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Supporting the British potato industry Deterioration in West and SW Weather Rotation Markets Irrigation

7. In fewer hands Potato Council is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Supporting the British potato industry Intervention buying ends ADAS privatised. EHFs wound down MAFF becomes DEFRA

8. …and marketable yields apparently at plateau Potato Council is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Supporting the British potato industry

9. Similar rationalisation in supply chain Potato Council is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Supporting the British potato industry The “big 5” account for 83% retail movement

10. Mostly on contracts but… Potato Council is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Supporting the British potato industry..a speculating fringe

11. The communication challenge… Potato Council is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Supporting the British potato industry Less “low maintenance” production Legacy of poor varietal choices A precedent that advice / information is “free” Expectation of the next “big return” Tight margins A changing advisory framework EU Member State Needs of grower and supply chain A precarious consensus on our role

12. There’s loads of R&D still on the shelf. It needs interpreting so I can use it. You’d better step up a gear! Listen, I employ a clever guy who can get R&D off the shelf for himself. That’s how I keep my competitive advantage. You’d better step down a gear!

13. Keep it basic. If we don’t all improve a notch we’ll be over-run by the French and Belgians Don’t patronise me, don’t spoon-feed me, don’t waste my levy on basics. I need detail to plan changes.

14. The workshops on blight, bruising, water, soils, black dot and the info. Sheets on CIPC, fry colours, diagnostics, etc. are really helpful. Keep them coming! Potato who? No time for that….. Talk to my agronomist……. The shoot starts in half an hour!

15. You gotta have a mascot! Potato Council is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Supporting the British potato industry Rupert’s caught thieving again Rupert lad, I could have killed yer, Just lay off my crop of Wilja After months of fighting the craving, Rupert had to admit it, he was an addict! The hawthorn hedge, the barbed wire, the ditch, the wildflower margin and the beetle bank were no obstacle to a bear on a mission. Sadly even his wits were no match for a farmer with an upside-down pipe!