| Cereals
New look seminars help farmers prepare for
change at Cereals 2018
Agriculture is facing unprecedented change. Brexit, restrictions on chemical usage, and accelerating scientific
innovation all make for uncertain times. However, with revolution comes opportunity, so how can farmers ensure the
best possible outcome for their business?
t such an
unpredictable time
for the industry, it’s
essential that
farmers stay up to
date with the latest
ideas and advice,” says Jon Day,
event director at Cereals 2018.
“No-one really knows what lies
ahead but this year’s Cereals
Event will really help to put the
challenges and opportunities into
perspective and explore what the
industry can do to ensure we’re as
prepared as possible.”
Of course, Cereals 2018 is all
about change, so the Arable
Conference will benefit from a
fresh look at this year’s event. It is
splitting into two, enabling visitors
to choose between lively debates
with industry leaders or getting up
to speed with the latest technical
arable research.
Cereals Controversial – fronted
by a panel of politicians and
leading industry officials – will see
some of the hottest topics in the
arable industry up for discussion.
Business resilience and
demonstrating environmental and
socially responsible activities are
A
just some of themes set to be
discussed by some of the most
influential people in UK agriculture.
Cereals Conversations will be a
hub for knowledge exchange,
taking a more technical approach
and providing cutting-edge
research and advice for farmers
and growers. Industry experts from
across the sector will be on hand,
arming growers with knowledge
on everything from using data to
drive decision making to emerging
weed control strategies.
This year’s content partner,
AHDB, will be both hosting
seminars in both the
Conversations and Controversial
marquees, with several speakers
taking their seat in sessions across
the two days.
Here are just some of the
speakers and topics that will be
covered over the two days.
Cereals Controversial
Fit for the future: The debate –
9:30am (13 June)
Kicking off proceedings in the
Cereals Controversial marquee is
Fit for the Future: The Debate,
hosted by Cereals content partner,
AHDB. This debate will bring
12 | Farming Monthly | June 2018
together politicians and industry
experts – including MP George
Eustice and Sir Peter Kendall,
chair of AHDB – to discuss what
the future of the supply chain will
look like with no subsidies.
How resilient is your business –
11:00am (13 June)
Resilience in the face of
uncertainty is something all
businesses need, and no more so
than those in agriculture. David
Eudall, market intelligence
partnerships manager at AHDB
and Jeremy Moody Secretary to
the Central Association of
Agricultural Valuers will join
financial experts and host famer
Robert Law in discussing how
arable farmers can build resilience
into their businesses.
The crops of the future – 1:00pm
(13 June)
The first afternoon session will
include AHDB’s consumer insights
manager Steven Evans and
Premium Crops’ managing
director Andrew Probert. The
panel will consider whether
farmers should be looking to grow
a more diverse range of crops –
given the changing climate and
subsidy landscape – as well as
looking at what insights the
industry has on what consumers
want.
The farm labour dilemma: what’s
the future? – 2:30pm (13 June)
The face of farming is changing.
The arable industry needs to
ensure it attracts and retains the
right type of labour to support
farming businesses in the future.
Visitors will hear from David Frost,
organisational development
director at Total Produce on how
the fresh produce industry has
adapted to labour shortages, and
Stephen Jacob, chief executive at
BASIS on the value of lifetime
learning and improving the skills of
the workforce.
Fit for the future: Survival of the
fittest – 10:30am (14 June)
Day two of the event will begin
with another panel discussion
featuring AHDB experts chaired by
Martin Grantley-Smith, cereals and
oilseeds strategy director. The
theme of this debate will be
around increasing farm business
productivity and benchmarking to
measure success.
A farm without machinery? 2:00pm
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