The NFU is inviting delegates at its conference next week to flag up any worker issues to its Employment Service team.

Against the backdrop of the abolition of the Agricultural Wages Board, scheduled for later this year, the NFU is looking for feedback on worker issues from its 2,000 members.

NFU chief economist Phil Bicknell said: 'Many farmers are anticipating the disappearance of the wages board and the burdens that it brings. Abolition will finally put farming on a level footing with other businesses, removing the one-size-fits-all approach that has become increasingly obsolete in recent years.

'With competitive forces driving pay rates across the country, many farmers are already undertaking individual wage negotiations. Now, the NFU conference gives members the opportunity to highlight what additional resources would help them agree pay rates with workers following abolition.

'The NFU has already committed to providing a range of relevant information to farmers, including headline inflation figures and wages in other relevant sectors. We also intend to provide a business guide to facilitate individual wage discussions.

'We now look forward to feedback on what else our members want – this could be tailoring information based on local pay rates or updating information on a frequent basis. We know that many farm businesses will take this change in their stride and for those that do need some support, we want to make sure we're giving them the tools they need.'

A dedicated NFU Employment Service stand will be set up in the main hall throughout next week's event.