Sir Ben Gill has announced he will stand down as president of the NFU in four months.
After 13 years as an officeholder for the organisation Sir Ben, who has been president since 1998, told a meeting of the NFU Council that he will not seek re-election at the organisation's 2004 AGM.
He said: “I have been enormously proud to serve as president. It has been an testing and demanding time. But I believe we are now reaching a watershed. The hard-won reforms to the cap should soon start to deliver benefits. There are still enormous challenges ahead, but I believe it is now time for me to stand aside and allow the Council to select a new person to stamp his or her mark on the future.”
Sir Ben will withdraw from active participation in NFU work but will continue with the presidency of the Confederation of European Agriculture until it ends in September 2004.