The new face of Levy Board UK starts to take shape with the appointment of John Hall as the sector chair representing horticulture.

Needless to say everyone in the industry wishes him well in his task. And quite a task it is, particularly as his first job will be to win over a sceptical horticulture sector.

If there was any question that growers remain unconvinced of the need for an umbrella board, it came during John Bridge’s appearance at the NFU conference, when several delegates stepped up to express doubts that their needs would be met within the new structure.

In theory the idea of greater efficiency and the same amount of money being stretched to greater effect sounds a good one. In practice, there is a real fear that horticulture’s voice will become lost among the nine other representatives on the overall board.

Growers will wait with interest to discover the dozen or so names - including complete independents - who will sit on horticulture’s sector board.

Only in time will we see whether this is a progressive step or a calamitous mistake.

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