Potato Review

16 POTATO REVIEW NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 PREVIEW: BP2019 much about keeping yourself happy and your personal wellbeing as it is keeping your business in shape.” Russell added: “We are living in a time of agricultural evolution – so we need to adapt to a new system, a new way of thinking. We’re never too old to learn. We can always improve ourselves.” The seminar will illustrate the importance of knowing and understanding why you farm. Russell and Martin will be joined on stage by Heather Wildman from agricultural business consultancy Saviour Associates and Tess Howe from AHDB’s skills team. Between them they will look at the key issues and skills growers need to consider to achieve personal and business resilience. The rest of the programme includes everything from alternatives to lost actives. Day two’s seminars are focused on the market and marketing, opening with a live reveal of the AHDB production estimate. Tools to try on the AHDB stand ere will be a number of tools available on the AHDB stand including the Store Managers Guide and Storage Cost Calculator, Farmbench which helps identify business strengths and weaknesses, and the new Potato Variety Comparison tool. AHDB Potatoes launched Potato Data Centre (PDC) at BP2017 and, over the past two years, has been developing the tool, which allows growers and those in the supply chain to examine data on price, variety, planted area, market sector and yield. Members of the Market Intelligence team will be on hand to demonstrate and talk through the program to show how this can be of bene t to your business. Meanwhile the Brexit Impact Calculator can be used to investigate the potential impact that Brexit will have on your farming business. A report will be generated predicting the consequences of two possible Brexit scenarios: • Scenario 1: e UK has a free trade agreement with the EU. In England, direct payments are reduced ( falling to zero by 2028). It is proposed that these will be ‘recycled’ into public good type payments, however the extent to which farmers will have access to these funds will depend on their level of engagement with public goods schemes. • Scenario 2: UK trade with the EU is on WTO terms. In England, direct payments are reduced ( falling to zero by 2028). It is proposed that these will be ‘recycled’ into public good type payments, however the extent to which farmers will have access to these funds will depend on their level of engagement with public goods schemes. Next Generation 2020 Heading into its fourth intake, the successful AHDB Potatoes Next Generation initiative will open the recruitment process for 15 candidates from across the UK supply chain at BP2019. Applicants are being sought from all areas of the industry and successful candidates will take part in a year-long development programme, including business and technical sessions, as well as supply chain visits. For all of the information, please ask for Jimmy Phillips on the AHDB stand. Industry Awards e winners of two prestigious AHDB awards will be presented alongside this year’s rst National Potato Industry Awards which will be staged at Harrogate Convention Centre, and hosted by Potato Review on the rst night of BP2019 (November 20th). e rst is the British Potato Industry Award, which is a lifetime achievement award for those who have dedicated their career to the potato industry and whose e orts have bene ted the industry signi cantly. e second AHDB award, the Above & Beyond Award, is made to someone who has made a di erence to the potato industry with a signi cant contribution (or contributions) in the past ve years. Zoe Avison and Stu Baker will give visitors an insight into how to understand consumer trends and how that knowledge can help prepare everyone in the potato supply chain.