What has it really been like to be the NFU's first female president? After six years at the top, Minette Batters reflects on the highs and lows of her time in the top job, what the future holds for the union and her biggest worry for the farming industry going forward, as well as her top tips for the next president and why they should keep their distance from social media.
What has it really been like to be the NFU's first female president? After six years at the top, Minette Batters reflects on the highs and lows of her time in the top job, what the future holds for the union and her biggest worry for the farming industry going forward, as well as her top tips for the next president and why they should keep their distance from social media.
You're listening to the Farmers Guardian podcast. Hello, this is the Farmers Guardian podcast. My name is Rachael Brown, and for this week's podcast I sat down with NFU president Minette Batters for the final time as she bids farewell to her presidency after ten years at the union and six years in the top position, we talked about the highs and lows of her role, her future concerns for the industry, her top tips for a successor and what her future plans are and how she is very much looking forward to getting back on the farm. Minette batters a decade at the NFU six years at the top as president. What has been your biggest achievement to date and what has been your biggest downfall? my goodness. So I mean, it's hard, I guess, to put everything together of what what I feel the benefits. We've had some massive legal wins that have been huge for our members. But I think the policy, the campaigning, the comms bring all of that together are probably getting a million people to back our food standards petition when we're in lockdown. Don't forget, we've gone into lockdown in the march with with COVID. And there were so many things going on, not least that we were all working from our homes. We couldn't lobby anybody. We couldn't meet with anybody. And we had President Trump and Prime Minister Johnson determined to conclude the US trade deal in August. And so getting that standards campaign off the ground from home, getting everybody that came in to be a part of that. All farming organizations, all NGOs, chefs. Jamie Oliver To write an open letter and then working with the Mail on Sunday. The numbers just ticked up one up and one point. We weren't getting anywhere, so we got everybody to email their MP if they wanted to. 80,000 emails, but ten peas and yeah, I feel, you know, that definitely played a massive part in us never importing whole 90 to be following throwing chicken. The current Prime Minister has put that in writing so that that's pretty massive. And in terms of any regrets or anything that you wish you got over the line, what would you say? There was one. I think there's nothing is ever as good as you want it to be. So we have worked on wherever there is a problem, whatever sector we represent huge diversity from, you know, a horticulture board, a poultry board through to livestock, dairy crops and everything else in between. So you never get everything you want. But I think, you know, we we are constantly moving the dial forwards and so there's always an element of regret in that when it could have been better. But I think, you know, how I try and measure it is if the NFU wasn't there, he would do it. I mean, things like the situation with British Sugar and bringing them back in, you know, finalizing the contractual agreement, the avian flu compensation legal case, taking the government to the court to court, you know, this countless things whereby I tend to look at it. If it wasn't for the NFU, then who. You've worked with, several secretary of estates, was there one individual that you found was the most challenging to work with who was that? And in terms of the current Secretary of State and the Prime Minister, do you feel they really grasp what agriculture is all about? So I mean that that Liz Truss moment, 49 days, you know, when Ronald Jordan came into DEFRA was all about harmonizing Department of International Trade and Defra. That felt very sort of febrile really. You know, it felt a very old and challenging environment and it was so such a whirlwind and so short. You know, it was over sort of before it had started. And I remember taking round all out party conference on farm, going to the Maddox, trying to explain the situation of seasonal workers and that sort of guy right over over his head. So that felt a very, very challenging time. As for, you know, when she see not very, very different to his predecessors. So, you know, he did the hustings, obviously, Liz Truss did that. We were really keen to get a hustings with both of them. He committed our headquarters right here, that he would take a different approach to trade. He would host a food security summit. He would set a near self-sufficiency target with annual reporting. That's still yet to happen. I really think it's essential that it does, because otherwise food production becomes a poor relation. But he definitely has presented a different agenda. He's taken a different outlook on trade. He's recently walked away from the enhanced relationship with Canada because they were determined to get home entry to beef onto a marketplace. So yeah, I think I think very, very different to see that government to that of Truss and Johnson. Steve Barclay I think if I'm honest, it's early days and he is in the final throes of this Parliament, so he is limited as to actually what he can achieve. And I mean, you know, his line to me and I know to other people has been, you know, what, quick wins. Can we get over the line in the time that's left? So, you know, he's obviously the one that I've got to know the least because he's been in for such a short amount of time. And I think he's limited in what he can achieve. Although, you know, we all consider, you know, continually seeing an uplift in the SFI payments, the opening up of options still quite a lot unknown coming forwards as we go into the summer. You became the first female NFU president. You said at the time you didn't want that to define you. I'm just interested in terms of your time in the tank. Over your tenure, have you experienced any misogyny or sexism that you felt that it was an issue and something that you wanted to highlight? Well, I think, you know, what upsets me probably more is when I get young professional women who are working in other parts of the farming industry, when they come up to me and say, how should they deal with it? And that can be challenges online. The social media abuse that that they don't feel they have a right of reply on on. That is probably what I find upsetting For me personally, I think I've learned to take everything in my stride and it doesn't have any impact. But if you're just setting out in the industry and you're in that professional role, I speak to an alarming number of women who don't know how to cope with it and have asked me to go higher up and have conversations as to how they should deal with it. That's concerning. Talking about social media, you said you as a what some advice in the next and if you president don't manage your own social media account. I'm just interested to hear from you in terms of how you've coped with social media and some of the abuse that you've experienced online and how bad has it got? I said, I'm the first one that's obviously had a Twitter account. It's amazing how sort of new it is. Really. And my personal advice would be, don't manage your social media account because you know, or at least turn your notifications off because it is coming up sort of 24 seven and you can't carry out a conversation or write a wrong on social media. I mean, I think for positive stuff, it's fine. It's got a really good place for information. It's great. We all grab things in a way that is quicker than going through any other channel. But I think when things start to get heated or actors say me, then it becomes deeply unpleasant. And, you know, if you've had a really, really long day and you get back and you glance at it, it's just not the sort of thing that you want to see before you go to bed or on the back of a busy day entering into another really busy day. So I think it's important that you look after your own mental health. And how did you cope with that, though? I think my suggestion speaks volumes for me by saying don't manage your own social media. I think it's I think it's difficult. You know, I represent 46 and all thousand diverse businesses, and I'm always focused on trying to be respectful to all of them, all the different challenges they face. And sometimes when you, you know, social media is not a platform, I don't think, to be having a lot of those conversations because you never do justice to it. And for the next and a few president, obviously, you said don't manage your social media account. But if that was one of the tips that you could give that person, what would it be? I think enjoy it. It's a huge privilege to lead this organization, huge responsibility. I have found it. But, you know, whoever comes forward to lead it next will do it their way. And it's part of a team. You know, you are one player in a team and that's how I've always seen it. And I'm sure that they'll see it the same way. So what's next for them and others and, you know, there's a lot of speculation, rumors. Could you go into politics? You know, obviously, you've said, you know, previously, I just want to get back on the farm and do farming what you love. But is there anything that you have in the pipeline or something that you would love to do or an organization to work for? So obviously, I'm an ambassador for Farm Africa. I feel very passionately about our own farming charities here. I've accepted being president of my local show, which is giving them a chance to show and 2025. So I'm really looking forward to doing that. I don't really have have an opinion yet on what I want to do, because I think until I get out of this role, I have been 24 seven. I've never turned my phone off, I've never tell my emails off and I genuinely I'm going to need to repeat myself effectively and that I am looking forward to getting back to the farm. I'm going to be there for once for the whole of calving. I've never missed a TV test ever since I've been doing this, but I just need to sort of step out. I think I'll be watching everything like a hawk. I really do. But it's really important to me to be respectful of the organization, allow the new team to get on and do the job, and I've referred to it a few times, not become a sort of grumpy backbencher from the sidelines. So, you know, I just want to leave the NFU to do what it does so I won't be taking an industry role, as it were. He won't see me as the next chairman of HDB, put it that way. I'm looking reflecting on the last ten years in terms of the state of the industry in agriculture. If we look at it now, did you expect to be where we are and are you disappointed? You know, there are frustrations and concerns amongst farmers. And, you know, we've seen protests happening in Wales. There is a real it feels like a crunch point at the moment for farmers. It's a massive no. So I never in 2014 were full members of the European Union. We hadn't even have a referendum. So the journey since leaving the EU, COVID pandemic and war in Ukraine and everything that has gone with that, so massive inflation, chaos, food security now really front and center. I've been talking about it for years, but it is absolutely, you know, flashing red right now and where where politics is. You look at what's going on in Europe, you know, we face the case of losing red diesel subsidy ourselves. We made the case to Treasury and said we cannot afford to lose this. I've got total sympathy with the DB who I've worked with closely. You're corrupt. He's their president all the time. We were in Koper and, you know, they've managed to turn this around the same as when the Chancellor said, I've listened to the NFU, we will not be axing red diesel subsidy, but you look at what is going on in Wales and they are fighting for their livelihoods and for their families and I think that is the message that you get coming out. And you know, we make that, that focus on net zero, beating the government target with a red line. And that red line was we are not downsizing on livestock, dairy. This is about an investment in climate, small agriculture, Those policies, those incentives, this is not about taxing us out of existence. And that's why I think farmers in Wales are so frustrated because they see this, you know, you look at the figures, you know, job losses, financial income losses, per farming business, that's unacceptable and it is a red line and we will not allow it to be crossed, but we will. And this is what Ed and Abby have been saying. We will sit at the table and we will sort it out. And, you know, we take the same line here in England. You mentioned in a previous speech in terms of look after the NFU, I thought it was quite an interesting language there. But in terms of right now, the biggest criticism that gets brought up in hustings is communication and also in terms of engaging with non-active members and engaging with those younger generation and bringing them on board. Do you feel they are getting it right at the moment here at the NFU with communication? Well, communication is is always a challenge when people are members are communicating off so many different platforms. So the vast proportion of our members are not engaging on social media just because of that their age demographic, effectively they're reliant on email. That's why I do that weekly blog so that everybody can access it. So we're constantly fulfilling a very broad requirement within the membership base. I mean, I personally think that we can overcommunicate. We are communicating all the time. So we tend to judge things on social media, which I think a lot of our members do not engage on, on social media. And the fundamental thing for us is to make sure we communicate with our members first. And a lot of the challenges to us have been through nonmembers and we have an absolute duty of care to be able to communicate a message that has absolute clarity to those members. And then obviously the social media platforms and everything else. So no, I don't accept it because I think, yeah, communication is key, it's challenging and we have different ways that we have to communicate to a very, very diverse membership. What are you going to miss about the role and what are you not going to miss? I'm going to miss, I guess, two things enormously. The members going out, visiting individual farm businesses, going to meetings, the letters, the e mails, the messages that I get from, as I say, such a diverse audience. I'm really going to miss them and I'm really going to miss our professional staff. So the fact that we are an organization that is led by farmers, for farmers, but I think the technical expertise on every area of farming, you know, we employ with our group secretary relationship with the mutual, we employ nearly 700 people. It's a huge number of people. And I just feel very fortunate that I've been given great bullets to fire effectively. You know, the policy work that we do. It's just been a huge, huge privilege. In terms of your legacy, what is the one thing that you want to be remembered by? gosh, what's the one thing? I mean, I have tried as hard as I can to lead and represent because if you don't take people with you, you need to represent those members. They are your lifeblood. But at this time, it's been really important to to lead and have the solutions to government rather than just say, stop, stop, stop. You know, So putting those solutions forwards and, you know, I hope I'm remembered as someone who absolutely spoke truth to power at all times. He put solutions forward. And when we were founded in 1908, it was about restoring credibility and integrity with government. And I think as a leader at the NFI, those two words are as important now as they were in 1908, because if you lose integrity, if you lose credibility, you cannot influence. And you know, I've mentioned the story before, a senior member of staff here when we had a big council meeting, he said some of us saying, you know who opens doors here? And he just stick close to me. And he said, Well, she doesn't open them, she just crashes through them. And I thought as a Southwest livestock farmer, what a great compliment that was. And then I guess what I've worked out here is crashing through the doors. Easy bit is what you do when you get to the other side of the door that really, really matters. And so often people think that anger and effectively thumping the table sorts it out. And I always say, you know, you can lose your cool, you can leave the room, you can resign, but what do you do the next day? And I've made loads of mistakes. I would be the first to say that. But, you know, I've I've given everything I personally can to this organization. That's what I do feel. And I think people are really interested. The role is relentless and you are at the table in front of the Prime Minister and politicians in those moments where that frustration is really there. How do you keep your cool? I suppose you just can't turn. I mean, I'm not saying there haven't been some pretty robust conversations. I mean, people remember a conference last year with Torres Coffee. It felt, you know, fairly acrimonious on that stage. But, you know, she called me afterwards, thanked me for having her and said, would I come and have a drink in parliament with her to sort out a few issues. So I've always tried to make sure that I stick doggedly to making sure that our members concerns are heard. First of all, with ministers, what they're concerned about is heard and that is acted upon. You know, so getting these roundtables off the investigations into the supply chain for for broiler meat, for eggs, for fresh produce, you know, broiler meat is proving really hard to get over the line. We won't give up on it, You know, we will just keep going until until we get it. And there's been multiple high profile people that obviously you've met through your time at the NFU. But if you could pinpoint one moment, one surreal moment, is there any. I think definitely that food security summit, the first ever food security summit at number ten Downing Street, the only came about on the back of the hustings that we had had held at Stanley Park. You know, prime ministers have really mattered in this period of change and legislation to get these things over the line, get a further million pounds for dairy, get a further four agricultural attachés, get those investigations into the supply chain, get a year's notice for growers on seasonal workers. Yeah, that makes things like that. You think, yeah, all this work has, has paid off because it is 24 seven. You know, I get calls from the media the Today program call me twice last week want to help us ten once at midnight and that's how it goes So you are you are literally giving your heart and soul to that job. It's a really challenging time at the moment for British farmers. But in terms of looking ahead, what is your biggest concern? You know, the first role of a farmer is producing food. That's what it's all about. That's what I got involved in farming for myself. I've built that business and I will leave my farm in a better state for my children to hopefully take it on. And I think that's getting lost at the moment. You know, we have a sustainable farming scheme in Wales, we have a sustainable farming incentive scheme here in England. They're all about farming, less food and more for the environment. We absolutely have to level up the ambition. It has to be about producing food first and on the back of that delivering more for the environment. The danger now is that you transfer farmers onto a road that is truly unsustainable and is totally reliant on public money to prop those businesses up. And we've got to level it up. You know, farmers are food producers. They do many, many other things as well. But it is that food production fit that this has been missing. This is why you're seeing the uprising in Europe and it's why you're seeing people so scared and so frightened in Wales when you're far away from that In England. I hate pre-election that it will change, but at the moment it's tilted too far one way and that's about less food. That's not good. And you know, we can't shy away from the fact there are concerns around farm assurance, around Red Tractor. And looking back on your tenure, if you knew what was going to happen and obviously we've had these reviews, would you have left earlier? Because obviously the abuse that you've received in terms in terms of the red tractor And do you have any regrets with that? No. And I certainly wouldn't have left earlier. I mean, you know, for our members, there are a whole multitude of issues that are going on. You know, are growers are really worried about returns from retailers in an ever more aggressive market place. Seasonal workers, you know, the broiler sector, the same, you know, dealing with the cost of production, those are their concerns for others particularly. And the cereal sector, yeah, assurance has been a concern. But you know, in the middle of a COVID pandemic, if we've called for a review of Red Tractor, people have thought we'd lost, you know, lost the plot. So we've been dealing with these big substantive crises, and the time is right now to have the review of Red Tractor and the NFU is resourcing it and it's costing a substantial sum of money. But we cannot just focus on what is wrong. We have to focus on what the solutions are. We need to be able to differentiate this market and the NFU is up for doing that. I've chaired the Farming Organizations Roundtable, which has all farming organizations on it. I went to them the other day and I said, What do you want to add in order to make these terms of reference fit for purpose? We have gone to them. We've asked them, we're paying for it all. I did say financial contributions welcome from anyone, but it's going to be the HDB and the NFU that leads this because we are passionate about getting it right. So I definitely wouldn't have left earlier. I'm delighted that I put that marker down that it's happening and now we need to make it work. Yeah, There are calls from some farmers for the chief Executive Red Tractor to stand down. Would you ever consider being a chief executive of Red Tractor in a future life? No, I wouldn't. And I personally think it's incredibly unfair to call for the chief exec to stand down. A chief exec is responsible to that board. That board dictates what they want to see happen, whether we like it or not. Currently, that board is whole chain down. So you have everybody from the farming unions right the way through to the BRC and everybody in the middle. They're all vested interests, They all want different things. But you cannot blame one man. You've got to play the ball in all of this and not the person. So I absolutely don't think it's fair how he's been treated. And you've got to ask yourself, who would want that job if it did come up after what has happened? You know, we need the best people coming into this industry to do those jobs. If you had to describe your last ten years in three words, what would they be? my goodness. It has been absolutely flat out. I mean, it really has been so busy and so fast moving. But above all else, I think it's been an enormous privilege to do it. And it's just thanks to all former members that I've had the chance to lead the fight on their behalf. But three words. I can't sum it up. Three words. It's been it's been extraordinary. It's been the toughest and it's been the privilege. Those three words. When it matters. Thank you very much. Thank you. That was Minette Batters there, a decade of service to the National Farmers Union. Next week is Nephew conference. Of course, there will be updating you with everything that happens there and finding out who the next NFU president will be, as well as the rest of the new leadership team should be a good one. See you next week. Goodbye.