Originally from: Farmtalking
                        
Source: FWi 02 January 2004

By Robert Davies, Wales correspondent

DAVID Handley, chairman of Farmers For Action, has been voted Farmers Weekly Farm Personality of the Year for the second time in four years.

But the Monmouthshire dairy farmer will not bid for the presidency of the NFU in 2004 – despite securing 70% of the vote and topping the annual poll.

Click here to read about Mr Handley's views of the current role of FFA in the UK dairy industry –

http://www.fwi.co.uk/article.asp?con=13363&sec=21&hier=21 –

The FFA has almost 10,000 members and a seat at many negotiations.

But Mr Handley is still debating whether or not it is worth rejoining the organisation that he has branded ineffectual and undemocratic.

"I believe that senior office holders should be elected on a one-member, one-vote system," he said.

"I am not convinced that the NFU is serious about restructuring in ways that give grassroots members better representation."

Mr Handley does not suggest that the union should become overtly militant.

But he does want it to be more proactive and determined in its dealings with processors, retailers and the government.

"At the milk price talks I saw NFU negotiators being far too friendly with their opposite numbers from the big multiples, and in some cases even exchanging pecks on the cheek.

"I am sorry, but there is no place for such a cosy relationship when the livelihoods of farmers are at stake.

"I am not interested in sipping gin and tonic with supermarket chain MDs, I want to challenge them head on to give farmers a fair deal.

"I believe the NFU should be like the French unions, in there fighting for farmers and determined to win."

That said, Mr Handley believes it is still possible to develop good working relationships with companies that appreciate farmers' problems.

Having agreed to take the post of FFA chairman for another year he is relishing the opportunity to fight for a 2p/litre rise in the price of milk for the liquid market.

He is also campaigning for honest food labelling and a state-financed fallen stock disposal scheme.

"Once Farmers For Action demonstrations involved about 30 farmers but during the recent milk price negotiations we could muster over 1000 people every night.

"There are now over 150 organisations that claim to represent farmers and the countryside and FFA has proved to be one of the most effective.

"Membership is still growing and we are increasingly invited to be at the heart of negotiations."