The National Farmers Union is holding the first summit of its kind to help UK horticulture and potato growers improve their negotiation powers, particularly in dealing with contracts with processors.

The event will be held on 13 February at NFU headquarters and will feature a two-hour negotiation workshop on skills and techniques for dealing with contract negotiations. A range of speakers will also share experiences from the sugar, dairy, horticulture and potatoes sectors, demonstrating the value of utilising market data and highlighting the support available from the NFU.

NFU horticulture and potatoes adviser Lee Abbey said: “The NFU’s Catalyst for Change report flagged up the need to support better those growers who have a responsibility to negotiate contracts, or act on behalf of a producer group. Growers told us that they can sometimes feel dictated to by buyers on pricing decisions, often receive contracts very late in the season and would like more guidance on developing clear and transparent pricing formulas.”

Horticulture board chairman Sarah Dawson added: “Growers have been caught out by contracts that require them to fulfil volumes despite massively reduced yields and by pricing formulas that don’t respond to sharp increases in production costs. Now is the perfect time to re-evaluate how growers deal with their customers and take a closer look at the contracts we sign, and the way they are negotiated.'