Ben Gill to step down (From Gazette & Herald)

Ben Gill to step down

NATIONAL Farmers' Union president Ben Gill has announced that he will resign next February, after 13 years as an officeholder for the organisation.

He has been president since 1998 and before that was deputy president, vice-president and livestock chairman.

"I have been enormously proud to have served as president," he said. "It has been a testing and demanding time. But I believe we are now reaching a watershed. The hard-won reforms to the CAP should soon start to deliver benefits. The weakening of the pound is bringing relief to some sectors.

"And the NFU itself has undergone the radical changes necessary to make it an organisation fit to fight for farmers' interests into the 21st century."

He admitted that "there are still enormous challenges ahead. But I believe it is now time for me to stand aside and allow council to select a new person to stamp his or her mark on the future."

Mr Gill, who farms 360 acres at Easingwold, including cereals, sugar beet and sheep, received a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours earlier this year and received a CBE in 1996 for services to agriculture. He is married to Carolyn and has four sons.

Updated: 12:03 Wednesday, October 08, 2003