FARMERS and growers can have their say at an open meeting in York next week on what the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board should be doing to help them build better businesses.

The meeting is part of a wide-ranging activity review by AHDB covering its beef and lamb, pork, dairy, potatoes, cereals and oilseeds, and horticulture sectors to encourage debate on future activity across the UK.

AHDB staff are also out and about over the next few weeks meeting supply chain levy payers and their trade associations as part of the review.

The York event will take place on December 8, from 7pm to 9.30pm, at the Hilton York, in Tower Street. It is free to AHDB levy payers.

Jane King, AHDB chief executive, said: “Our aim is to provide levy payers with the tools and information to build businesses which are competitive and sustainable.

“We want to listen to what farmers, growers and our supply chain believe will help their businesses to make the most of future opportunities and meet the longer term challenges.

“Whether this is extending our monitor farm work, funding applied research, looking at increased market development, or pooling resources to attract additional funding from external sources, we need the input from our levy payers to support our sector boards in their strategy decisions.

“We want to listen to views on what AHDB should be doing to help levy payers build a better business.”

The event will be chaired by Paul Temple, chairman of AHDB’s cereals and oilseeds sector board. Tom Hind, chief strategy officer for AHDB, will give an overview of AHDB activity.

Full sign-up details for the event, and the other meetings, as well as a levy payer questionnaire, are available on the AHDB website at ahdb.org.uk/news/activityreview2015.aspx

Feedback will be collated and shared with AHDB’s sector boards to help inform their discussions as part of the business planning process, on where resource should be focused and what will deliver most impact for levy payers.