National Farmers Union (England and Wales)
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| Full name | National Farmers' Union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1908 |
| Members | 55,000 Farmer and Grower members, 34,000 Countryside members |
| Key people | Officeholders: Meurig Raymond MBE, President; Minette Batters, Deputy President; Guy Smith, Vice President (Terms of office run from Feb 2016 - Feb 2018); Martin Haworth, Acting Director General. |
| Office location | Agriculture House, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, England, CV8 2TZ |
| Country | England and Wales |
| Website | www.nfuonline.com |
The National Farmers' Union (NFU) is a member organisation/industry association for farmers in England and Wales. It is the largest farmers' organisation in England and Wales, and has over 300 branch offices.
On 10 December 1908, a meeting was held in an ante-room at the Smithfield Show to discuss whether a national organisation should be formed to represent the interests of farmers. The outcome was the National Farmers' Union (NFU).
The first President, Colin Campbell, worked tirelessly to get new branches off the ground, encourage membership and establish the NFU’s credibility with Government, at a time when farming was going through the longest and deepest depression in its history, as imports of cheap grain and frozen meat flooded in from abroad.
At the 1918 general election, the union ran six candidates, none of whom were elected. In 1922, it sponsored three unsuccessful candidates under its own name, and four successful Conservative Party candidates. It again sponsored Conservative candidates in 1923 and 1935, but has not done so since.
The organisation celebrated its Centenary in 2008.
The NFU is registered as an association of employers under the 1974 Trade Union and Labour Relations Act. In 2000 it founded Assured Food Standards who administers the Red Tractor Scheme.
Barnard was also sponsored by the National Party.
Blundell, Bruford, Lamb and Shepperson stood for the Conservative Party.
All candidates stood for the Conservative Party.
Both candidates stood for the Conservative Party.
Two candidates were sponsored and elected for the Conservative Party.
There are several tiers of NFU membership:
Known as 'The Voice of British Farming', the NFU states that it "champions British farming and provides professional representation and services to its Farmer and Grower members."
It negotiates with the government and national organisations on behalf of English and Welsh farmers. The NFU's Back British Farming campaign highlights hundreds of reasons why farming deserves public support.
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