Peter Kendall has seen off a challenge from Somerset farmer Derek Mead to secure a third term as president of the National Farmers' Union.
Kendall claimed over 75% of the vote at the union's agm this week, with deputy Meurig Raymond also seeing off three rivals to gain a third straight term. Former Dairy Board chairman Gwyn Jones won an eight-horse race to fill the vacant vice president spot.
"I am pleased to be working with Meurig for another term, and I would also like to welcome Gwyn to the team," said Kendall.
"He's been a dairy board chairman for six years and he brings a vast amount of experience and a successful track record of working in Europe on dairy and animal welfare issues."
The big issues for the year ahead included tackling bovine TB, said Kendall, who charged the main political parties with finding a solution to the problem.
"The answer matters to a rapidly increasing proportion of rural communities and will be a major factor in how they cast their vote in a couple of months' time," he said.
Kendall also thanked Defra for championing the new supermarket code of practice and said the key now was to ensure the code was a "pro-active enforcer with real teeth".
However the issue of fair dealings extended beyond retailers to processors, he said, citing examples of processors offering "ridiculous and unsustainable prices" to undercut rivals and secure supermarket listings.
"If this continued, primary producers could be squeezed out of existence, which would result in consumers suffering and impact on the nation's food security," he said.
This week's NFU conference also saw representatives of the main political parties jostling to win farmers' votes at the election.
Defra ministers Hilary Benn and Jim Fitzpatrick, Conservative Jim Paice, Lib Dem Roger Williams and Plaid Cymru's Elfyn Llwyd all stressed that domestic food production was at the heart of their agendas.
Kendall claimed over 75% of the vote at the union's agm this week, with deputy Meurig Raymond also seeing off three rivals to gain a third straight term. Former Dairy Board chairman Gwyn Jones won an eight-horse race to fill the vacant vice president spot.
"I am pleased to be working with Meurig for another term, and I would also like to welcome Gwyn to the team," said Kendall.
"He's been a dairy board chairman for six years and he brings a vast amount of experience and a successful track record of working in Europe on dairy and animal welfare issues."
The big issues for the year ahead included tackling bovine TB, said Kendall, who charged the main political parties with finding a solution to the problem.
"The answer matters to a rapidly increasing proportion of rural communities and will be a major factor in how they cast their vote in a couple of months' time," he said.
Kendall also thanked Defra for championing the new supermarket code of practice and said the key now was to ensure the code was a "pro-active enforcer with real teeth".
However the issue of fair dealings extended beyond retailers to processors, he said, citing examples of processors offering "ridiculous and unsustainable prices" to undercut rivals and secure supermarket listings.
"If this continued, primary producers could be squeezed out of existence, which would result in consumers suffering and impact on the nation's food security," he said.
This week's NFU conference also saw representatives of the main political parties jostling to win farmers' votes at the election.
Defra ministers Hilary Benn and Jim Fitzpatrick, Conservative Jim Paice, Lib Dem Roger Williams and Plaid Cymru's Elfyn Llwyd all stressed that domestic food production was at the heart of their agendas.
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