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Dismay at disharmony within the NBA and between
the NBA and the breed societies
Editorial
Filed 04 June 05
©www.land-care.org.uk
The National Beef Association (NBA) Scottish Council
held its AGM in the village hall, Gateside, Fife on Wednesday 1st
June 2005. A few days earlier the press had reported ructions within
the board of the parent organisation concerning the alleged autocratic
behaviour of its chief executive, Robert Forster and the state of
the association's finances. It was also alleged that there had been
a spat with the secretaries of many of the breed societies who were
not prepared to pay their full membership fees to the NBA. This
seemed to be a sorry state of affairs and the last thing that was
needed in the present state of the UK beef industry (1).
Discussion on this subject occupied virtually the whole of the AGM
of the Scottish Council of the NBA.
Keith Redpath, who is the Scottish member on the
NBA board, gave an update on the situation. He was concerned that
Robert Forster was not keeping to the policies that the board wished
to advance and that he, Robert Forster did not exert tight enough
control on the management of the association's finances. It was
also alleged that the chief executive had indeed upset the secretaries
of many of the breed societies who were not prepared to pay their
full membership fees. The cheques for half the amount that some
of the breed societies had sent to the NBA had been returned to
those breed societies by Robert Forster. Keith Redpath expressed
alarm at the state of the NBA's finances, saying that if matters
continued along the present lines the parent association was heading
for liquidation. He told the Scottish members at their AGM that
he had offered his resignation as a board member, but had subsequently
been persuaded to stay on.
The discussion opened with the reading of a letter
received by the chairman from a Scottish member who had expressed
concern regarding what had been reported in the press about the
disharmony within the NBA. The letter stressed the tremendous amount
that Robert Forster had achieved for the NBA and clearly wanted
to know what was going on - as did all the members present at the
Scottish AGM.
It was unanimously agreed that Robert Forster
is a first class communicator in his relationship with the media,
the importance of which can hardly be overstated. What he has achieved
for the UK beef industry far exceeds what has been achieved by any
other body. So why indulge in this self-destructive exercise with
talk of the Scottish Council splitting off and going its own way?
While the Scottish Parliament is devolved from Westminster with
regards to some aspects of agriculture, Scotland is still very dependent
on what DEFRA thinks and does. It would be folly to let personality
clashes get in the way of the industry's most effective lobby group.
It was also acknowledged that Robert Forster communicates
exceptionally well with the membership of the NBA - wherever they
are - with regular and informative newsletters. His support to livestock
farmers during the FMD crisis was much appreciated.
But does the blame for this shenanigans really
rest entirely with its chief executive? Why has the chairman of
the NBA not been more active in sorting out internal disputes and
management issues? And what have the breed society secretaries been
up to that their egos have apparently been so upset that most of
them will not pay their full membership subscriptions while many
are awash with money through subscriptions and registration fees?
In the current political situation it would surely
be very much in the interest of the breed societies to ensure that
the NBA continues to be effective in getting the interests of the
beef industry in the UK effectively articulated at government level.
Rather than cutting their subscriptions by half, they should be
doubling them. After all, if the UK beef industry succumbs to the
government's "doubly green" preference for "conservation"
and "biodiversity", the market for their members bulls
will likewise decline. It has long been a problem with the breed
societies that their horizons appear to be limited to getting the
highest prices at pedigree auctions, which in effect only reflects
the interests of a small inner group of top class pedigree breeders
presenting over-finished animals that are not always relevant to
today's commercial needs. When it comes down to it, who needs to
be a member of a breed society when the basic genetics of any beast
is available on its passport?
The debate ended with the decision that every
endeavour should be made to sort out this quarrel, and only as a
last resort to set in motion the procedures that would lead to the
Scottish Council splitting off from the NBA and setting up its own
organisation north of the border. If it did go it alone, it is highly
doubtful if it would be nearly as effective. For all the alleged
faults that Robert Forster may or may not have he is an exceptionally
good communicator.
One of the reasons why the accounts of the NBA
are not looking great is that, presumably with the approval of their
board, the NBA appointed extra staff to deal with the major issues
that continue to face the beef industry. Experienced and effective
staff do not come cheep, nor should it. If an organisation is going
to lobby effectively in the present day it must have appropriate
resources to do the job.
What was missing at the meeting was Robert Forster
himself and the chairman of the NBA. There may have been good reasons
for that, but the meeting was not told whether or not they were
asked.
Interestingly in the few minutes that were devoted
to other matters, such as the apparent incompatibility of British
Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) and SEERAD computers, Keith Redpath
summarily dismissed the porblem as "incurable", "
the system is in chaos", " go and see SEERAD and they
will sort your problem for you", entirely ignoring the point
that the main concern is in relation to the future management of
any further outbreak of infectious disease of livestock that demands
rapid and accurate identification of where cattle are and of their
movements. Was Keith Redpath being just as autocratic as the person
he had been accusing of the same shortcoming? Indeed, such was his
response to a perfectly relevant concern that to ask about the use
of updated technology in rapidly identifying the strain of virus
responsible in any future outbreak of FMD would have likewise been
a waste of time. Yet the delay of five days currently reported as
being necessary by DEFRA seriously undermines the potential effectiveness
of any vaccination strategy.
Somehow it may be that Robert Forster is not the
only one potentially at fault in precipitating this highly unwelcome
crisis within the NBA.
An important meeting of the board members of the
NBA in London was scheduled for the next day. At this meeting it
was proposed to bring matters to a head. John Cameron was wise to
insist that Keith Redpath was supported by a vice-chairman of the
Scottish Council as well as by one of its members in the form of
a delegation.
Those present at the Scottish AGM were assured
that all Scottish members would be promptly informed of the outcome,
and that, if necessary, an EGM would be called within 21 days and
at any rate before the Royal Highland Show which starts on the 22nd
of this month.
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Irvine, James (2005). Peter
Cook discusses the economic realities facing suckler herd farmers
in Scotland
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 03 Jun 05,
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