Cereals levy payers’ organisation the Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) has responded to feedback from levy payers requesting a greater local connection with the organisation’s work by appointing a regional manager for the east.

Tim Isaac will work from the existing eastern office of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) in Huntingdon. HGCA is the cereals and oilseeds division of AHDB. With more than 20 years of farm business experience in the East of England, Tim joins HGCA from the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) eastern region office.

He is trained in agricultural business management and has also worked as a farm business consultant, specialising in the direct management of farms and contracting arrangements.

Tim has begun work already, meeting with levy payers, farming and other industry organisations. He has also provided an HGCA presence at recent regional events, and will be actively involved in the planning and delivery of future HGCA events in the region.

Tim said: “HGCA has a vast and independent research resource, and one of the key aims of the regional managers is to help communicate the information out to levy payers in a way that’s geographically relevant and commercially useful.

“My appointment and those of the other new regional managers across the UK follow feedback that showed a rising demand for more regional information to help growers’ businesses. We will be adding value to the industry throughout the supply chain.”

Although based in Huntingdon, Tim pointed out that most days are spent getting out and about. “Communication is absolutely key to the new role; we want to provide local grower feedback to central HGCA activity and build more collaborative relationships with producers and processors.”

“Raising awareness of controlling costs and providing growers with the tools to make better-informed business decisions are key aspects of HGCA’s work to improve profitability in the cereals and oilseeds sector.”

To help achieve that, two initiatives are planned are to monitor farms, such as those already running successfully in Scotland, and arable business groups.

“The underlying principle is that these are farmer led, where everyone learns and benefits from collective experience,” said Tim. “HGCA also has a well-established programme of levy payer events and we’re keen to ensure that these all dovetail together with a regional focus.

“I’m looking forward to using HGCA’s resources to help growers achieve their objectives and make the most of the opportunities available.”