SCOTTISH LEVY payers are an 'absolute priority' for the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, its chairman Peter Kendall insisted this week.

Speaking during a visit by the board of NFU Scotland to the organisation’s headquarters at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, Mr Kendall said: “Scotland is very much at the forefront of our minds here at AHDB, all of our boards have representation from Scottish farmers, and so we always consider any potential implications of our work on Scotland very closely.

“The recent appointment of Paul Flanagan as Scotland Director will only strengthen that focus further.”

For his part, Mr Flanagan said: “We were delighted that the NFUS board were able to take the time to find out more about our work to support Scottish agriculture. It was a really good session where we shared how AHDB helps open export markets, promotes the health benefits of meat and helps farmers innovate and make better returns.

“Our relationship with NFUS is clearly a very important one and this was the ideal opportunity not only to tell them more about our work, but also to get feedback on where we can improve.”

The union board spent three hours at AHDB where they spoke to key staff involved in activities including international exports and market access, meat and health, business support tool Farmbench and consumer insight work.

NFUS president Andrew McCornick said: “Whether it is building resilience into our businesses or preparing our industry for the change that Brexit will bring, there is an important role for the AHDB to play at a GB, Scottish or sectoral level. With the current review regarding the future role of AHDB closing soon, it was both a timely and hugely informative visit for our board, giving them the opportunity to hear first-hand the volume of work being undertaken by the levy body.

"With AHDB responsible for collecting around £3 million in statutory levies in Scotland, this is an important opportunity for Scotland’s farmers, growers and processors to highlight their priorities."