Blog: Through the eyes of the levy payer – making the most of our levy

Bryan Griffiths joined the sector council last year to ensure the needs of levy payers are at the heart of the work of AHDB.

For the past 38 years my wife, Liz, and I have produced finished lamb and beef on our 300-acre grassland farm in North Devon.

My involvement in the National Sheep Association, culminating in a three-year term as national chair, has given me a good insight into the wider industry.

Over the years we have paid many thousands of pounds in levy and have often had occasion to question the ‘how and why’ of the expenditure of those funds. I joined the sector council with the aim of helping to ensure that the levy is spent to the best advantage of producers and ensuring that the rationale behind the decisions is clearly communicated.

I am convinced that the levy must be used to support such industry needs that individual producers cannot do for themselves. This is perfectly exemplified by the great work the AHDB International Market Development team, led by Phil Hadley, put in behind the scenes to regain access to the US market for sheep meat.

AHDB carries out a large and diverse range of activities in the beef and lamb sector. When considering the recent consultation and with a tight budget, there are tough decisions to be made.

I will be ensuring the views of grassroots levy payers are brought to the decisions 

The new Beef & Lamb sector plan will be launched on 10 November. You can find out more here: https://ahdb.org.uk/shapethefuture