The body overseeing the spending of farmer levy money in the UK is to shell out an undisclosed sum on rebranding later this year.
All farmer levy bodies under the remit of umbrella body the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) will have their names changed to create one “simplified family of levy-payer facing brands under the AHDB name”.
The move does not affect Scots red meat levy body Quality Meat Scotland, but it will result in UK-wide levy bodies being given new names.
DairyCo will become AHDB Dairy, HGCA will become AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, HDC will become AHDB Horticulture, and the Potato Council will be renamed AHDB Potatoes.
English levy bodies BPEX and EBLEX will become AHDB Pigs and AHDB Beef & Lamb.
AHDB declined to confirm how much the rebranding would cost, but said it would be “mindful of the cost in relation to benefits”.
It said the move, which followed a recommendation at a sector board member conference in November 2013, was in line with a commitment in last year’s corporate plan to “look at creating a simplified family of brands”.
The body’s chairman Peter Kendall, who previously headed up the NFU south of the border, said: “This is an important step forward for AHDB as we move towards our aim of looking, feeling and behaving as one organisation.
“Coming together under one simplified brand can help AHDB increase our influence on behalf of our levy payers.
“This will ensure we are in a better position to make the most of future industry opportunities.”
AHDB said a detailed plan for rebranding was being finalised, and any existing branded stocks were to be used up to ensure the rebrand was achieved at minimal cost.
The body recently appointed a former agricultural journalist as its new CEO. Jane King, who most recently worked as editor and editorial director at the Farmers Weekly Group, replaces Tom Taylor and will start her new position on February 1.
AHDB senior director Mick Sloyan is acting as chief executive in the interim.