New Shropshire NFU chairman ready to champion farming in region
A third generation farmer who works in the South Shropshire Hills will lead county agriculture over the next two years, championing food production.
Graham Price, who farms at Milborough, near Ludlow, is the new Shropshire NFU county chairman and takes over from Clunton farmer Carol Griffiths, whose two-year term has come to an end.
Graham was elected unopposed at the county’s annual general meeting in Shrewsbury in December, but officially took on the role last week following NFU Conference in Birmingham.
He currently sits on the NFU upland forum and has been South Shropshire NFU branch chair on a number of occasions over the past 25 years.
He said: “Like with all family farms, ours is continually evolving, with my son and daughter deciding to join the family partnership.
“We took the view that this was an opportune time to look at how the business operates, and we decided to make a number of changes.
“This has included replacing our suckler cows with a calf to 20-month-old cattle-rearing business, with the emphasis on maximising the growth from grass, with paddock and strip grazing, during the summer and out wintering as many as possible on kale and round bale silage.
“We also have a flock of 800 ewes which we are looking to expand.
“As Shropshire NFU chairman I am very much looking forward to meeting as many members as possible.
“We are hoping to arrange an interactive meeting with the young farmers, improve dialogue with the county council and also look forward to better MP engagement to highlight the importance of food security as we potentially move towards a General Election.”
Mr Price is also a parish councillor and is active with Clee Hill farmers which is an environmental cluster group.
“I would like to thank Carol and her husband Jonathan for their work and dedication to the county over the past two years, especially during such turbulent times," he said. “They have had to deal with the pandemic and the impact on our industry and wider county of the Russian invasion of Ukraine among other issues.
“We wish them all of the best in the future and I thank her for her time on behalf of Shropshire farmers and growers.”
