The recent Brassica Conference was a fantastic opportunity to bring together key professionals from across the agricultural industry to discuss the latest developments in technology, research, and market trends. With an impressive lineup of speakers covering a broad range of topics, the event provided valuable insights into the future of the sector.
Hannah and I were invited to speak at the event to share insights on recruitment within the agricultural sector. This was an invaluable opportunity to engage with industry professionals, expand our network, and discuss how recruitment challenges and opportunities are shaping the future of agriculture. Beyond our own presentation, the conference offered a wealth of knowledge from experts across different areas of the industry. I felt it was an amazing opportunity to attend due to the networking opportunity, a chance to give a detailed overview of recruitment to the industry and have the exposure of meeting some incredible people in the industry.
Key Themes from the Conference
From political updates with NFU Deputy President, David Exwood, to robotic advancements in precision agriculture with Tom Beach from Autonomous Agri Solutions, a broad range of industry topics were discussed.
Rosemary Collier from the University of Warwickshire presented research which focused on the management of pest insects in horticultural crops using approaches that minimise impact on the environment. Alix Morley from the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) – shared their ambitious education programme and also highlighted their two annual awareness campaigns – Farm Safety Week and Mind Your Head – helping to make our farms safer places to both work and live.
Dan Morley from Veg Power spoke about their campaign and how it reaches into the homes of 46 million people and the primary schools of 1,000,000 pupils, with 59% of parents and kids saying they ate more vegetables as a result. The campaign has so far increased vegetable sales by 1.4 billion children’s portions. Veg Power also supports parents to improve their children’s diet through their Simply Veg channels.
I learnt that the industry is incredibly passionate about growing quality produce in the UK. David Exwood from the NFU really stood out to me. He spoke passionately and optimistically about the industry despite the current challenges of the political and agricultural climate.
Our role at the conference
Hannah and I shared insights into recruitment within the agriculture industry along with the challenges and opportunities faced. We also spoke about succession planning and why it is vital in agriculture, whilst covering topics such as best practices and how to attract the best talent.
A key takeaway from the conference is how the current challenges and negative press surrounding the industry make it less appealing to young people. Removing these barriers encourages deeper reflection on how to attract top talent at a grassroots level. Other key challenges discussed included work-life balance, well-being, and salaries—all of which play a crucial role in drawing talent to the industry.
If my team and I can help you in the world of agricultural recruitment, then please get in touch!
Ryan Bainborough | Team Manager | Agriculture & Rural
Ryan@morepeople.co.uk | 01780 480 530
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