THE complete re-organisation of the NFU, involving scrapping all the existing committees, has caused concern among some members. Here Richard Ellison, regional director of the NFU North-East, explains what the review means at a local level.

AS part of the NFU review, we are constituting regional boards for the main commodities to mirror the new headquarters national boards.

These commodities are combinable crops, livestock, milk, poultry, sugar beet and horticulture (including potatoes). Each board will comprise two representatives per county, subject to the commodity being produced in that county.

It is planned to hold the first meeting of the new commodity boards late this month or early next month and the chairmen, having been duly elected, will become members of the new North-East regional board, along with county chairmen and council delegates. They will also represent the region on the national board for their commodity in London.

It is envisaged that regional commodity boards should meet six times annually and that meetings should be open to all members.

The following North Riding and Durham commodity board representatives were elected at the October county committee meeting, to which all members were invited. - combinable crops: Alan Coxon, Offerton Grange, Sunderland, Stuart Vernon, Coatsay Moor Farm, Heighington; livestock: Fiona Campbell, Oneholmes Farm, Stokesley, David Maughan, West Farm, Morton Tinmouth, Bolam; sugar beet: Tony Sowerby, Hagg House, Thorpefields, Thirsk, Keith Till, Spring House, Sowerby; dairy: Tom Cummins, Russell Hall Farm, Stainsacre, Whitby, Martin Burtt, York House, Glaisdale; horticulture: Robin Bosomworth, Marderby Hall, Felixkirk.

The boards will be administered by James Ede, the region's senior food and farming adviser, who will take responsibility for combinable crops, livestock and sugar beet, and Louise Cole, food and farming adviser, who will cover dairy, poultry and horticulture.

The new structure will also rely heavily on consultation panels of members with particular expertise on issues ranging from animal welfare to water.

The NFU will make maximum use of information technology to obtain rapid responses from targeted individuals on the many issues affecting the farming community.