Agri Food

Managing Director Keith Leddington-Hill is based at Newmarket and heads the Specialist Consultancy Services section of the Company.

Keith has particular experience in downstream consultancy provision to agriculture related processing and marketing organisations.

He has had particular success in obtaining significant grant funding over recent years through the England Rural Development Programme and the EU Fruit and Vegetable regime.

Additionally, Laurence Gould have undertaken a range of strategic studies for both Governmental and non-governmental organisations.

Examples of recent assignments include:

• Feasibility studies (British Potato Council)
• Bespoke market research (British Onion Producers Association)
• Business reviews
• Benchmarking income and costs & comparative analysis
• Recruitment of key staff
• Study into costs of compliance for farmers within Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (DETR)
• Study into Lowground Beef Production in Scotland (SOAEFD)
• Study into Pig Production in Scotland (SERAD)
• Study into Finance for Farming in Scotland (SEERAD)

Contact Keith to discuss the range of services we can offer your business.

What Are They

Producer Organisations (POs) are groups of growers who collaborate to improve the marketing of grower's produce in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable sector. The objective is by forming collaborative groups growers are in a stronger position to manage the production, packing and marketing of their produce to the retail, food service, wholesale and processing sectors.

POs are able to source grant aid under the Fruit and Vegetable Regime. This scheme has operated since 1st July 1997. PO's are able to source grant aid on expenditure each year up to a maximum of 4.1% of eligible turnover. Effectively matched funding can be obtained i.e. 50%. Whilst there are many benefits the scheme it is bureaucratic and care is need to operate in the correct way. The RPA manage the scheme in the UK, which is operated under EU regulations.

Collaboration is a key government objective for the future of the industry and in the right situation we are finding farmers and growers want to work together for the collective betterment. The scheme now has a strong environmental bias that POs need to meet in addition to improving the collaborative services and facilities for members.

Why Laurence Gould?

Keith Leddington-Hill has been leading the advisory services to Producer Organisations in the UK since 1996. He is the only person in the industry who has been involved with the scheme since the outset. The scheme is complicated and POs and their members require detailed knowledge from someone who fully understands and is immersed in the sector. He has worked with over 80% of POs in the industry, helped over 15 new POs form and 2 groups of POs merge together to form larger operations. Advice is provided to over 20 Producer Organisations, representing 40% of the industry, on a regular basis.

Keith has been involved in the management of POs, has taken on roles as Chairman and Company Secretary, attended board meetings in an advisory capacity and sits on the industry Experts Group with DEFRA, RPA, NFU and representative POs. He has worked closely with specialist solicitors and accountants to ensure the appropriate structures are set up and operated under the Memorandum of Association and membership rules. With colleagues administrative services have been provided to service a need from the sector.

It is important that POs operate with the appropriate corporate governance to meet legal requirements to retain their status. Keith is sourcing staff to take on key roles in these organisations and in benchmarking their performance.

He has advised individual members looking to join POs and in assisting members who have become dissatisfied with their existing organisation move to another collaborative operation.