Farming summit to hear from former minister

Hosted by Agrii, the event will act like a mini-exhibition with around 60 manufacturers displaying products and systems plus advisory clinics on spring crop management as well as the seminars and workshops.

Mr Paice was sacked from his job at Defra in last year’s cabinet reshuffle but found himself a popular figure with farmers.

A spokesman for the event said: “We are delighted to announce Jim as one of our key speakers and look forward to the views and thoughts he brings to us at the Agrii North Farming Conference.

“Jim is a part-time farmer in Cambridgeshire and has previously worked in farm management and contracting. Educated at Framlingham and Writtle College, Jim has a lifetime experience in agriculture.”

Mr Paice will be joined by Alick Jones, agricultural policy director at Lloyds Banking Group.

Organisers said Mr Jones, who heads up a food and farming industry group within the Lloyds business, was “fully abreast of the pressures and challenges facing the agricultural sectors”.

A spokesman added: “In addition to all of this our agronomists will be on hand to talk about current situations.

“Given such a variation in establishment of our autumn crops, making the best decisions for how we manage them through the remainder of the year will be critical if their potential is to be realised. We have some poor crops, but also some strong crops and your local contact can help focus on building a strategy for managing through the complexity of this variability.”

The conference takes place on February 7 from 9am until 4pm at Bishop Burton College of Agriculture. For all enquiries email [email protected]