The Yorkshire Post says: A farming first. NFU's groundbreaking president

AS the first woman to be elected president of the National Farmers Union in its illustrious 110-year history, Minette Batters certainly has big boots to fill.

By The Newsroom

Published 21st Feb 2018, 23:15 BST

Minette Batters is the first female president of the NFU.

Yet she’s certainly not short of confidence. As recently as 2011, she predicted that a woman would hold this role, and a female jockey win the Grand National, by 2030.

However, while some sceptics did say there was more chance of the latter, her election shows the extent to which the NFU is moving with the times. Farming is not a male-dominated industry. It’s a family business which requires long hours and, most crucially of all, team work in abundance.

Yet it’s also significant that the groundbreaking Ms Batter is co-founder of Ladies in Beef, a group formed to promote British beef. She clearly knows how to communicate effectively. And, given the challenges posed by Brexit are vital to agriculture’s future, this characteristic has never been more important to  the industry.