Profile: Rachel Hallos, new vice-president of the NFU

Rachel Hallos is brimming with enthusiasm for her role as NFU vice-president, following her appointment earlier this year. The West Yorkshire farmer is passionate about making a difference to British agriculture and will draw on her own experience to lobby for change.

Farming is a complex industry, and it is not one that can be switched on and off, stressed Mrs Hallos. She replaced outgoing vice-president, David Exwood, who is now the organisation’s deputy president.

“Land plays a major role in the national infrastructure,” said Mrs Hallos. “It has links with food, environmental issues, water, energy and transport, for example. Any changes will affect land management, and it is vital that farmers are fully consulted before implementation. It takes a long time to alter farming systems and there is a risk of unintended consequences.

“The environmental schemes have had a huge impact on our own farm. It has been in Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) since 2003, but we were considering an application to join the Sustainable Farming Incentive, which would potentially have been more financially beneficial. However, we found that we had to roll over the original scheme because of an existing Higher Level Stewardship agreement.

“Environmental payments form an important part of our income and alternative options are limited. A lot of environmental improvements have already been undertaken, but due to the way that the schemes have been developed, we feel that we are being penalised for our previous good work. We are being denied additional opportunities to enhance the environment to maximum effect. Our dealings have highlighted the importance of making sure that farmers are treated fairly and respectfully by the decision makers.”

Mrs Hallow grew up on the family farm, where they reared beef cattle and her father drove livestock wagons. Upon her marriage to husband Stephen, she moved just a few miles away and the couple manage four separate upland tenancies at Ripponden, near Halifax.

The land covers more than 2,000 acres and includes a large expanse of moorland, with the farm carrying a herd of pedigree ‘Beeston Hall’ Saler suckler cows, whose calves are sold as stores at about ten months. There are also 400 Scottish Blackface cross Lonk ewes.

“I loved living on the farm as a child, but I perceived it as being a job that involved long hours for little reward,” she said. “Farming was originally the last career on my mind and I worked in an office for many years. I gradually became more involved in the farm work and enjoyed it so much that I eventually left my salaried job.

“There was originally a herd of dairy cows, but in 2003 it was phased out to focus on beef and sheep production and we also run a holiday cottage on site. My husband and I work alongside our daughter, Anna, and our son, Sam, helps out while also operating a contracting business.”

Mrs Hallos has been relying on her family to hold the fort at home since taking up her full-time role in February. It follows her transition through various roles in the NFU.

“My husband’s family are long-standing NFU members and I started attending meetings in the Year 2,000, as I wanted to learn about the bigger picture in a farming context. My interest and drive led to my first post as chair of the West Riding County NFU branch and in 2015 I joined the NFU’s north-east livestock board.

“I became more active in the organisation post-Brexit. I was concerned about the implications for our business and for farming in general, because I could see there were significant changes ahead. My lobbying activities led to a number of people suggesting that I should stand for the vice president role and I thought that it sounded like a good idea.”

The position takes her away from the farm overnight on a frequent basis.

“I work on policy with NFU experts, to lobby on behalf of our members. I will often leave the farm at 5.30am, sometimes not returning for a couple of days,” she said. “There are regular meetings to attend at our Warwickshire headquarters, or I might travel to London to meet with government representatives. Another critical element of the job is to speak to fellow farmers and listen to their views and concerns.”

The farming industry is facing a number of challenges, she commented.

“In my opinion, it is very difficult for farmers to understand precisely what is being asked of us and pressure is being applied from a variety of sources. Food security has risen up the agenda and that is a positive move. We can farm with greater emphasis on environmental benefits, but that has to be balanced against continuing to supply food to the nation and with consideration for the socio-economic aspect,” said Mrs Hallos.