The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s (AHDB) operating divisions, of which HDC is one, will be rebranded later this year to create a simplified family of levy-payer facing brands under the AHDB name.
From Summer 2015 the existing sector brands will be replaced with ‘AHDB plus descriptor’. This will mean that BPEX becomes AHDB Pigs, DairyCo becomes AHDB Dairy, EBLEX becomes AHDB Beef & Lamb, HDC becomes AHDB Horticulture, HGCA becomes AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds and Potato Council becomes AHDB Potatoes.
This follows a recommendation from an AHDB sector board member conference in November 2013, and a commitment in last year’s Corporate Plan to ‘look at creating a simplified family of brands’. The AHDB Board has agreed that it is now the time to progress this commitment.
Existing farmer-facing knowledge transfer brands such as the Better Returns Programme and Recommended Lists will remain as part of this branding suite.
AHDB Chairman Peter Kendall said: “This is an important step forward for AHDB as we move towards our aim of looking, feeling and behaving as one organisation. Coming together under one simplified brand can help AHDB increase our influence on behalf of our levy payers. This will ensure we are in a better position to make the most of future industry opportunities.”
A detailed roll out plan is now being worked up, with the intention of using up existing stocks of sector branded materials to ensure any rebranding is achieved at minimal cost.
AHDB is a UK-wide Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by Defra and primarily funded by farmers, growers and others in the supply chain through statutory levies. Established in 2008, it supports the following industries: meat and livestock (cattle, sheep and pigs) in England; horticulture, milk and potatoes in Great Britain; and cereals and oilseeds in the UK. The AHDB’s remit covers 75% of total UK agricultural output. Further information on AHDB can be found at http://www.ahdb.org.uk/