NFU deputy president Minette Batters has said that plans to introduce whole life assurance in the beef sector might need to be shelved in order to address some of the widespread opposition to the move voiced by farmers.

She said: “I still back the principle of whole life assurance but the scale and vehemence of farmer opposition to the proposal has exposed a number of issues that need to be addressed before any change is agreed.

“The debate that has exploded since Red Tractor Assurance (RTA) issued its consultation on moving to whole life assurance for beef has put the NFU in a difficult position as it has supported the principle over the past few years.

“But, while some members are supportive, it is now facing an angry response from a big section of its membership to the plans, particularly in the south-west.”

In a frank interview, Ms Batters criticised the timing of the RTA’s consultation but acknowledged the NFU needed to improve the way it communicated its stance to members.

Ms Batters, who farms cattle on a farm near Downton, insisted the NFU would not “corral” members into the change if they were set against it. “We absolutely have to listen to our members on this,” she said. “We have got a chunk of membership that is wholly anti the whole-life approach and we have got some who are very much for it. So that creates a challenge in itself.

“But what it does mean is we have to have time to find out what the problems are, not corral farmers and push them into a corner. We have got to listen to what those members are saying and act on that.

“I am really up front about this. If members are saying the communication hasn’t been good enough, we have got to address that, we have got to learn from that, we have got to put that right because people pay their subs for us to represent them.

“The RTA could not have chosen a worse time to consult on this proposal. We discussed this five or six years ago – it was very emotive and unachievable then.

“It would have been better to have had a progressive discussion on this rather than having it now at a very bad time in the run-up to the general election, when we are trying to get the Basic Payment Scheme implemented and there are retail price wars and massive pressure on all commodity prices.”