Getting out and about with existing and potential members is paying dividends towards the objectives set by the new member services team at Anglia Farmers.

The six-strong team, introduced in the last Business Bulletin, has been gathering live market price information gleaned during meetings with farming businesses throughout the country. Benchmarking this against the Anglia Farmers pricing structure, significant and real savings are apparent.

PRODUCT	SAVINGS THROUGH AF
Agricultural inputs	6-19%
Fuel	2.5-19-%
Motor Vehicles	3-10%
Insurance	9-50%
Building Materials	15-45%
Office Equipment	8-30%

Examples of some typical cost saving areas

“It’s not just about agricultural inputs,” says David Moar, business development manager. “There are so many areas Anglia Farmers can help with like office equipment which can all add up to another costly overhead for some farming businesses. When buying a printer for example, the ink cartridges can be a significant office expense as well. And this is just a small part of the overall picture.”

Other useful feedback includes some members’ keenness to maintain direct agreements with suppliers they have used for years.

“We respect the loyalty that members have honed over many years,” says Ashley Gilman, member business manager. “But on investigation, many of them would be doing their suppliers more of a favour by ordering through Anglia Farmers. This might seem strange on the surface but suppliers now rely on the security of agreements we have set up to guarantee considerable volumes and beneficial payment terms. That’s what Anglia Farmers is about – securing the long term future throughout the supply chain for the ultimate benefit of its members.”

The team also has evidence of time saving such as a member who hunted for the best price for two sets of agricultural tyres and gave up after 3 hours. Anglia Farmers found the best deal, saving £550, within an hour. And what price the time saving element? We all know time equals money.

As ever, the hallmark for Anglia Farmers is confidentiality and trust. Sharing market information is exclusive to members and not for use as an independent bargaining tool.

Open House: The business team is available on Monday afternoons until the end of February 2010 at Anglia Farmers’ office. This will give members a chance to discuss how they use Anglia Farmers’ services as well as meeting product managers they may not have met or discuss new product areas. There is no need to make an appointment but for further information call member services on 01603 881881.