NORTH Yorkshire farmer Sir Ben Gill will stand down as president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) next February - after 13 years as an officeholder for the organisation.
Sir Ben, who farms 360 acres at Easingwold, told a meeting of the NFU Council in London that it was time to "stand aside" and would not be seeking re-election at next year's AGM.
He has been president since 1998 and before that deputy president, vice president and livestock chairman.
Sir Ben said the industry still faced many challenges, but BSE and foot and mouth were becoming an increasingly distant memory while the weakening of the pound, a major reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and industry restructuring were giving cause for optimism.
Sir Ben chaired the NFU working group Real Choices in 1993 that foresaw the "decoupling" of support payments from production - a key plank of the recent reforms to the CAP.
He has also presided over radical changes to the NFU itself, with commodity boards being set up produce a sharper sector focus.
"I have been enormously proud to have served as president," he said. "It has been a testing and demanding time, but I believe we are now reaching a watershed.
"The hard-won reforms to the CAP should soon start to deliver benefits. The weakening of the pound is bringing relief to some sectors.
"And the NFU itself has undergone the radical changes necessary to make it an organisation fit to fight for farmers' interests into the 21st century.
"There are still enormous challenges ahead. But I believe it is now time for me to stand aside and allow Council to select a new person to stamp his or her mark on the future."
Sir Ben will withdraw from active participation in NFU work but will continue with his presidency of the Confederation of European Agriculture until it ends in September 2004.
He received a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours earlier this year and received a CBE in 1996 for services to agriculture.
He is married to Carolyn and has four sons.
Updated: 11:00 Tuesday, October 07, 2003
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