ONE of the leading lights in the red meat industry is to be the guest speaker at an open meeting of livestock producers in Herefordshire.

John Cross, who is chairman of the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX), will be talking to producers about grading mechanisms and marketing as well as taking questions from the floor.

Herefordshire NFU county chairman Simon Edwards will take the meeting, which will be at the NFU offices at Agriculture House, Hereford, at 7.30pm tomorrow.

"We are delighted that a senior figure such as Mr Cross has agreed to come and talk to livestock producers from around the county and we would urge farmers to make every effort to attend," said Mr Edwards.

"This is a very important year for farmers in the livestock industry with the implementations of reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy."