Sir – I was interested to read Chris Koenig’s report on the Oxford Farming Conference and The Oxford Real Farming Conference (How now brown cow, January 13). I have attended the Oxford Farming Conference since the Sixties and will continue to do so.

But I am also a retired organic farmer and the patron, and long-time director, of Organic Farmers & Growers, one of the UK’s leading organic control bodies.

It dismays me that two things very close to my heart should be pitted against each other, especially when both of these events are looking to the interests of UK farming. I, and Organic Farmers & Growers, start from the position that all farmers do a crucial and demanding job and do it in a skilful and responsible way.

The choice of some to follow the organic route may be based on many and varied reasons, but it doesn’t suddenly put them in some way outside of the ‘mainstream’, if you will, farming community.

I see tremendous value in both conferences. Everyone has a right to be heard and only through constructive debate can we all learn and understand each other’s positions — and maybe learn from each other. I believe that holding both events on the same day is thoroughly counterproductive when there is so much to be discussed and points of view to be shared.

I’m sure Oxford would be proud to continue hosting both events, but I imagine many people would like to attend both, not to be forced to choose one or the other — just as a farmer should not be labelled as merely organic or non-organic. Each is still a farmer, a point that we at Organic Farmers & Growers have always stressed, as we do not hold with the theory that we as Organic Farmers are any better than those who are not, it’s just a different system. It would also be helpful if it were advertised in such away so that those of us that might be interested could know of its existence.

Charles Peers, Great Milton