Worcestershire top-fruit and hops grower Ali Capper has been elected as chairman of the NFU Horticulture & Potatoes Board.
Capper replaces carrot grower Guy Poskitt, who stepped down as chairman earlier this month following two years in the role. In a role reversal, Poskitt is taking over as vice chair from Capper.
'I am delighted to have been elected to serve as chairman of the Horticulture & Potatoes Board and am very pleased that Guy Poskitt has been elected to work alongside me as vice chairman,' Capper said. 'We have worked together as a team, very successfully for the last year in the reverse roles.
'The board is in great shape with an excellent team of members who provide direction on all the issues we face and deliver a real passion and commitment to their NFU work. As a result I am taking on the chairmanship at a time when the board has a clear strategy and vision for its work, thanks to Guy’s great leadership and thanks to the skill of all the board members.'
Capper said her priorities for her two-year term will be focused on facilitating growth in business profitability. This will be centred around two strands - the supply chain and increasing consumption of fruit and veg.
Issues around the National Living Wage, employment, plant protection products and water will also be high on her agenda.
Alongside Capper and Poskitt, the board contains eight elected and three co-opted members. The elected members are NFU Potato Forum chair Alex Godfrey; Produce World director of agriculture Andrew Burgess; soft-fruit grower Anthony Snell; fruit grower David Long; Brassica Growers Association chair Matthew Rawson; field veg grower Stephen Watkins; nursery stock grower Tim Edwards; and potato grower Tim Papworth.
The co-opted members are British Protected Ornamentals Association chairman Greg Hill, potato grower Robert Lockhart and veg grower and former NFU Horticulture Board chair Sarah Dawson.
Ali Capper will be presenting the findings of a major new NFU report and taking part in an interactive debate at FPJ Live on 21 April. To book your place visit www.fpjconferences.com.
