Richard Hirst has been elected vice chairman (horticulture) of the NFU's horticulture board.

He has a remit to promote the image of horticulture as part of his role with the NFU. He believes the change under CAP reform represents a great opportunity for farmers and growers to reconnect with the customer.

Hirst said: "We need to be forward-thinking as an industry. For example the recent announcements about the Little Red Tractor will give us an opportunity to promote the best bits of our sector and hopefully help provide a sustainable and profitable future for us all."

Hirst farms 380 hectares at Ormesby near Great Yarmouth and has a rotation of cereals, sugar beet, vining peas, potatoes, field scale salad and vegetables. He is chairman of Anglia Pea Growers, a growers' co-operative which supplies Unilever on contract at Lowestoft.

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