East Norfolk vegetable and potato grower Richard Hirst is the new chairman of the NFU Board for Horticulture.
He takes over from Graham Ward OBE, who stands down after his two-year term of office. Under Ward’s leadership the NFU Board for Horticulture has undeniably regained the respect of growers in all sectors of horticulture. Most would agree that Ward will be a difficult person to follow.
But Richard Hirst who has been the Board’s vice chairman for the last year has been closely involved in the Board’s policies and has a s good a chanc3e as anyone of filling his predecessor’s shoes with distinction.
Hirst farms 300 hectares of potatoes, vining peas vegetables, sugar beet and cereals and is currently chairman of Anglian Pea Growers. He is also chairman of the Forum for Sustainable Farming.
The NFU Board’s growing reputation over the past two years has been reflected in the calibre of candidates nominated for the new Board.
Among the new elected members are Roger Sayer, chairman and managing director of Humber VHB, the Yorkshire-based salads group. He is also a director of Stockbridge Technology Centre.
Gary Taylor, managing director of Valley Grown Nurseries, which majors in peppers for parent company Valley Grown Salads Limited, has also joined the Board. He is a member of Lea Valley Growers’ Association.
The third new member is John Hall, of Needham Growers, Chichester. He was a former chairman of West Sussex Growers and has served on a number of NFU headquarters committees.
Sarah Pettit, agricultural technical manager, Christian Salvesen, will continue to oversee the Board’s work on pesticide use.
The remaining members of the board are Nathan Dellicot, West Sussex (vegetables), Julian Hargraves, Lincolnshire (processed vegetables), David Powell, Herefordshire (potatoes), John Richardson, Yorkshire (hardy nursery stock), and Graham Nichols, Gloucs. (potatoes).
Because no soft or top fruit candidate was elected, Robert Pascall, Kent soft-fruit grower and a member of the Agricultural Wages Board has been seconded to attend the Board meeting but without a vote.
Standing down with Ward are Hugh Lowe and Colin Frampton.
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