I was very privileged last week to attend the MDS graduation event at Harper Adams and spend some time getting to know some of the men and women who will no doubt regularly feature in these pages over the coming years.

All of the graduates have already secured positions at top companies, a reflection both of their excellent ability and the fresh produce industry’s desperate need for new talent.

All the graduates without exception were intelligent, articulate and displayed a keen understanding of the issues and challenges facing the industry. There can be no doubt they have glittering careers ahead of them.

What was also encouraging to hear is that forthcoming MDS courses are also booked up, showing that there will still be new blood coming into the sector in the coming years.

The question of who will become the industry leaders of the future has been one of the most troubling issues for growers and marketers. Sons and daughters have been showing less inclination to take over family businesses, and there has been genuine and justifiable concern over the identity of future managers.

It was interesting to see that only two of last week’s graduates have any kind of farming background. Perhaps there are now signs that young people can be swayed by the wide range of roles the food production industry can offer and see that an exciting and rewarding career can, in fact, be forged in fresh produce.

You can meet the next generation of your industry in this week’s issue, starting on page 18.