Fram Farmers has announced a new chairman and vice chairman, Wendy Houston and Doug Inglis.
Ms Houston, previously vice chairman, was appointed chairman of the cooperative at the recent Fram Farmers AGM, succeeding Andrew Read who stood down from the role after three years.
Mr Inglis, who has been a board member since 2020, has been appointed vice chairman of Fram Farmers, bringing with him considerable experience and a wealth of knowledge of the arable sector from his time at Velcourt, plus his continued role as an agronomist.
Pig producer and arable farmer Ms Houston, who became a board director in 2015, is energised at the opportunity to lead the board and continue the progress made by Fram Farmers.
“I aim to ensure the cooperative continues to be best placed to serve members in navigating the challenges both arable and livestock members face, and to prosper in the years to come,” she said.
The cooperative, which provides the purchasing, grain marketing and administrative function for over 1,500 farming businesses across the UK, has also appointed Michael Muncey, former UK managing director of Bayer Crop Science and David Sheppard, former managing director of ADM, to the board during the past 12 months, along with farmer members Mark Williams and Frans de Boer.
Andrew Knowles, chief executive of Fram Farmers, welcomed Ms Houston and Mr Inglis as chairman and vice chairman at an important and challenging time for UK agriculture.
“I am looking forward to continuing to work with Wendy and Doug, as well as harnessing the new skills, knowledge and insights that Michael, David, Mark and Frans bring to the Fram Farmers board.”
“Farming is undergoing a period of unparalleled change, challenge and opportunity, and the new board membership will deliver strong, critical and demanding leadership to Fram Farmers.”
“This will enable us to continue to evolve and strengthen our performance to members, whilst remaining faithful to the values of the cooperative, and ensure our performance is unparalleled with leading commercial agribusinesses in an increasingly competitive marketplace.”
