South West Food & Drink

Meat South West

Organisation

Members of the Executive Board

Chairman
Miles MacPherson

Vice Chairman
Robert Bowditch

Directors
Tom Foot
Julie Edwards
John Hoskin
Peter Morris
Mark Thomas

Observers
Alison Lockwood, DEFRA
Peter Reynolds, EBLEX
Angela Taylor, RDS

Information about the Board members

Miles Macpherson has extensive meat industry and financial management experience, and brings his specialist knowledge of the processing sector to the Board. This experience includes senior management roles within the abattoir and processing sectors in the UK, Ireland and Canada.

Robert Bowditch has farmed a mixed farm, with an emphasis on dairying, near Bridport, Dorset since 1968. He was Chairman of Dorset NFU in 1998 and is a past Chairman of the NFU Regional Livestock Committee and past delegate of the NFU Headquarters Livestock Committee.

Tom Foot is the Chairman of Cornwall Quality Livestock Producers and provides representation for the livestock marketing co-operatives on the Board. Tom runs a sheep farm.

Peter Morris is the deputy chief executive of the National Sheep Association. Prior to this he was the Marketing Manager for Shearwell Data, a company involved in animal identification and information work. Previously a policy adviser for the NFU in the South West, specialising in livestock, Peter's roots are in beef and sheep farming through both the family farm and the management of an estate in Shropshire with a large sheep flock and suckler cow enterprise. Peter also managed the establishment of a regional brand for red meat on the English/Welsh border which is known as "The Marches".

Alison Lockwood is the manager of the South West Livestock Pilot, initiated by DEFRA, to evaluate the value of data colletion to farm businesses. Alison was previously a Senior Adviser for Food, Farming and Rural Development in the Government Office for the South West, Bristol. After studying for her degree in Agriculture at Reading University, she worked for ADAS as a Livestock/Business adviser. She brings to the Board an understanding of government policy grounded in sound practical experience of farming.

Peter Reynolds is Regional Manager for the English Beef & Lamb Executive. He was Chief Executive of the British Limousin Cattle Society for 10 years up to 1995 and then joined MLC's BSE crisis management team as a consultant before taking up his present post in 1998.

Angela Taylor is a Rural Development Adviser working for Defra's Rural Development Service in the South West, taking a special interest in the red meat sector. Previously Angela gained a degree in Agriculture at Seale Hayne and then went on to work for Exeter University's Agricultural Economics unit on the farm business survey and enterprise studies, including beef, sheep and pig production in the South West. Angela's present role involves advising on eligibility, including state aid issues, and undertaking technical assessments for projects seeking Objective One and English Rural Development Programme funding (i.e. processing and marketing, rural enterprise and vocational training schemes).

Manager
Helen Ashcroft
PO Box 16
North Tawton
Devon
EX20 2WE

Tel./Fax.: 01837 880443
Email: meatsouthwest@eclipse.co.uk

Last Updated: 29th February 2008