The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has appointed Anthony Hopkins as its new cereals and oilseeds director.
Mr Hopkins will join AHDB on 29 June, replacing Sarah Woolford, who is leaving the organisation. He has extensive experience in agriculture, policy and levy-funded organisations.
Raised on a mixed beef, sheep and arable farm in Worcestershire, Mr Hill holds a degree and doctorate from Birmingham University. He worked in academia before joining the NFU in 2018.
Initially working for NFU Sugar before moving into plant health and later becoming chief crops adviser, Mr Hopkins led the union’s work on urea, water pollution and digital grain passports.
More recently, Mr Hopkins has been joint head of policy and business development at the British Society of Plant Breeders, focusing on trade, seed movement, EU reset and precision breeding.
Mr Hopkins said: “At a challenging time for the sector, the research, evidence and insight AHDB provides is more important than ever, and I’ll be focused on ensuring that we deliver for levy payers.”
Commenting on the appointment, AHDB chief executive Helen Herniman said: “I am delighted to welcome Anthony to AHDB. He brings a strong understanding of both farming and policy, and a clear focus on delivering practical value for levy payers.I would also like to thank Sarah for her leadership of the cereals and oilseeds sector and for the contribution she has made during her time in the role.”