MEAT AND LIVESTOCK COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS

5 Oct 2001 12:00 AM

Secretary of State Margaret Beckett, the Scottish Ministers and the Assembly Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development, National Assembly for Wales have extended the appointments of Commissioners of the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) until 31 March 2002. The Commissioners are: Professor Richard Moody, Mr. John Bundy, Mr. John Baker MBE, Mr. Ralph Green OBE, Mr. David Walker MBE TD, Ms. Helen Browning OBE, Mr. Richard Campbell, Mr. Rees Roberts, Mr. John Ross CBE, Mr. Richard Sadler, Mr. John Taylor, Ms. Diane McCrea, and Mr. John Whitehead.

Notes for Editors

1. The Meat and Livestock Commission was established under the 1967 Agriculture Act with the aim of promoting greater efficiency in the livestock industry. It has a wide range of functions, including promoting meat as an important part of a balanced diet, advice on meat marketing, livestock improvements, collecting and disseminating information (including information on prices and economic matters) and strategic and near market R&D.

2. The MLC''s income in 1999/00 was 56.2m; the bulk of this income was raised through levies payable by livestock producers, slaughterers and exporters.

3. Biographies

- John Baker MBE - Chairman of the Baker Group of Companies. Mr Baker also has farming and transport interests and is a former president of the Federation of Fresh Meat Wholesalers (now the British Meat Federation).

- Helen Browning OBE - tenant farms a 1,350 acre organic livestock and arable farm in Wiltshire. She is the founder of Eastbrook Farms Organic Meat. She is also the Chair of the Soil Association and the Food Ethics Council. She sits on a number of advisory bodies including the UK Sustainable Development Commission. Ms Browning was awarded the OBE in 1998 for her services to organic farming.

- John Bundy - MD of Southern Counties Auctioneers of Salisbury and Shaftesbury. He has been involved in all aspects of livestock marketing for over twenty five years. In recent times Mr Bundy negotiated the relocation of Salisbury Livestock Market.

- Richard Campbell - owns a pig farm, is Deputy Chairman of Quality Pig Producers Ltd, and is Chairman of British Pig Executive. Has been a magistrate in Dorset since 1983.

- Ralph Green OBE - is the MD of McIntosh Donald, a Grampian Country Food Group Company, is also an Executive Member of Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers and is a board member of Quality Meat Scotland.

- Diane McCrea - is a consultant in food and consumer affairs. She is head of the delegation for the Codex Committee on Food Labelling. She also leads Consumers International''s delegation at the Codex Alimentarius Commission, the task force on animal feeding and the General Principles Committee.

- Professor Richard Moody - Head of Department of Food and Consumer Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University. After training to be an Environmental Health Officer, he moved into an academic career and gained a PhD in nutrition at London University. He has particular experience in food safety, food law and consumer protection.

- Rees Roberts - a farmer with over 25 years experience. He is Chairman of the Welsh Lamb and Beef Promotions Ltd.

- John Ross CBE - a hill farmer from Portpatrick. He is a director of the NFU Mutual Insurance Society Ltd, a Director of the Moredun Research Institute and Chairman of the Dumfries & Galloway Health Board.

- Richard Sadler - joined Waitrose in 1969. He took over the responsibility for buying all meat products in 1987. In 1988 poultry was added to his remit, and in 1994 he was appointed Head of Buying for Meat, Poultry, Fish & Eggs. Dairy products were added to his buying group in 1997.

- John Taylor MBE - a third generation butcher, who owns two retail butchers in the Coventry area. He is the Chairman of the Training & Services for the National Federation of Meat & Food Traders. He is an active member of a number of trade bodies and is a freeman of the City of London.

- David Walker MBE TD - farms a pedigree Aberdeen Angus herd in Oxfordshire and is a member of the Worshipful Company of Butchers and the Worshipful Company of Tallow Chandlers in the City of London. Mr Walker has worked in the manufacturing sector both here and in Australia. He was the chairman of McKey Holdings (Europe) ltd. He has recently become a director of Holmstein Foods of Richmond Yorkshire.

- John Whitehead - former MD of Top Hat Holdings ltd. He now works as a non-executive adviser to a number of food companies, and represents Food from Britain in Scotland on a part time basis.

END

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