New NIAB chairman elected

 FARMER TONY Pexton (FRAgS) has been elected the new chairman of NIAB (National Institute for Agricultural Botany).

Mr Pexton takes over from John Heading, who ends his three year term.

Mr Pexton, former deputy president of the National Farmers Union, operates a 400ha (1,000 acre) arable farm as well a 420 sow pig unit in ast Yorkshire and has been on the NIAB Board since 2001.

He is currently the chairman of the Sustainable Arable Link research Programme Management Committee and chairman of Assured Crops Ltd.

“We [NIAB] are now a leaner and more competitive organisation than we have ever been.

“We are the best organisation in the UK to turn science into services of real value to the agricultural industries,” he said.