Creating potato industry's next generation of leaders

The AHDB Next Generation intake is becoming biennial, with exciting opportunities for previous participants to take up through 2017. Further development of the programme will be ready for a new intake of young potato enthusiasts for 2018, where we look forward to seeing more interest from the Shropshire area.

The aim of the Next Generation programme is to develop the future leaders of our industry and to give them exposure to the wider supply chain. The programme includes business and technical sessions, as well as supply chain visits.

Nick Crow, a farmer from Cherrington Farms in Shropshire said: “The Next Generation programme has provided me with so much, from learning about the industry to making new contacts up and down the country.

“I wasn’t sure what to expect 12 months ago, but now I feel more prepared and more confident, both personally and professionally.

“Getting the opportunity to speak key industry influencers, and of course a trip around Houses of Parliament, really made the whole experience worthwhile and something I can take with me as my career progresses.”

Guest speakers included industry expert Janet Williams, regulatory affairs manager for Bayer. Janet discussed the ever-changing environment of agrochemicals and regulations and included a section on the UK exit from the EU.

She said: “The industry is continually working to ensure that existing products are reviewed and updated to the required standards. For example, Bayer currently have 191 applications being evaluated by the UK and Irish authorities – the regulatory workload is huge.

“Regarding the UK EU exit strategy, there is a probability that the influence of the opinions of the European Food Safety Authority may be reduced in the future and we are having to think carefully about what effect a move away from a European process will do to agrochemical regulations, evaluations and timings.”

Tim Papworth, Director of L F Papworth Ltd then demonstrated his own story within the industry.

Tim spoke of his achievements which included The UK Grower Awards’ Grower of the Year 2016 and his work as a board member for AHDB and the NFU. He was then on hand to field questions from the group, hungry to get a bit of an insight of how they can fulfil their own career aspirations.

The afternoon session saw each delegate on the programme individually commended and given a certificate of completion by Rob Clayton, AHDB Potatoes Strategy Director.

Nick concluded: “I’m proud to have completed the course – we’ve all been tested at times, which is what I expected, but I have learned so much and grown as a person throughout the last 12 months.

“I’ll be recommending it to my colleagues and friends, so anyone looking to get a foothold on the industry should really take this in to consideration.”

Stuart Baxter, AHDB Potatoes