Well known dairy farmer becomes BGS President

Well-known and highly respected Ulster dairy farmer, Will Taylor, has been elected as President of the British Grassland Society. He took office at the Society's AGM on 14th July at the BGS Summer Meeting in South West Scotland.

Will is the owner/occupier of a family farm run in partnership with his wife Cynthia and son Gareth at their home in Kircubbin, County Down, Northern Ireland. Their enterprises include 200 Pedigree Holstein-Freisians, 100 Dairy Heifers and an Aberdeen Angus beef herd. In 1996 they were winners of the BGS National Silage Competition and holders of the coveted Kemira Star Trophy.

In his Presidential Address, Will Taylor expressed it as “an honour and privilege to be elected as BGS President for the coming year, 2003-04”. He highlighted the role of BGS to influence the progress and productivity of the grazing livestock industry within the U.K. He drew attention to the need for producers to embrace the demands of the ‘new-age’ consumer who had never experienced lack of food, had long-since forgotten food rationing and had developed an instant expectation of choice for products that can be instantly sourced anywhere in the world, 365 days a year. It was in this light that he described his vision for the British Grassland Society as “being relevant in a fast-changing world; being better at servicing its members in a way that gives them a clear advantage over non-members; achieving financial security that allows it to deliver that advantage and protecting resources for the future”. He pledged himself as committed to furthering the interests of BGS during his term of office.