John Cross has been appointed chair of Livestock Information Limited, the company which will replace existing livestock tracing systems for cattle, sheep and pigs in England.
The fifth generation farmer will provide strategic leadership to the company as it creates the Livestock Information Service (LIS).
The service wants to pioneer a new and closer way of working between government and industry that will cement the UK’s reputation for producing high quality, sustainable and trusted products.
Mr Cross said LIS is a 'once-in-a-lifetime chance' to transform the way traceability is managed in the livestock industry.
Based in Norfolk, he was Chair of the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) from 2002 to 2015.
He is currently chair of the Traceability Design User Group (TDUG), the industry body set up to advise on the creation of LIS.
He has held many similar roles in the past, and in 2015 he was awarded the prestigious Royal Smithfield Club Prize for outstanding contributions to the Livestock Sector.
Livestock Information Ltd was created in October 2019, as a subsidiary company of AHDB, owned 51% by AHDB and 49% by Defra.
Commenting on the appointment, AHDB CEO Jane King said “His experience has earned him the respect and trust of the whole industry, making him the ideal leader for a programme which will set new standards for collaboration between government and producers.
“He’s been part of the Livestock Information programme from the early days, and I’m confident in his ability to lead the company to success as it moves into delivery, taking the programme from the drawing board and into the real world.”
John Cross added: “The massive strides this programme has made since its inception will soon start to produce real-world results which will positively impact producers at all levels.
“As a farmer myself, I know what the sectors need world-class traceability to deliver, and as someone who’s supported the programme for many years I can see the way we can make those changes come about in a user-friendly way.”
