Norfolk farmer Christopher (Kit) Papworth is taking over from George Bell as chairman of buying group Anglia Farmers.
Accountant George Bell, who steered the merger process to form Anglia Farmers in 2003, has been instrumental in the considerable growth of the co-operative. He will remain on the board as a director and will chair subsidiary company AF Affinity Limited.
Kit Papworth joined the board of Anglia Farmers in 2005 and became deputy chairman in 2009. He is a director of his family farm, L F Papworth Limited based at Felmingham, near North Walsham in Norfolk. He and his cousin Tim farm more than 2000 hectares of arable land on long and short-term contracts. Kit is BASIS qualified and is responsible for the farm’s agronomy and crop recording and specialises in combinable crops as well as looking after the sheep enterprise. In 2004 he was awarded the title ’Arable Farmer of the Future’ by Arable Farmer Magazine.
Outgoing chairman George Bell said: ’As soon as the merger process was complete I thought my job was done but I was persuaded to stay and I am glad I did. The last eight years of helping to run AF have been really rewarding. The group has grown fourfold. Apart from helping its farming members to reduce input costs, AF’s business growth has contributed significantly to the local economy and helped others in the rural community.
’World agriculture is facing unprecedented uncertainty likely to lead to unpredictable changes. The leadership of AF needs to be in touch with that world and having worked closely with Kit Papworth over the last year or so, I am absolutely sure that he is the right man to lead AF through the next stage of development.’
Kit Papworth, whose chairmanship takes effect after the group’s annual general meeting on 23rd June 2011, said:. ’I am delighted to be taking over the role of chairman at Anglia Farmers at such an exciting time for the business. Managing volatility in these turbulent times is vital for all farmers, and Anglia Farmers is well placed to meet this challenge on behalf of its members.’
AF’s annual results to 31st January 2011 report turnover at ’166.6 million representing a growth of 17% on the previous year. Overall performance for Anglia Farmers climbs further, however, when all associated groups are accounted for with purchasing power, rather than turnover, now exceeding ’200 million. As the gap narrows between cost of production and farm gate price, AF says more farmers are joining to help maintain their profits.
