Appointments to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
David Piccaver and Will Lifford have been appointed to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food has announced the appointment of David Piccaver and Will Lifford to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
Will Lifford has been appointed as an independent member to AHDB. David Piccaver also has additional responsibility of being Sector Chair (Potato Council).
Both appointments have been made jointly by Richard Lochhead MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, the Scottish Government), Alun Davies AM (Minister for Natural Resources and Food, Welsh Government) and Michelle O’Neill (the Stormont Executive Minister responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development).
The appointments run from 1 April 2013 until 31 March 2016.
Will Lifford will receive a remuneration of £11,100 per annum for a minimum of 36 days per year. David Piccaver will receive a remuneration of £32,000 per annum for a minimum of 104 days per year (including as Chair of Potato Council).
The appointments have been made in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.
AHDB is a Defra sponsored Non Departmental Public Body. It is funded by farmers, growers and others in the supply chain through statutory levies and serves six sectors representing about 75 per cent of total UK agricultural output: pig meat and beef and lamb in England; commercial horticulture, milk and potatoes in Great Britain; cereals and oilseeds in the UK.
Biographies
David Piccaver is currently chairman of J.E.Piccaver & Co specialist producers of lettuce, salad onions and herbs and a director of Concordia, which supplies labour to the horticulture industry as well as being involved in overseas and UK voluntary work schemes.
David has also been a board member of the former British Potato Council levy board, a director of potato prepacker QV foods and chaired Lingarden, a company marketing bulbs, flowers and onions, for 27 years as it grew into a £75m business.
Will Lifford is a chartered accountant with 25 years experience as a partner with Grant Thornton. Since 2007, non executive positions held by him have included: Rural Payments Agency (audit and risk committee), Entrust (the regulator of the Landfill Communities Fund), director and chair of the audit committee, Yorkshire Agricultural Society (audit and investment committee) and Leeds Trinity University (governor and audit committee chair). Will is also a trustee of two Yorkshire based charities.