The NFU has made its latest appointment in a major reshuffle of its chief advisers, with Kelly Watson taking over from Robert Newbery as chief poultry adviser.
Watson has worked as NFU poultry adviser for the past two years. Having grown up on the family farm in north Norfolk, where her parents ran two free-range egg units, she can also draw on personal experience of the sector.
The NFU poultry team has recently started work on defining a corporate social responsibility strategy for the poultry industry ('Poultry works on CSR scheme to boost image, The Grocer, 26 February, p38), and Watson said that she was very much looking forward to developing this further and "highlighting how much we have to be proud of."
Watson's appointment comes at a crucial time for UK poultry farmers as the industry approaches the 1 January 2012 ban on conventional cage eggs.
Watson started her career at the NFU in 2005, when she joined the union as horticulture adviser for potatoes and field vegetables. Prior to that, she worked at fresh potato supplier Greenvale in a variety of roles, including buyer.
Watson's promotion to chief poultry adviser comes after her predecessor, Robert Newbery, moved from his role in poultry to become chief adviser to the NFU dairy board.
In turn, former NFU chief dairy adviser Hayley Campbell-Gibbons has become chief horticulture adviser, a post vacated earlier this year by Philip Hudson, who is now NFU head of food and farming.
Watson has worked as NFU poultry adviser for the past two years. Having grown up on the family farm in north Norfolk, where her parents ran two free-range egg units, she can also draw on personal experience of the sector.
The NFU poultry team has recently started work on defining a corporate social responsibility strategy for the poultry industry ('Poultry works on CSR scheme to boost image, The Grocer, 26 February, p38), and Watson said that she was very much looking forward to developing this further and "highlighting how much we have to be proud of."
Watson's appointment comes at a crucial time for UK poultry farmers as the industry approaches the 1 January 2012 ban on conventional cage eggs.
Watson started her career at the NFU in 2005, when she joined the union as horticulture adviser for potatoes and field vegetables. Prior to that, she worked at fresh potato supplier Greenvale in a variety of roles, including buyer.
Watson's promotion to chief poultry adviser comes after her predecessor, Robert Newbery, moved from his role in poultry to become chief adviser to the NFU dairy board.
In turn, former NFU chief dairy adviser Hayley Campbell-Gibbons has become chief horticulture adviser, a post vacated earlier this year by Philip Hudson, who is now NFU head of food and farming.
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