M O V E R S & S H A K E R S

Origin Fertilisers has added to its national team of in-house nutrition agronomists with the appointment of Julia Andrews to cover Scotland and the Borders

Ms Andrews brings Origin’s team of nutrition agronomists to six covering all corners of the UK providing balanced nutrition advice to farmers Hailing from New Zealand, Ms Andrews has been involved in farming all her life and studied for a BSc in Agricultural Science at Lincoln University in New Zealand

Following this, she gained experience working as an arable advisor for one of NZ’s largest agricultural distributors and input suppliers and her extensive knowledge of production systems, both arable and grassland, will offer UK farmers the opportunity to learn about different techniques Ms Andrews says the many similarities between UK and NZ farming will allow her to help farmers become more productive with their fertiliser use

“The right crop nutrition has never been more essential and farmers require a deeper understanding of what different nutrients can offer, so our advice needs to make the most of any investment the farmer is making Understanding what a crop needs and tailoring fertiliser to meet these demands is essential,” concludes Ms Andrews

She is based in Stirling and will offer advice on the benefits of balanced crop nutrition to farmers and growers across Scotland and the Borders.

Dr Grace O’Gorman has joined CIEL (Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock) in the new role of Animal Health Specialist

A former senior technical policy manager with the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH), Dr O’Gorman will work closely with CIEL’s network to identify animal health priorities and develop new research opportunities across the livestock sector

Her appointment comes following a period of growth at CIEL, leading to the creation of a new role to further enhance the research and innovation part of the organisation

Dr O’Gorman says she is excited to join CIEL during an interesting time for the agrifood sector as it faces the challenges of climate change, rising costs, new regulations and trade negotiations

“It’s a very exciting time to be joining the team. As an organisation, we ’ re committed to investing in specialist expertise and focusing attention on innovation to improve the sustainability and productivity of the livestock sector ”

“With diverse animal health credentials, including research, veterinary expertise and understanding of the animal health sector, I can ensure new research opportunities are identified are taken forward with industry partners,” adds Dr O’Gorman ing her skillset in the critical area of animal health ”

CIEL’s strategic investment in animal health capability and expertise signals an exciting new chapter with focused activity such as the launch of an Open Innovation Group on Animal Health, thought leadership and key reports

Boss Off-road Vehicles, the sole UK distributors of Corvus Off-road Vehicles, are delighted to announce that Matt Richardson has joined their team in the new position of After Sales Manager Matt officially joined the company on 1st January 2023 and will lead the re-structure of the After Sales Department to support Boss’s aggressive growth plans in the coming year.

Phil Everett, MD of Boss, says: “Matt has been operating in this role and much, much more for a major Outdoor Power Equipment distributor and is, therefore, an absolutely perfect fit for us We’re very pleased to welcome him to the team in this important period of expansion for the company and the Corvus Off-road vehicle brand ”

For more information about the Corvus Terrain range, you can call 01597 810188

E-mail: sales@bossorv co uk Web: www bossorv co uk

Stocks Ag has promoted Tim Farrow to the recently created position of Technical Director In his new capacity Tim will be leading research and development, as well as heading up technical support for customers, dealers and OEMs

Since joining Stocks Ag at the end of 2020, as UK Field Sales Manager, Tim has become increasingly involved in product development at Stocks

Tim has worked in agriculture for more than 30 years and prior to joining Stocks, he was the Service then Branch Manager for another machinery dealer His new position at Stocks will see him setting up the technical support department, as well as taking charge of research and development

James Woolway, MD at Stocks commented, “It was clear from before I took ownership of Stocks Ag that research and proactive product development needed investment and time Having experience in aftersales and being technically minded, has put Tim in a strong position to lead this exciting development in the business ”

“I am looking forward to the challenges ahead,” said Tim “With so much innovation in agriculture bringing product opportunities for Stocks I believe we will continue to improve our product offering to give farmers and contractors exactly what they are looking for ”

Tim will be based at his home, near Leeds in West Yorkshire and he can be reached at tim.farrow@stocks-ag.co.uk, or on his mobile 07498 027418

Timac Agro UK has promoted James Hay into the new role of country manager

As part of his new role, Mr Hay hopes to increase the company ’ s overall brand awareness in the UK and empower the firm’s 30-strong team

“Timac has seen encouraging growth over the last couple of years, despite turbulent market conditions,” says Mr Hay. Sales doubled from 2021 to 2022, with ambitious ‘people’ targets set in the same period, including the further expansion of the arable team in the East

“To ensure we deliver on our aspirations, we ’ re putting soil health expertise at the heart of our offer, something that the technical team and product portfolio delivers We’re heavily focused on delivering sustainable solutions that fit conventional, regenerative and organic systems,” he says

Mr Hay explains that a lot of the regenerative techniques that are now popular have been at the heart of Timac’s recommendations for over 60 years

“Having this unique combination of experience teamed with continuous investment in upskilling and technology development, is what I believe gives us our edge,” he says.

Camille Flecher, international development manager at Timac Agro International, says she is proud to continue to work with Mr Hay as he steps into the new leadership role

“I look forward to seeing James strategically drive the UK division in a positive direction at this exciting time for the business,” she says

The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society has appointed Highland farmer Finlay Munro as its new president

Mr Munro, who runs the Balaldie herd at Balaldie Farm, Fearn, Tain, replaces outgoing president Angus Stovold from the Rosemead herd in Surrey

His family has been involved in the Aberdeen-Angus breed since the 1800s and the herd now stands at 120 suckler cows, of which 90 are pedigree registered

Mr Munro, who has served in the junior and senior vice-presidential roles, said it was an honour to take on the role of president.

“One of my main goals for the year ahead is to keep the breed in the strong position that it finds itself in at the moment,” added Mr Munro

“The Aberdeen-Angus breed is sitting with the highest number of registrations of all breeds on BCMS and I hope to help sustain that.”

He said another focus for his time in the presidential role will be overseeing the roll-out of genomics in the next 12 months, as well as getting out to meet as many Aberdeen-Angus breeders as possible

“I plan to attend as many events as I can throughout the country, as well as attending the World Angus Technical Meeting in the Czech Republic in September,” added Mr Munro

Mr Munro will be supported in the role by senior vice-president Ian Watson, who runs the Kersquarter herd near Kelso, and junior vice-president Alan Morrison from Northern Ireland.

The Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers (SAMW) is pleased to announce the appointment of Scott Walker as its new Executive Manager

Mr Walker, who was previously the chief executive of NFU Scotland, takes on the role formerly held by Martin Morgan who sadly passed away in January this year

"Scott joins a long list of excellent executive managers who have served SAMW over the years with Martin's five years with the Association, in particular, marking a strong period of leadership for Scotland's red meat industry," said SAMW president, Ian Bentley.

Having spent the last 11 years as CEO of NFUS, Mr Walker has a deep knowledge of Scottish food and farming and a thorough understanding of the red meat sector's many challenges and opportunities.

"Advocacy on behalf of the industry has been a major part of my career over the last decade and I look forward to fulfilling a similar role on behalf of the red meat sector," said Mr Walker "I'm well used to working with politicians and officials in Scotland, Westminster and on the international scene, and will be seeking to do the same for SAMW, on behalf of what is a hugely important industry for Scotland's economy

"We should all be proud of the quality of red meat produced in Scotland for sale both domestically and across many export markets There is a strong story to be told and much progress to be made in the months and years ahead."

Mr Walker will take up his new office on April 24, 2023

NFU Scotland has announced the appointment of John Davidson as its new Chief Executive

Mr Davidson, who is currently the Deputy Chief Executive at the industry leadership body, Scotland Food & Drink, replaces Scott Walker who stepped down from his post last year.

Mr Davidson joined Scotland Food & Drink in 2020 after a lengthy career in various senior roles across the Scottish Government, including Private Secretary to the former Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Richard Lochhead and most recently as the head of food and drink at Scottish Government for five years

Mr Davidson, who is well known and respected across the farming and food industry, has been instrumental in supporting the sector ’ s recovery from Brexit and the Covid pandemic and has recently been leading the development of the new national food and drink strategy for Scotland, which aims to strengthen the resilience of the entire industry and grow its value and reputation domestically and internationally.

He will start his new role at NFU Scotland in late June when he will become the 11th Chief Executive since the Union’s formation in October 1913

NFU Scotland President, Martin Kennedy said: “Following a rigorous recruitment process to find our next Chief Executive, John stood out as the ideal candidate to lead the organisation into our next chapter

“His passion, energy, and vision for the organisation and for Scottish agriculture in generional

“John is extremely well connected across the industry and has a tremendous grasp and understanding of Government affairs Above all, he has the personality and leadership skills we need to drive forward the business of NFU Scotland and lead our fantastic team in delivering the best possible outcome for our growing farming and crofting membership

John Davidson, the incoming Chief Executive at NFU Scotland, added: “I am delighted and honoured to be joining NFU Scotland and leading the organisation at such a critical time for the industry

“There are many challenges facing our farmers and crofters, but I genuinely believe the future for the industry is bright and I look forward to working with a very talented and passionate team at NFU Scotland to represent our members’ interests

“Agriculture is one of the world’s oldest and most important industries and is woven into the fabric of Scotland, making a substantial contribution to our economy, communities and environment It is absolutely vital that this is understood across all aspects of society, just as it is critical that the industry is given the support and conditions it needs to ensure a vibrant and profitable future with food production at its core I look forward to working across the industry and beyond to achieve this ”

Kuhn Robotic Diet Feeder

THE latest autonomous diet feeder to hit the market comes from the Kuhn stables in the form of the Aura capable of feeding 280 cows.

It works autonomously using GPS and RTK to move around a farm collecting and feeding out a TMR.

Inbuilt loading and weighing modules calculate the exact mix of forage material including grass and maize, along with any supplements and concentrates required

The Aura’s three cubic metre mixing tank features two vertical augers that require a lower power requirement and feature Kuhn’s K-Nox technology to guarantee a service life of six times longer than steel alternatives The mixing and chopping speed can be adjusted to create a homogenous TMR with a palatable consistency

A 56hp (42kW) diesel engine can power the Aura for up to a week of continual loading and feeding, making it a truly autonomous machine

The robot is compact, standing at 2 6 metres high, 1.9 metres wide and just under seven metres in length. This helps it to move around most areas of the farm including feed passages and clamps It feeds out at a speed of 2km/h on both the left and right using a conveyor and can travel at up to 7km/h

A dual guidance system uses GPS and RTK outside and Lidar inside in conjunction with an onboard odometer Farms choosing an Aura will be mapped and wifi devices installed to enable connectivity throughout The Aura also has inbuilt sensors to stop or avoid objects and it can travel on gradients up to 20 percent

The TMR can be calculated as often as is needed and uploaded to the Aura remotely Its built-in loading and weighing modules enable it to travel to sources of forage, concentrates and minerals to load A multi-purpose milling head ensures that all forage is loaded efficiently whilst onboard weighing sensors can calculate the TMR to the nearest kilo.

Farms using the Aura will also be fitted with augers connected to silos containing concentrates and minerals that have a receiver to communicate with the Aura’s onboard transmitter

The time and frequency of feeding can be set to precise points 24 hours a day to enable consistent feeding without intervention The Aura also features rotating bushes that push up forage and double up to clean the clamp of any fallen material The brushes operate on both sides of the machine to offer the flexibility to feed in any housing

The new Aura is expected to hit the UK market in 2024