The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has appointed Anthony Hopkins as its new Cereals and Oilseeds Sector Director.

Anthony, who will join AHDB on 29 June, has extensive experience in agriculture, policy and levy-funded organisations.

Raised on a mixed beef, sheep and arable farm in Worcestershire, he holds an undergraduate degree and PhD from the University of Birmingham. After a number of years working in academia, Anthony joined the NFU in 2018, initially working for NFU Sugar before moving into plant health and later becoming the NFU's Chief Crops Adviser. In that role he led work on key issues including urea, Farming Rules for Water and the Digital Grain Passport.

Most recently, Anthony has been joint Head of Policy and Business Development at the British Society of Plant Breeders, focusing on trade, seed movement, EU reset and precision breeding. 

Anthony will be replacing Sarah Woolford as Sector Director, with Mike Gooding, AHDB's Farming Systems Director, temporarily stepping into the role during the interim period. 

Commenting on the appointment, Helen Herniman, Chief Executive of AHDB, said: "I am delighted to welcome Anthony to AHDB. He brings a strong understanding of both farming and policy, and a clear focus on delivering practical value for levy payers.

"I would also like to thank Sarah for her leadership of the Cereals and Oilseeds sector and for the contribution she has made during her time in the role."

Anthony said: "I'm very much looking forward to joining AHDB as Cereals and Oilseeds Director. At a challenging time for the sector, the research, evidence and insight AHDB provides is more important than ever, and I'll be focused on ensuring that we deliver for levy payers."