HGCA has responded to feedback from levy payers that they wished to have greater local connection with the organisation’s work by introducing a network of Regional Managers.

Each Regional Manager will cover one of five HGCA regions and will be based at an existing AHDB office. The Regional Managers have begun work already, meeting with levy payers, farming and other industry organisations. They have also provided an HGCA presence at recent regional events, and will be actively involved in the planning and delivery of future HGCA events.

One of the early objectives of the regional team is to raise and maintain awareness of HGCA in the regions, with partner organisations, supply chain businesses and growers.  The team will help HGCA become more regionally focused, better understanding regional needs and targeting information more precisely to the sector.

“Having a network of regionally based managers will enable us to be much closer to growers and processors,” said HGCA Sector Director Rebecca Geraghty. “The individuals we have recruited not only know the industry in their particular region, they also bring with them vast experience from different aspects of the rural economy.

”This is a significant change in the way HGCA engages with levy payers.  We are responding to the changing needs of the industry and improving our ability to communicate with stakeholders along the length of the supply chain.”

Another important aspect of the team’s work is the ability to provide feedback to underpin development of HGCA strategy - the forthcoming consultation on HGCA’s 2015-18 research strategy being an example of this.

A survey at Cereals 2013 showed improving business profitability to be growers’ top priority, and delivering greater business efficiency and resilience is an area where the regional team will take a hands-on role. A range of tools, grouped under a ‘Reaping Rewards’ banner, will help growers to learn from industry best practice.  At least two Monitor Farms will be established in each HGCA region, complemented by Arable Business Groups (ABGs), focusing on benchmarking and costings.

Using HGCA’s CropBench tool to compare input and overhead costs, the ABGs will help growers undertake realistic group and regional benchmarking, share best practice and challenge established thinking.

Richard Laverick will lead the regional team, and will also cover HGCA’s West Region, which includes Wales and Northern Ireland. Based at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s (AHDB) Stoneleigh Park offices, Richard recently joined HGCA from ADAS, where he set up and ran a number of regional teams. A biological scientist by training, Richard has substantial agricultural experience (including BASIS training) and has managed HGCA funded projects delivered by ADAS.

Harry Henderson will cover HGCA’s North region. Based at Askham Bryan near York, Harry grew up on a farm in his native north Wales. Subsequently, Harry developed an interest in farm machinery that took him around the world working in agriculture. Having managed a plant breeding farm near Cambridge for Monsanto, in 2005 Harry joined John Deere as Crop Systems Specialist, from where he was recruited by HGCA.

Tim Isaac will cover HGCA’s East region. Tim joins HGCA with more than 20 years of farm business experience in the East of England. Based at Huntingdon, Tim joins HGCA from the CLA, where he was Regional Adviser for the East of England. Trained in agricultural business management, Tim has also worked as a farm business consultant, specialising in the direct management of farms and contracting arrangements.

Philip Dolbear will cover HGCA’s South region. Taunton-based Philip joins HGCA from HSBC Agriculture, where he was Regional Agriculture Manager in the South West region. Having studied agriculture at university, Philip spent seven years as a farm management consultant with ADAS before developing his career with HSBC.

Gavin Dick will cover Scotland. Having been brought up on a family farm, Gavin studied agriculture at SAC in Aberdeen before becoming farm manager on a 400 - acre arable farm. Gavin then moved to Mackie’s in Aberdeenshire, where he managed a large farming enterprise including dairy, combinable crops, seed potatoes, pigs and poultry. He then moved to manage an estate in Perthshire specialising in pedigree beef production and combinable crops. Before joining HGCA, Gavin was a business specialist with SAC, working to broaden farmers’ business management skills. He is based at AHDB’s offices near Edinburgh.