Malcolm Gale is the new president of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), taking over from Simon Alden at the CAAV AGM in Oxford.

Mr Gale started his career at Bagshaws in 1982 as a clerk in the markets and after furthering his education, graduated from the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester in 1988, qualifying as a chartered surveyor and agricultural valuer in 1991.

He has since been involved in all aspects of rural practice including valuations, sales, compensation claims, option/promotion agreements and auctioneering.

Mr Gale is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and a registered valuer, a Fellow of the CAAV, and a Fellow of the Livestock Auctioneers Association (LAA).

He became a partner of Bagshaws in 2005 and is based at the Uttoxeter office in Staffordshire. He is also a past president of the Staffordshire Agricultural Valuers Association.

Commending Mr Gale, Roger Bedson, partner at Hinson Parry said: "He works for the wider benefit of the profession and is approachable, well known and well liked."

In his new role as president, Mr Gale is keen to attract young people into the profession. "We have a strong membership within the CAAV, but it is sometimes a difficult profession to sell, as our areas of practice are so diverse," says Mr Gale.

"They think they know what a solicitor does and an accountant but not what an agricultural valuer does. It's trying to get that across to young people in order that the profession is on their radar."

However, there is new blood coming into the profession and Bagshaws has five apprentice surveyors going through university training for their degree and the RICS whilst also preparing for CAAV exams. "This apprenticeship route wasn't available five or six years ago," says Mr Gale.

Having already travelled extensively, meeting CAAV local association members in the run-up to his presidency, Mr Gale says all associations are different while being similar in nature. "Common is the fellowship. There is genuine friendship. Even though the various parties work in different firms, if we have a query, we know we can pick up the phone to any member if needed and they will be open and straight with us."

Martin Hall, senior director at Davidson and Robertson, based in Edinburgh, will also join the presidential team as senior vice president and Cumbria-based Julie Liddle of PFK as junior vice president.

About the CAAV

The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV) is a specialist professional body representing, qualifying and briefing over 2,900 members practising in a diverse range of agricultural and rural work throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

CAAV members are agricultural and rural valuers who provide professional advice and valuation expertise on issues affecting the countryside from tenancy matters to sales and purchase of farms and land, from taxation and compulsory purchase to auctioneering, and from conservation issues to farming structures.