The NFU poultry board in the UK has re-elected Duncan Priestner and Tom Wornham as chairman and vice chairman, respectively, for another two-year term.
Priestner, based in south Manchester, farms on two sites in conjunction with his brother and runs a pullet rearing business and a separate egg-laying unit with 120,000 hens.
He says, "I'm delighted that the board has given me the opportunity to serve for another two years and build on what we've achieved. My priorities going forward are the public perception of the poultry industry, engaging in discussions on antibiotic use in the poultry industry and looking at how the industry deals with diseases like avian influenza.
"We've been successful in reducing campylobacter as an industry, improving our relationship with the Animal and Plant Health Agency with regards to AI specifically and had political wins on beak trimming. I'm excited to further this success, with the support of the board and the poultry team."
Tom Wornham, based in north Hertforshire, is a fourth generation farmer from and has been involved in the NFU since 2001 starting off as branch chairman. He became County Chair in 2011 and is also East Anglia Regional Poultry Chairman.
"I'm thrilled to play a part in leading the poultry board for another term,” Wornham says. “During the next two years, I'm keen to engage with the candidates from the Poultry Industry Programme and see how they can benefit the national poultry board. I also want to reinvigorate the regional poultry boards to ensure they are working as effectively as possible. I'd like to thank the board for their support.”