Home-Grown Cereals Authority appointments

UK Agriculture Ministers have appointed one new member and re-appointed two existing members to the Board of the Home-Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA).

The new appointment is Edward Wright, the Chairman of the British Poultry Council.

The re-appointments are Douglas Morrison, a farmer, first appointed in 2000; and John Best, a farmer, first appointed 2003. All three appointments started on 3 June 2006.

Board members are paid £4,446 per annum for an average commitment of one and a half days work per month.

All three appointments have declared no political activity and do not hold any other ministerial appointments.

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if any declared) to be made public.

Notes to editors

The HGCA is an executive, non-departmental public body, funded by statutory levies and its own commercial activities. The HGCA was set up under the Cereals Marketing Act 1965 to improve the production and marketing of home-grown cereals and, since 1989, oilseeds.

The HGCA is funded almost entirely by statutory levies paid by cereals and oilseed growers and by the cereals dealers and processors.

Edward Wright. Currently Chairman of the British Poultry Council and Board member of British Chicken Marketing.  39 years with Bernard Matthews Foods. Retired in 2004 having been M.D of Saga Foods, Hungary their Hungarian division for 8 years. Worked in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland from 1997 to 2004. Mr. Wright does not hold any other Ministerial appointments.

Douglas M Morrison. First appointed to the HGCA in June 2000 to represent the interests of Scottish growers.  Douglas is an experienced cereals grower from East Lothian.  He is the Managing Partner, of D M Morrison and Partners, Amisfield Mains, Haddington, the Director of Agricultural Management (Haddington) Limited, Barneymains, Haddington and Chairman of Scottish Quality Cereals. Mr. Morrison does not hold any other Ministerial appointments.

John Best farms approximately 380 hectares, with about 270 ha devoted to arable production (mainly oats and wheat) with the remainder devoted to a suckler and beef finishing enterprise. Mr Best has served on the UFU Seeds and Cereals Committee for many years and is also Chairman of the Union's Pesticide Group. In addition, he represents Northern Ireland on the UK Steering Group of the Voluntary Initiative. Mr. Best does not hold any other Ministerial appointments.

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