Opinion

Dr Marius Ostrowski, executive director of the Lifelong Learning Institute, said the agri-food sector 'needs significant investment in the qualifications and skills system which are the backbone of the UK's future productivity'

Rachel Barr, 20, from Dumfries and Galloway, is a beef and sheep farmer

George Elliott, 23, is a farmer from Ashbourne in Derbyshire

Having attended the recent G7 chief vets forum in Japan, chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss discussed some of the most difficult animal health challenges facing the farming industry today – including avian influenza, African swine fever and antimicrobial resistance

Hannah Cuthbert, 24, is a farmer from Lincolnshire

Phil Warham has been an agronomist with Agrovista for six years. He gained a degree in Land and Farm Management at Harper Adams and managed farms for several years afterwards. He now advises on combinable crops, cereals, maize and vining peas in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and into Leicestershire. Key interests include direct drilling and soil health, as well as making farms profitable. In his spare time he is a keen runner, cyclist and horseman.

George Swann is an independent agronomist, member of Arable Alliance and proud member of the Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC). He covers south Yorkshire, north Nottinghamshire and north Lincolnshire. George has a BSc (Hons) degree in Biology, is BASIS and FACTS qualified and also has BASIS Advanced Potatoes. George's expertise lies in helping his clients achieve maximum output whilst remaining as economical and sustainable as possible for the future.