Philip Hambling joins the NFU in mid-April at a crucial time for the commodity boards. They face twin challenges; responding to Brexit and establishing food and farming’s sustainable recovery from depressed markets.
Mr Hambling brings with him invaluable experience from various roles throughout the food industry and at Defra. Currently he is senior agriculture manager at Sainsbury’s.
His previous posts include group agriculture and procurement manager at Randall Parker Foods and food policy manager at the British Meat Processors' Association.
On his role at the NFU, Mr Hambling said: “The NFU has a hugely important and influential role to play in the development of agriculture and food chains at this time of significant challenge and potential opportunity for UK producers.
“I particularly look forward to working with the NFU’s commodity boards, offering my experience of working in government, as well as with policymakers inside and outside commercial value chains, to help us shape and capture the best of those opportunities for UK farmers and growers”.
Mr Hambling replaces Phil Bicknell, who left the NFU in December last year to join the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.