NIAB TRUST CHANGES

2 Mar 2009

NIAB has announced the appointment to the NIAB Trust of Cambridgeshire-based grower John Shropshire.  Mr Shropshire heads up the family farming company G’s Marketing Limited, based at Barway, near Ely, which supplies salad crops and field vegetables from 25 co-operative farms covering 15,000 acres in the UK and 10,000 acres in Spain.

Mr Shropshire succeeds Lincolnshire farmer Bentley Nelstrop, who has retired as a Trustee of the NIAB Trust.  Mr Nelstrop has had a long-standing association with the Institute, having served on numerous NIAB Committees over a significant number of years and as a past Chairman of both the NIAB Council and NIAB Trust.

NIAB Chief Executive Dr Tina Barsby said:

“Through its stewardship of the Institute’s land and charitable assets, the NIAB Trust plays a key role in supporting NIAB’s core activities in crop improvement and plant genetic research.  John Shropshire’s practical farming experience, and commercial knowledge and understanding of the modern food chain, will be of great benefit to NIAB, and we are very pleased to welcome him as a Trustee.  

“I would also like to pay tribute to Bentley Nelstrop, who is retiring as a NIAB Trustee.  We are extremely grateful to Bentley for many years dedicated service to NIAB, and I am delighted that his association with the Institute will remain through the generous sponsorship of a new annual staff award to recognise exceptional contribution to innovation at NIAB.” 

For further information contact:
Dr Tina Barsby, Chief Executive, NIAB
T: 01223 342290
E: tina.barsby [at] niab.com ()

Issued by:
Daniel Pearsall, Front Foot Communications            
T: 01487 831425     
E: daniel.pearsall [at] frontfoot.uk.com ()