New chair for Quality Meat Scotland
Kate Rowell has been appointed by Scottish ministers as the new chair of Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), and will take over the role on 1st October.
Rowell, who has been a member of the QMS board since April 2015, will take over the role when current chair Jim McLaren steps down after almost eight years at the helm.
Jim McLaren and new chair of QMS, Kate Rowell.
Rowell is a fifth generation farmer, running a 750 hectare Hundleshope farm on the Haystoun Estate, where the family have been tenants for 150 years.
The family run 75 suckler cows and around 800 sheep on the farm which was previously a monitor farm, part of the successful QMS programme.
As an honorary president of Peebles Agricultural Society, Rowell took part in the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme in 2015/16, attending the 2018 Oxford Farming Conference as an emerging leader.
She is also actively involved in supporting the work of the Royal Highland Education Trust which aims to encourage children to have a better understanding of farming and where their food comes from.
Rowell said she was delighted and very much looking forward to taking up the role of chair at the start of next month.
She commented: “I feel privileged to have this opportunity to play such a pivotal role in the Scottish red meat industry. I am very much looking forward to getting out and about in the coming weeks and months to hear more from people working in all parts of the red meat industry.”
Outgoing chair McLaren said: “Kate brings a wealth of experience to the roll of chair, both as a farmer and a vet. Her passion for farming is shared by her enthusiasm for the wider industry and inspiring and educating people about farming and where their food comes from.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my tenure in the role of QMS chair which has given me an opportunity to see first-hand the superb range of activities delivered by what is a very small team of staff at QMS.”
During the coming weeks, Rowell will be spending time working closely with McLaren to ensure a smooth handover and transition.
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