Red Tractor has appointed south west farmer John Dracup as its new beef and lamb chair.
The assurance body said that Dracup - after more than three decades in the industry - has experience in creating electronic auctions and managing one of the largest beef and lamb processors’ livestock divisions. He continues to hold the position of strategy director at the Royal Smithfield Club.
He will formally take up his new position in March. The position became available after fellow beef and lamb farmer Alistair Mackintosh was appointed Red Tractor’s vice chair at the end of last year.
Goals for the future
Dracup said: “I’m delighted to join Red Tractor at such a critical time for British agriculture. I am passionate about the British food and farming industry and the need to maintain its position and reputation for supplying quality products with integrity.
“We need to ensure a continued focus on providing added value through the scheme, delivering an effective and robust assurance scheme to underpin the fantastic reputation of British beef and lamb.”
“A huge asset”
Jim Moseley, Red Tractor’s chief executive, said: “British agriculture is facing some of the greatest challenges of a lifetime. John’s extensive experience in food and farming will be a huge asset to the beef and lamb board, so that we can continue to deliver a scheme which reflects the diverse demands of the sector.
“Findings from our Trust in Food Index has found that by far the biggest reason why people trust British food, is the strength of our food standards, regulations and independent assurance schemes like Red Tractor.
“If we want to maintain this high level of trust in UK produced food over the coming years, we need to make sure that we continue to show strong leadership to protect the integrity of the food chain and British farming standards.”
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
