Mike Sheldon has been re-appointed as the chair of AHDB’s Pork Sector Council for a further 12 months, after AHDB’s search for a new chair failed to find a suitable replacement.
Mr Sheldon, who will also continue on the AHDB main board, was due to stand down in March after serving two three-year periods in the role, but will now serve another year with effect from April 10.
Ministers have also appointed Tom Clarke Cereals and Oilseeds Sector Council Chair for three years, while Sarah Pumfrett has been re-appointed as Chair of the AHDB Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) for three years, both with effect from April 1.
These are Ministerial appointments, made by the Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which have been approved by the Devolved Administrations.
Nicholas Saphir, AHDB Chair, said: “I am delighted with the appointment of Tom and the re-appointments of Mike and Sarah. Their collective industry experienced adds value to our skill-based Board as we drive the delivery of our sector-focused plans and provide tangible benefits and value for money for our levy payers.”
AHDB Pork Budget
At latest NPA Pig Industry Group meeting in March, Mr Sheldon said that AHDB’s pork budget is higher than anticipated going into 2023-24, after the full extent of expected budget reductions in 2022/23 did not materialise.
The expected drop off in levy due to lower pig slaughterings did not start to come through until the start of this year, while AHDB’s spend on export promotion was lower than expected due to ongoing Covid restrictions in China. In addition, expenditure on some services, such as the Pig Health Scheme (PHS) and the Real Welfare programme has already stopped.
The intention will be to spend the extra funds over the next ‘year or two’, with levy income expected to fall during this period due to lower pig numbers.
“While we didn’t intend to build up this reserve, it means we will be able to maintain a level of investment higher than our income and that we don’t have look at further cuts on top of those already made,” Mr Sheldon told the group.
The 2023-24 budget has been signed off, with broadly one third to be spent on the three overarching priorities of exports, domestic marketing and industry reputation.