Latest AHDB recruit to support growers in the north

Cereals and oilseed growers in the North East will be offered business advice and support from AHDB’s newest recruit Rose Riby.

Rose has joined the organisation’s Arable Knowledge Exchange team and will work across the County Durham, Northumberland and Yorkshire region.

She’s already familiar with the area, having previously worked for plant breeder KWS UK in regional sales, covering the North and Scotland.

In that role, Rose provided regional growing advice to merchants, agronomists and farmers on key varieties. The role enabled her to develop an interest in different crop varieties, particularly wheat, barley, oilseed rape and hybrid rye.

A farmer’s daughter from the east coast of Yorkshire, Rose is aiming to be fully BASIS qualified having already completed her BASIS Foundation Award in Agronomy, as well as achieving her BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection IPM (Seed Sellers).

Having joined AHDB’s recently expanded Arable Knowledge Exchange team, Rose is looking forward to broadening her knowledge, meeting new faces and working with growers to help them build resilient businesses.

She said: “It’s an exciting time to be joining AHDB: there are plenty of challenges facing growers on the horizon and I’m looking forward to using my new role to support the industry towards a healthy future.

“My time at KWS means that I’m used to travelling around and speaking with growers in my region. My specialist areas range from supporting on-farm objectives, identifying key markets and knowing how to get the best out crops.”

AHDB Knowledge Exchange provides the first point of contact to growers, and others involved in the industry, looking to access services funded by the levy.

The new Arable Knowledge Exchange team, which consists of 22 KE and KT professionals, provides a more coordinated and effective offer to the arable sector through joined up events, resources, campaigns and stakeholder engagement. The team will also provide expertise on areas common to both potatoes and cereals and oilseeds such as: soils, rotations, benchmarking and integrated pest management.

Rose joins the cereals and oilseeds side of the team and will run key initiatives, such as the Monitor Farm programme, as well as AHDB events in the North East region.

Head of the Arable Knowledge Exchange team Tim Isaac said: “We’re delighted to have Rose onboard. Her experience means she is perfectly qualified to support our levy payers in The North East region. I’m confident she will make a superb addition to a multi-talented team.”

Farmers can contact Rose directly by emailing Rose.Riby@ahdb.org.uk.