Andy Findlay has joined AHDB’s team in Scotland, taking on the role of Knowledge Exchange Manager specialising in benchmarking.

Currently AHDB run a number of Business Improvement Groups across Scotland and Mr Findlay will now work with the Scottish team to support the existing groups, as well as developing new groups. He will also work through Farmbench with the Business Groups attached to the Monitor Farm Scotland programme, managed jointly by AHDB and Quality Meat Scotland.

Prior to joining AHDB, Andy worked at Scotland’s Rural College for over six years as an agricultural mechanisation lecturer, having previously spent over 20 years as a Lantra instructor, alongside contract farming.

Andy is looking forward to once again focusing on the business side of farming in his role at AHDB: “It’ll be really good to be working directly with farmers helping them make a genuine difference to their businesses. Using benchmarking and peer support, AHDB is well placed to help farmers prepare for the change which is inevitably on the way.”

AHDB Scotland director Paul Flanagan said: “Tools like Farmbench which help identify where strengths and weaknesses lie within farm businesses are critical to the long term sustainability of the agriculture industry. Over the coming months we’ll be supporting farmers and growers to better understand their costs and get their businesses on the best footing for the future, and Andy will have a leading role to play in that work.

“He has a keen understanding of the farming sector and is very well placed to work with Scottish farmers and I’m delighted to welcome him to the team.”

Anyone interested in learning more about Farmbench should contact Andy directly by emailing Andy.Findlay@ahdb.org.uk.