Richard Lister re-elected as NPA chairman

Richard Lister has been re-elected as chairman of NPA for a second three-year term, with Norfolk farmer Rob Mutimer elected as his vice chairman.

Mr Lister, who farms in North Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire with 3,300 sows over four units, was re-elected as the NPA board met for the first time since the association’s elections in February.

Mr Mutimer, who has 700 outdoor sows in North Norfolk, alongside a butchery business and sits on the AHDB Pork board, replaces former chairman Richard Longthorp, who steps down after three years as vice chairman and, before that, three years as chairman.

Mr Longthorp, who has been an influential figure in the NPA since its formation nearly 20 years ago, will continue to serve on the NPA Producer Group (PG). He was elected as NPA chairman in 2012. 

The new PG also met for the first time on Tuesday. Yorkshire farmer Phil Stephenson was elected to continue in the role of PG chairman, while new regional chairs were also elected, as follows:

East – Simon Guise

Midlands – Sam Godfrey

North – Vicky Morgan

South Central – Sally Stockings

South West – Andrew Freemantle

Richard Lister said: “I am honoured to be elected to continue as NPA chairman during what will be a defining three years for the pig industry. With a superb staff team and strong new Producer and Allied Industry Groups elected by members, the association is well placed to rise to the challenges ahead.

“I am delighted that Rob has been elected as vice chairman – he will bring a great deal of knowledge and common sense to the role.

“I also want to pay tribute to the work of Richard Longthorp, who has made a massive contribution to the NPA and the pig industry as chairman and vice chairman over the years. No-one epitomises the straight-talking, no-nonsense, get-on-with-the-job attitude of the pig industry more than Richard.

“The Colonel, who has been in the thick of it since the late-1990s days of the British Pig Industry Support Group, has always fought the industry's corner, never taking a backward step, and, more often than not, delivering results.

"And he will continue to do so, as he will be staying PG. As he said in his PG manifesto, he can ‘still growl when needed!’”