Tim Bennett, a 50-year-old livestock farmer from Carmarthenshire in Wales was today elected as the new President of the NFU.

Previously Deputy President, Tim was voted in by the organisation's ruling body, the NFU Council, on the second day of the NFU's annual conference and AGM held in Birmingham.

Tim was born and brought up in the West Midlands, where, on leaving school in Worcestershire, studied agriculture at Seale Hayne Agricultural College.

He then worked in France and Herefordshire before moving to South Wales in 1978, to farm in partnership with his wife, Susan and two children, James, 26, and Victoria, 24.

They run a 200-acre grassland farm in a Less Favoured Area, 12 miles from Carmarthen, and are currently establishing a beef suckler herd after diversifying from milk production last July.

In his first speech as NFU President, Tim said: "We are proud of our industry, our safe food, and the wonderful countryside that we manage.

"But key to this, we must ensure that our passion for what we do as farmers is really understood by our consumers, so that British farmers remain their preferred supplier of food.

"If we succeed in this, retailers and government will have to listen to us. There are many things to be done, and the NFU is the only organisation that can really make a difference."

Tim's career highlights include NFU Deputy President for six years, county chairman of Carmarthenshire in 1988, and chairman of the Less Favoured Areas Committee from 1993 to 1998.

He has also served on the NFU's Livestock Committee and the Finance and Organisation Committee, sits on the NFU Council, and is Chairman of the NFU Policy Board.

He is also a member of the Agricultural Land Tribunal, a Governor of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, and a member of the Estate Advisory Committee of the National Botanic Garden.

East Bedfordshire farmer Peter Kendall (43), was elected to the position of NFU Deputy President. A graduate with a degree in agricultural economics, Peter farms 620 acres of combinable crops.

Peter had been actively involved in the arable industry as a past director of the Arable Research Centre and former member of the HGCA's British Cereal Exports and Crop Marketing Advisory Boards.

Peter is married to Emma who works in marketing for a food ingredients company. They have three young children.

Dairy, beef and arable farmer Meurig Raymond from Pembrokeshire was elected to the position of NFU Vice President. Meurig, (51) is married to Hilary and has three children.

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