The British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) is strengthening its operational presence in Scotland with the establishment of a permanent office near Perth.

Scotland and the north of England will now be covered by a dedicated, full-time BSPB staff member with specific responsibility for certified and farm-saved seed royalty collection and auditing.

BSPB auditor Henry Taylor, who was previously based at the Society’s head office in Ely, Cambridgeshire, will now provide a local point of contact and advice for seed merchants, processors and farmers in Scotland and the north of England on all seed royalty and licensing issues.

A member of the BSPB audit team since 2005, Henry Taylor has a practical farming background. Brought up on a family farm in the Borders, he completed an HND in agriculture and holds a post-graduate qualification in farm business management. He previously worked for Simpsons Malt, based in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

The audit team’s role is to check that the seed royalty income collected by BSPB each year tallies with the amount of certified seed produced and sold by licensed seed merchants, and with the farm-saved seed declarations received from seed processors and individual farmers. This is vital to safeguard future investment in the new varieties farmers depend on for improved yields, quality and disease resistance, and to cope with future challenges such as climate change.

Henry Taylor can be contacted by telephone on 07747 567352 and by e-mail at henry.taylor@bspb.co.uk 

 Contact:

Penny Maplestone,                                   Tel: 01353 653200
Chief Executive, BSPB                             E-mail: penny@ bspb.co.uk

Issued by:    

Daniel Pearsall                                             Tel: 01487 831425
Front Foot Communications Ltd                 Email:daniel.pearsall@frontfoot.uk.com