Meet Our Speakers

Andrew Williams

Andrew Williams’ career began with a job on John Fenton’s arable farm on the outskirts of Ipswich.

After 18 months, Andrew felt the need to try something completely different and joined the Royal Navy, where he says he “enjoyed two very formative years”.

Andrew returned to civilian life with a job repairing shipping containers while he searched for a route back into agriculture.

Eventually, he took up a position with Andy Mayhew at Waldringfield, working there while attending Otley Agricultural College and then Walford College in Shropshire to study for a National Certificate in Farm Management.

Andrew returned to Andy at the end of the course, taking a role as farm foreman, where he stayed for six years.

Unable to secure a management position on a farm at that time, Andrew and a good friend of his set up a contracting business, J&A Farm Services, which they ran until Andew joined Home Farm Nacton (HFN) in May 1997 as Farm Manager.

Andrew retired from his role as Farms Director from Home Farm Nacton in May 2023 but he will continue as an advisor for the farm, to be reviewed after a year.

Andrew will be speaking in the ‘Agricultural robotics – farmer experiences’ seminar.

Cecilia Pryce

Cecilia Pryce has over 32 years’ commercial experience of working in global trading, shipping, compliance, and logistics. Cecilia’s extensive knowledge and distinctive skillset allows her to provide unique insights into today’s complex global cereals markets for a multitude of audiences. Her perspectives are always open and honest, often controversial and thought provoking, but always valued.

Cecilia is head of research, compliance and shipping at Openfield, Britain’s only national grain marketing and arable inputs co-operative. She has undertaken this role for over ten years, and she is responsible for analysing all aspects of the UK and global grain industries and providing many aspects of market analysis to Openfield’s in-house trading desk, various grain marketing groups and consumer customers. She also provides regular commentaries and updates to help Openfield’s 4000 British arable farmer members make their grain marketing decisions.

During her career Cecilia has acquired significant knowledge about grain shipping, logistics, legislation, contract law and supply and demand around the world, all of which helps her in her current role. Prior to this, Cecilia spent over 20 years at Louis Dreyfus Commodities, a multinational trading company, where she traded cereal grains both in Northern Europe and Australia, post deregulation of the AWB in 2007.

Cecilia holds a BSc Hons in Agricultural Economics from Wye College London University. She was a member of the Trade and Agriculture Commissions Working Group on Competitiveness and is also a qualified arbitrator for the Agricultural Industries Confederation.

Cecilia will be speaking in the ‘Grain marketing post-CAP’ seminar

David Booty

David Booty is the Technical Director at OMEX Agriculture Limited, the leading UK based producer of bulk liquid fertilisers for arable crops and grassland as well as speciality foliar nutrients, biostimulants, fertiliser inhibitors and biopesticides.

David is responsible for trials, research and development and technical support for OMEX fertilisers. He is an agronomist and researcher with over 40 years’ professional experience in the fertiliser and crop protection sectors.

OMEX are committed to developing more sustainable solutions for crop production and minimizing the environmental impact of fertiliser use.

David will be speaking at the ‘Fertiliser inhibitors for improved nutrient use efficiency (sponsored by OMEX)’ seminar

Jill Hewitt

Jill Hewitt is CEO of the National Association of Agricultural Contractors (NAAC) and is passionate about all things farming, valuing her role at the NAAC as being able to influence the industry and make positive change for the contracting sector.

Jill grew up on a farm in Lincolnshire, is a Winston Churchill Memorial Scholar and has completed the Institute of Agricultural Management (IAgrM) Leadership Development Programme. She is also a Fellow of the IAgrM.

Jill will be speaking at ‘Red Diesel Rules, Load Security and Road Transport’ seminar

Mike Sumner

Richard Williamson

Richard Williamson graduated from the Royal Agricultural College whereupon he joined the Velcourt’s Management Training Scheme and progressed through the company to become Farms Director for the South of England.

Richard joined Beeswax Dyson Farming Limited as Managing Director in November 2014. The business includes combinable crops, potatoes, sugar beet, anaerobic digesters, real estate and a 15-acre glasshouse.

Richard now holds several executive and non-executive positions as well as providing strategic business advice.

He is Executive Chairman of Trinity Grain, a farmer-owned cooperative with more than 300 members in Berkshire, Hampshire and Wiltshire. The purpose of the organisation is to store and trade 200,000 tonnes of members grain.

Richard will be speaking at the ‘Grain marketing post-CAP’ seminar

Stewart Sinclair

Stewart Sinclair is an Independent Agronomist with Hampshire Arable Systems. He has provided agronomic advice to farmers across the South of England for nearly 20 years and currently provides advice to over 40 farmer clients, covering over 12,000ha in Hampshire, Wiltshire, Berkshire and Dorset.

Stewart’s advice covers all aspects of Combinable Crop management. As well as the basics of agronomy; weed, pest and disease management, he also works with clients to provide advice on rotations, cultivation strategy, Integrated Pest Management, all aspects of Crop Nutrition, Regenerative Farming techniques, and more recently, how best to fit SFI options alongside current farm practices.

As well as his agronomy role, Stewart has provided clients with NRoSO training for a number of years, and was heavily involved with the Catchment Sensitive Farming Initiative, providing Nutrient Planning, Soil and Manure Management Plans and Slurry Infrastructure advice for many farms in the South.

Stewart will be speaking at the ‘Fertiliser inhibitors for improved nutrient use efficiency’ seminar