Rob Purdew is joining the UK’s Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) on 2 November 2026 as a dairy knowledge exchange manager, to support levy payers across Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. He will be the first point of contact for dairy farmers, organising events and discussion groups across the region and helping farmers in the South West to make use of AHDB’s technical expertise and resources. AHDB is an independent, evidenced-based statutory levy board funded by around 100,000 producers in the British food supply chain.

Purdew has first hand farming experience, having previously been head stockman for one of AHDB’s strategic beef farms as well as working across beef, dairy and mixed farming enterprises in the UK and Canada. A graduate of Nottingham University, with a degree in environmental biology, he combines practical farming knowledge with technical ability in sustainable land management, grazing systems and business performance.

During his career, he has advised a diverse range of farming businesses, from individual family farms to major organisations including the Duchy of Cornwall and Arla. His experience includes developing soil and nutrient management plans, delivering carbon footprint assessments, running on-farm trials and leading technical events and workshops for farmers. Most recently, he has worked as senior farm carbon and soils advisor at Farm Carbon Toolkit, helping farmers improve business resilience while reducing environmental impact.

Purdew is looking forward to getting stuck into his new role. He said: “My experience of working with AHDB in earlier roles has been extremely positive. I like what they do, and this job is an opportunity to promote the organisation’s tools and expert information to farmers in the South West region, making sure we are meeting their needs. Dairy farming really appeals to me – and I just love talking shop with farmers, so this job is a perfect fit.”