TRIBUTES have been paid to the long service of Oaklands Farm Eggs chairman Aled Griffiths OBE, who has retired from the British Egg Marketing Board (BEMB) Research and Education Trust.
Mr Griffiths was first appointed to the trust in 1981 as the NFU poultry representative.
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He was chairman of the NFU Poultry Committee in 1985 and, when the Government abolished the Eggs Authority in 1986, was “instrumental” in obtaining the residual income of the Eggs Authority for the BEMB Trust, to support its work.
The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) was formed to replace the Eggs Authority in 1985, and Mr Griffiths served as its founder chairman.
The BEMB trust serves to sponsor scientists and Nuffield Scholars in research that will benefit the broader egg sector.
Mr Griffiths is himself a Nuffield Scholar, and in 1993 was awarded an OBE for services to the poultry industry.
In 2018 he received the International Egg Commission’s (IEC) Denis Wellstead Memorial Trophy for International Egg Person of the Year, and the Peter Kemp Award for Outstanding Contribution to the British Egg Industry.
‘Gratifying’
Upon his retirement, Mr Griffiths said: “It has been very gratifying for me to look back over my 39 years working for the BEMB Trust, and to see that, of the 26 Nuffield Poultry Scholars that I was able to help to obtain their scholarships, 20 of them are still very actively working or associated with the poultry industry today.
“I am delighted to be leaving the BEMB Trust in such good hands, with a great team representing egg producers, together with three eminent scientists, all under the guidance of such an excellent chairman.
Expertise
Martin Shirley CBE, chairman of the trust, added: “On behalf of not just the BEMB Trust, but also the many individual researchers and institutions who have benefited from your considerable expertise, I offer a big “Thank you” and wish you all the very best in the future.”
Duncan Priestner (NFU Poultry Representative) said Mr Griffiths’ contribution to the poultry industry had been “outstanding”.
World-leading
“Your knowledge, wisdom and inspiration to the younger generations in encouraging them to undertake Nuffield Scholarships and PhD’s has ensured the Egg Sector is in a world-leading position in these turbulent and ever-changing times.”
