AHDB appoints Rob Purdew as Southwest dairy manager

Rob Purdew is due to begin work with the UK’s Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) on 2 November 2026. His role will cover dairy farming in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, where he will support levy payers and serve as their first point of contact within the organisation.

Purdew will organise meetings, events and discussion groups for farmers across the South West. The position also includes helping dairy businesses use AHDB’s technical information and other resources. AHDB is an independent statutory levy board funded by about 100,000 producers across Britain’s food supply chain.

His previous work has included practical roles on beef, dairy and mixed farms in the UK and Canada. He was head stockman at one of AHDB’s strategic beef farms. Purdew studied environmental biology at Nottingham University and has experience in sustainable land management, grazing methods and farm-business performance.

He has advised businesses ranging from family-run farms to larger organisations, including the Duchy of Cornwall and Arla. His technical work has covered soil and nutrient planning, carbon-footprint assessments, on-farm trials and the delivery of farmer workshops and technical events.

Before taking up the AHDB post, Purdew was senior farm carbon and soils adviser at Farm Carbon Toolkit. In that job, he worked with farmers on business resilience and on reducing the environmental impact of their operations.

Purdew said his earlier experience with AHDB had been “extremely positive”. He said the new position would allow him to promote the board’s tools and expert information in the South West while ensuring that they addressed farmers’ needs. He added that dairy farming appealed to him and that he enjoyed discussing farming with producers.