Farming’s finest recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours list

An Oxford Farming Conference director, a former Defra secretary and a Devonshire bacon producer are among the recipients of this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours relating to the agricultural sector.

Sarah Mukherjee, awarded an MBE for services to British agriculture and wellbeing, is perhaps best known for her previous role as a presenter of BBC Radio Four’s Farming Today programme and her spell as chief executive of the Crop Protection Association from 2017 to 2020.

See also: Farming sees impressive roll call in 2021 New Year Honours

The former journalist is now co-chair of the Oxford Farming Conference, as well as being chief executive of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

She is also a trustee of the Woodland Trust, a governor of Harper Adams University and sits on the National Food Strategy Advisory Panel.

“I am completely bowled over by this honour and I am immensely grateful to everyone in the agricultural sector who has been so supportive, helpful and encouraging over the years,” she told Farmers Weekly.

Royal bacon curer

Another MBE went to George Henry Streatfield, whose family business Denhay Traditional Bacon is based near Honiton, Devon, and is the official bacon curer to HRH The Prince of Wales. He also owns Denhay Farms near Bridport, Dorset, where he keeps cattle.

Mr Streatfield said: “I’m delighted to have been recognised, as I have been part of the long-term revolution in food, which has seen food move from being thought of a simple human fuel in the 1980s to where we are now, where quality, provenance, value and taste are key drivers.”

His award was for services to the food industry and the community of Bridport. He is also a co-founder of the Discover Farming initiative, educating children about farming in the West Dorset area.

Meanwhile, Surrey farmer Ian Jones was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to the community in Dorking during the Covid pandemic.

Mr Jones runs Hill House Farm and, in the first few weeks of the pandemic, helped bring other local farmers, growers and producers together to deliver quality, sustainable food to more than 250 local homes.

Other awards

Elsewhere in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list, former Defra secretary Andrea Leadsom MP was made a dame in recognition of her political service, while David Kennedy, director-general for food, farming and animal and plant health at Defra, was made a companion of the Order of Bath.

Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency, received an OBE for services to the environment.