A hugely influential farmer who once headed up the National Farmers' Union (NFU) as its president has become chairman of the board at Suffolk's biggest ring-fenced arable operation.

Sir Peter Kendall - NFU president from 2006 to 2014 - now heads up the board at Elveden Farms - part of the Elveden Estate near Thetford - the largest ring-fenced arable farm in lowland Britain. 

Non-executive director Lindsay Dodsworth - formerly a partner at accountancy giant EY - has also been recruited to the board.

Sir Peter Kendall (Image: Sonya Duncan)

They replace former board chairman Robin Howard and board member Hadleigh entrepreneur and farmer James Buckle who retired from the board at the end of September.

The 22,500-acre estate - more than 10,000 acres of which is farmland - is owned by descendants of Dublin brewery founders the Guinness family. 

The land at Elveden was transformed for agricultural use in 1927 by the great great grandson of the Guinness brewery founder,  Rupert Guinness.

Today it is owned by Rupert's grandson, Edward, the Earl of Iveagh.

He recruited Andrew Blenkiron earlier this year as managing director of the estate. Lisa Bowman also sits on the board as director of finance and corporate services.

Sir Peter - a fifth-generation arable farmer from Eyeworth in East Bedfordshire - is a farming heavyweight who is also a past chairman of farmers' levy board the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

He expressed delight at his latest role. "It's really exciting," he said. "I was flattered and honoured to be appointed."

The estate combined "cutting-edge productive agriculture" with a strong commitment to the environment - something he strongly believed in, he added.

"They are also doing some really great pioneering stuff on environmental management which I think to our customers is going to be increasingly important," he said.

Elveden grows a host of crops including potatoes and onions. He would be providing strategic guidance to Andrew Blenkiron and the "excellent" management team, he said. 

"It's exciting to bounce ideas off other people," he said. The addition of Lindsay who comes from a "very distinguished career in the accounting world" added to the strength of the team, he said.

On his own family farm in East Beds, with the contract farming he looks after around 3,000 acres of arable and produces 350,000 broiler chickens.

"I'm passionate about farming and despite doing all I have done in the political world I describe myself as a productionist - I love producing things on farm," he said. "It's what I'm excited about - and the potential to do the environmental side."

Although not from Suffolk - he has stuck with the family farm - his cousin, William Kendall is an organic farmer at Maple Farm, Kelsale, near Saxmundham. He talks to him a lot, he said.

"We will need every ounce of technology we have and knowledge from all systems of farming to feed a growing population," he said. Farming was also "right at the heart" of the solutions needed to tackle climate change, he added.

"We have no choice but to make farming the solution to the problem because we need to eat," he said. "I see absolutely no sense in shrinking British agriculture."

Ms Dodsworth, a chartered accountant who lives outside Cambridge, said Elveden was a very large farm operation.

Lindsay Dodsworth (Image: Sonya Duncan)

"It's huge. The sheer size of the farm - I know it's the largest lowland farm in the UK. You can read that but until you have driven from one end to the other you don't realise quite how vast it is.

"The farming side of things has got some very very good people who know what they are doing. It's very thoughtful in the way it's being run."

She would be coming at her role completely independently, she said, and seeing things from a corporate governance perspective as well.

"I'm looking forward to it. It's a privilege to be able to visit the farm and see what's going on there."

Edward Iveagh - who chairs of the family strategic board whose business investments includes Elveden Farms Ltd - welcomed the new recruits.

“This is a very exciting time for Elveden and with its strong leadership team led by Andrew Blenkiron and with the wealth of experience we have on the board it is very well placed to strongly grow its existing businesses as well as to take full advantage of any new opportunities which present themselves." 

Robin Howard also warmly welcomed Peter and Lindsay, saying they would bring a wealth of business and professional experience to the board.

Managing director Andrew Blenkiron said: "The Elveden business is in a robust position in its various marketplaces and shall pursue all opportunities with our local and national business partners, this will be greatly assisted by the two new board members.  

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Robin and James for their considerable input into the business over the last few years.”