A beef farmer from Wiltshire has become the first woman president of the National Farmers Union in the organisation’s 110-year history.

Minette Batters defeated one opponent, Essex farmer Guy Smith, to become the most prominent farmer in the UK. Brought up on a 300-acre farm, she took over her father’s tenancy in 1998 and now owns over 300 cattle, a flock of pedigree sheep and a converted wedding venue, and also runs a home-grown produce catering business.

During the campaign, Batters said that she wanted to champion the farming industry to non-farmers and get more certainty from the government about how Brexit will affect agriculture.

“I have to say I never planned to have a career in agricultural politics,” she said. “It’s down to the encouragement and persuasion of other farmers that I am where I am today.”

BBC News has more on this story here.

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Women’s Daily Dispatch: The news you need to know on 21/2/18