1950 – 1975
The Pea Pickers and Pea Packers Association was formed in 1975, representing processors & users of British-produced pulse crops in the UK and worldwide.
Michael Shuldham
President of Pulses UK
Having grown up surrounded by agriculture in South Yorkshire I went on to study Agribusiness at Harper Adams University, during which time I worked for a major UK merchant; gaining experience of seed and fertiliser markets, commodity trading, and logistics. After graduating in 2018 I continued to work on an arable farm in the UK and in the Swiss Alps before starting a new role on the commercial team at LS Plant Breeding.
Pulses have an enormous capacity to help solve some of the greatest challenges facing the UK and wider world including climate change, biodiversity loss, volatile food supply and poor air and water quality, whilst being economically viable and a source of high quality nutrition. For these reasons there is a huge future for pulses in agriculture, supply chains and diets.
We have an opportunity to help pulses realise that future, and with the wealth of knowledge and expertise of our member organisations, I’m looking forward to working with James to promote pulses as the versatile and important crops that they are.
Will Ringrose
Vice-President of Pulses UK
I am the Head of Oilseeds and Human Consumption Pulses at ADM Agriculture. My role within the business is to strengthen our links within the UK pulse supply chain. This includes increasing consumer engagement in UK pulses and increasing supplier confidence in not only growing pulses but having access to the right markets.
I grew up in rural Lincolnshire surrounded by the local farming community, I was also lucky enough spend a lot my youth on the family arable farm in south Lincolnshire. Following school I went on to study Business Management and Marketing at Harper Adams University, during which I spent a year in industry working for Gleadell Agriculture in Lincolnshire. It was at this time I got a real feel for how farming linked with the end consumer. Once I graduated I re-joined the industry and worked for ADM Direct. A number of years later I am pleased to still be working for ADM now managing the national portfolio for Oilseeds and Human consumption pulses.
Having only worked in the pulse industry for a few years I have noticed the knowledge base and resources we have available to our industry. Harnessing those resources, I believe will offer significant value to the supply chain at a time where the agricultural industry will be going through a period of change.
Its noticeable that our suppliers are having to change their growing practices each season due to climate change, loss of available agronomic products which impacts the viability of growing pulses here in the UK. One of our goals is to increase awareness of how these changes are affecting our UK supply chain and highlight the many benefits of UK pulses to our ever growing end consumer market. Furthermore, as consumer trends change brings further demand for protein products and product diversification. Working with our end consumers we are able to identify and develop market opportunities to help increase supply chain engagement.
