In pictures: Princess Royal learns about crop science in NIAB visit
Her Royal Highness Princess Anne paid a visit to NIAB, the crop science organisation in Histon, and picked up some farming tips on Tuesday (October 10).
She was met at the Sophi Taylor Building at NIAB Park Farm by Deputy Lord-Lieutenant Caroline Bewes, who served as High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire in 2021-22.
Giving Her Royal Highness a tour of the premises were Professor Mario Caccamo, NIAB’s CEO, Dr Lydia Smith, project lead at NIAB, and Professor Peter Gregory.
Ros Lloyd, NIAB’S head of communications, said the day went “very well”, adding that the Princess Royal “was really interested in what we were doing here”.
She continued: “Once she had met everybody, she went into the workshop. There were about 60 delegates here, they came from across the industry, government and academia. They were all talking about under-utilised crops and minority crops.”
Ros noted that the princess requested to come to the workshop and see what was happening at NIAB “as she is a farmer and estate manager herself”.
She said: “What we’re talking about are crops that aren’t necessarily mainstream in the UK at the moment, like your wheat and your barleys, but crops that could become more popular in the future.”
The princess, who also went into the glasshouse and saw demonstrations of some of these new crops, spoke for more than 10 minutes, summarising some of what the four speakers who had spoken prior to her had discussed.
“She talked about her experience going and looking at agriculture in rural communities around the world,” said Ros, “her work with some of the charities that are involved in trying to feed the world – particularly she mentioned Save the Children – as well as her own experience on her own estate in the Cotswolds.”
For more information on NIAB, visit niab.com.