On 1 July 2025 Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir announced the appointment of a deputy chairperson and 10 new members to the board of the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI).

Looking at the biographical details of each appointee, there is no doubt the Minister has appointed high calibre individuals who come with a wide range of skills and are well equipped to provide strategic direction to senior management within AFBI.

But at the same time, it is fair to note the lack of people now on the AFBI board with a deep knowledge of NI farming. That isn’t to offend anyone – it is just to point out there is a major difference between having a broad understanding of agriculture and actually making a substantial proportion of your living from the land.

It isn’t just the AFBI board that is missing that practical insight – the same can be said of the boards of other public sector organisations which directly impact the farming industry in NI.

But the fundamental issue behind all of this is that when it comes to appointing people onto public sector boards in NI, the process favours those who have worked in leadership roles in the civil service or other large public sector organisations. They understand the lingo and can talk through examples to include how they are able to deliver results in a changing environment and what they have done to ensure appropriate levels of corporate governance within their organisation.

However, perhaps it should also be noted that the guidance issued to public sector bodies by the Commissioner for Public Appointments refers to the importance of having diversity on boards. Looking at so many of these boards, in some ways they are diverse, but in others, they aren’t diverse at all.

A few years ago a leading representative from the meat industry who had built up a £1bn business, failed to get through the interview process for the LMC board. That should have been a flag to DAERA and other government departments that their process is flawed.