Mr Saunders is agricultural director of Tulip, the UK’s largest vertically integrated pig production, slaughtering and processing business.

His responsibilities include overseeing BQP, the largest UK pig production business covering 250 farms predominantly in East Anglia covering all aspects from grain supply to the abattoir and the sourcing of pigs for Tulip’s four slaughter facilities.

Mr Saunders said: "I am very pleased to be appointed to the Board of BPEX. I look forward to contributing in whatever way I can using the experience I have gained from my involvement across the whole pig supply chain.

"We face challenging but opportunistic times in the pig industry. It is essential the English pig industry works closely together to maximise the returns for producers and processors via the many channels which use our high quality pig meat."