Aberdeenshire farmer Andrew Connon has been elected as the new president of NFU Scotland (NFUS).
The farmers’ union chose him ahead of Alasdair Macnab from Dingwall.
Andrew will now lead NFUS through one of the most important spells in its history.
The 59-year-old farms in partnership at North Quilquox, near Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
Activities on its 370 acres include finishing cattle, breeding and finishing sheep, and growing spring barley.
Aberdeenshire family affair
Helping out on the farm are Andrew’s wife, Pauline, son Andrew and daughter Sarah.
After graduating from Aberdeen University with an honours degree in general agriculture, Andrew joined farm management and advisory services company Velcourt.
He worked for the firm as a trainee farm manager in south-east England before returning home to a role in Aberdeenshire.
Past roles in finance
He then embarked on a commercial career in agricultural finance, firstly with NWS Bank and then JCB Finance.
In 1999 he joined the family-owned machinery business of AM Phillip, initially as a branch manager before becoming a director and then dealer principal until the business was sold in 2018.
He went on to work for online marketplaces SellMyLivestock and Graindex for four years.
Longstanding member of union’s New Deer branch
Currently, Andrew does some landowner engagement work for a local company.
He is a long-standing member and former chairman of NFUS’ New Deer branch.
He also represented the union’s north-east regional board for several years, filling the posts of vice-chairman, in 2017, and then chairman, in 2020.
Climbing the union’s ranks
In February 2021 he was elected as a vice-president of NFUS.
He was re-elected in February 2023 and returned unchallenged in February 2024.
His elevation to president came after a vote among members and was announced at the union’s annual conference in Glasgow earlier today.
Amid handshakes galore from NFUS members from all over Scotland, Andrew told The Press and Journal he felt “privileged and honoured”.
He added: “This is a fantastic organisation in a fantastic industry.
“I’m looking forward to working with the new presidential team. We’ve a lot of work to do.”
Union’s new president already has some very taxing issues in his in-tray
Challenges facing the new leadership team include planned changes to inheritance tax.
Chancellor Reeves revealed in her Autumn Budget she’d be slashing valuable reliefs.
Future generations of family farmers will be hit with potentially crippling inheritance tax bills from April 2026.
But the UK’s farming unions have vowed to fight the changes.
“There can be no let-up on this,” Andrew said, adding: “We need to bring the Westminster government to the table to properly discuss the inheritance tax issue.”
The position of NFUS president was voted on by the union’s council, with the successful candidate elected for an initial two-year term. Andrew takes over the role from Perthshire farmer Martin Kennedy, who has been president for the past four years – the maximum term.
Andrew will be supported by two new vice-presidents, Duncan Macalister, who farms on the Kintyre peninsula, and Scottish Borders-based Robert Neill.
Trophy for north-east journalist
Highlights of the two-day NFUS conference and dinner included a trophy being presented to veteran north-east agricultural journalist Eddie Gillanders.
It marked his retirement from reporting after almost 60 years.
Eddie, who celebrates his 82nd birthday this month, got a standing ovation when he went up to collect his Ambassador Award. He was joined at the presentation by his wife, Marion, and their grandson, Aaron.
Conversation