A former director of the Holkham estate will return to Norfolk's rural business community to take the helm of the UK's largest agricultural buying group.

David Horton-Fawkes has been appointed as the new chief executive of AF Group, formerly known as Anglia Farmers and based at Honingham Thorpe outside Norwich.

As well as a spell as estate director at the Earl of Leicester's diverse countryside estate at Holkham, Mr Horton-Fawkes has also previously worked at the Lowther Estate in Cumbria and is currently chief executive of Gascoyne Estates, managing a portfolio of land, property, leisure and venture capital investments including assets in London, Berlin, Dorset, Hertfordshire and Australia.

He said he was excited by the prospect of another significant role within East Anglia's farming industry as it faces up to challenges including the phasing out of EU support subsidies after Brexit, and competing in the new trading environment currently being negotiated by the government.

"I am grateful to the chairman and the board for giving me the opportunity to lead AF at a time when farming is facing a turbulent future and when all businesses must be alert to change driven by technology, climate and social attitudes," he said. "The role is a huge and exciting challenge and I am determined to make a positive difference for AF, its employees and its members."

AF chairman Nigel Savory said Mr Horton-Fawkes' career background gave him a strong understanding of both large and small farming businesses as well as the increasingly diversified rural economy.

"David is a proven leader with an enviable track record of business growth," he said. "Having someone at the helm of our business who not only understands farming but can also help navigate the headwinds the industry is about to face was hugely important to the board. Therefore, we are incredibly excited about the future of AF and the value we can offer to farm businesses across the UK under David's leadership.

Mr Horton-Fawkes will replace current AF Group chief executive Jon Duffy, who announced in November that he would be stepping down from the role this summer as he seeks to spend more time with his family in Nottinghamshire.

Since joining the group in March 2017, Mr Duffy has been instrumental in restructuring and refocusing the procurement co-operative, which sources more than £275m of goods every year for more than 3,500 shareholder members.

The business saw significant growth during his tenure as chief executive, and last year was able to return around £1.6m in rebates.