A pioneering north Norfolk farmer hopes to drive forward more mechanical innovations for his industry after being appointed to the board of a major machinery manufacturer.

Poul Hovesen, who manages farming operations for the Holkham Farming Company, Salle Farms Company and Raynham Farm Co, has become a director of Swedish farm machinery firm Väderstad.

He has previously held several advisory roles in East Anglian farming, including within Morley Research and Agri-Tech East Stakeholder Group, and in 2014 he won the national Farmer of the Year title.

Last year he was elected to the Royal Agricultural Society for his celebrated work within the industry, including the development of his modern seven-year crop rotation using reduced tillage and cover crops to enhance drainage and improve soil health.

Since moving to the UK from his native Denmark in 1987, Mr Hovesen said he has had the privilege of working with many creative and innovative farmers, researchers and international companies - and now he hopes to build on that work with Väderstad.

"Together we have both a practical and theoretical basis for creating new agricultural practices and technologies for the future," he said. "My ambition is to help ensure that we remain at the forefront of machine and method development for agriculture."

READ MORE: 200-year-old family business set to close after devastating fireVäderstad chairman and co-owner Crister Stark said he was "delighted" at Mr Hovesen's appointment, adding: "Our collaboration began in the early 1990s when Poul was involved in Väderstad's work on precision cultivation techniques. With his international industry experience, I am convinced that he will bring very valuable expertise to our continued global expansion."