Martin Humphrey, Director of Humphrey Feeds, said: "We are delighted to announce that Anna Cutler will be joining the company on a full time basis from January 2010. Anna has been working for us part time, alongside Colin Gravatt in the South West of England, during the last two years and will continue to work exclusively in Devon and Cornwall.

"With many years experience in the industry, we are confident that both new and existing Humphrey Feeds customers will benefit from working alongside Anna and sharing her in depth technical knowledge."

Ms Cutler, who will continue to work with Colin Gravatt, is relishing the new opportunity.

She said: "The poultry industry is a very challenging industry to work in. My role will be to visit producers on farm, inspect their birds and eggs, identify potential problems, overcome technical issues and help ensure producers achieve optimum performance. The job is much more than just selling feed . It's about building relationships and having the confidence to give well reasoned and thought through technical advice.

"We are in a position to share our experience and advise producers, as well as learning from them and then passing on that knowledge and information to others. To see poultry systems performing well because of something I have suggested and helped to implement is very rewarding."

Ms Cutler has been working in the poultry industry for over ten years, and free-range specifically for the last five. She explained: "I started work at Painsford farm, near Totnes, during the 1990s, and as the farm branched out into free range poultry production I naturally moved into that side of the business."

On the long-term challenges she envisage for the industry, she added: "The layer sector is facing upheaval as we approach the cage ban in 2012, with the free range sector expanding to meet the potential shortfall. I, and my colleagues at Humphrey Feeds, will be working closely with our customers to ensure they remain competitive and profitable, without compromising on the quality of their produce or the welfare of their birds."

Humphrey Feeds Ltd is a leading independent poultry feed compounder, specialising in the free-range and organic sectors, with a dedicated team of poultry feed specialists working throughout the UK.