Animal nutrition and forage preservation company, Volac, has announced a new global forage appointment.

Dr. Mark Leggett will take up the role of global technical manager for forage.

The new role will see him continuing with research and development (R&D) in a more strategic capacity, as well as taking on added responsibility providing technical support to Volac’s customers as well as regional technical and sales staff.

He will also support the manufacturing side of the business to ensure the company’s silage additives meet strict standards, and provide training on Volac forage products.

Originally joining Volac in 2014, Dr. Leggett was previously a molecular biologist for the company, conducting research and development on silage production methods and the company’s range of silage additives.

Commenting on his new role, Dr. Leggett said: “As farmers look to increase milk and meat production from home-grown forage as a way of farming more sustainably, there is a real need to make the best possible silage.

“As well as techniques such as good clamp management, the use of scientifically-proven additives to reduce dry matter losses and protect silage nutritional quality will play an increasingly important role.

Prior to joining Volac, Dr. Leggett was at Cardiff University where he undertook his PhD in microbial ecology, followed by three years of post-doctoral research developing antimicrobial compounds.

Commenting on the new appointment, Volac head of R&D and technical, Sophie Parker-Norman, said:

“Dr. Leggett’s knowledge base is a great asset to our global technical team and his appointment in this role will support Volac strategic aspirations to be technically leading in both product development and support.”