A Worcestershire dairy farmer has been elected as the new chairman of the NFU West Midlands Regional Advisory Board.

Michael Oakes was elected at a board meeting last month and will serve in the post for the next twelve months.

"I am very much looking forward to my year as chairman of the board and helping the NFU tackle the many challenges facing the agricultural industry,"said Mr Oakes.

"With a new regional director in position and a new policy adviser covering some of the counties in the region, this is a fresh and positive time to be taking over the post.

"I am looking forward to helping the board further develop its strategy for agriculture in the region during the coming year and implementing its key elements.

"We have also conducted a communications review which aims to combine examples of best practice from other NFU regions with further development of the things that we are doing well in the West Midlands.

"We will be reviewing the results of that at our next meeting and that will give us fresh impetus in the new year."

Mr Oakes has also pledged to help the board become more positive and direct in its leadership of the West Midlands region during the coming year.

"I want to continue the excellent work done under Elwyn Maddy's chairmanship in the past year by helping the board to be more proactive in its leadership of the region," he added.

The 37-year-old has lived at Beacon Farm, just off the Alvechurch Highway between Bromsgrove and the M5 for 19 years.

He has previously lived in both Shropshire and Staffordshire as well as once owning a herd of pedigree Herefords, which won him supreme champion at the Shropshire and West Mid Show.

He feels his background gives him the ability to look at farming from a broader West Midlands perspective which he hopes to put to good use in facing the challenges of the year ahead.

Michael runs Beacon Farm in partnership with his dad Trevor, who is the former chairman of the NFU's Bromsgrove branch. The pair have 150 dairy cows and the herd is fed from 100 acres of maize grown on the farm.

Phillip Robinson, who farms at Madeley in Staffordshire, was re-elected vice-chairman of the board.