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Obituary: Brian Pack


By David Porter

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Tributes have been paid to one of the most prominent figures in Scottish agriculture, Brian Pack, who has died at the age of 74.

In memory: Brian Pack
In memory: Brian Pack

Well known as a former chief executive of the Thainstone headquartered ANM Group, he became an influential adviser to Scottish Government and author of two major and influential farming reports.

Commissioned in 2009 the first looked at the future of farm support mechanisms while the Doing Better Initiative of 2013 sought to reduce red tape across the sector.

Richard Lochhead MSP said: "Brian was nothing short of a one-off colossus in the Scottish agri-business and rural sector with unrivalled insights into the meat industry and a sharp intelligence that led to him being an expert in farming policy and industry issues.

"That was why there was no more obvious choice to lead the inquiry I commissioned into the future of Scottish agricultural support that made the case for a distinctive policy for Scotland and that is an important part of Brian’s legacy."

Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Stewart Stevenson said: “Brian Pack was a hugely influential figure in both north-east and Scottish agriculture. "He has made an immense contribution to both the industry and to Scottish life from his management of ANM Group, to devising the annual Taste of Grampian festival, to the Pack Report for the Scottish Government into future agricultural support.

“Brian was always a good source of sage advice and will be greatly missed.

“My thoughts are with his wife Pam and sons David and Alan at this time.”

Although born and brought up in West Dunbartonshire Mr Pack spent most of his career in Aberdeenshire where he worked for many years with the Scottish Agricultural College as an economist and farm management lecturer.

From there he joined Maitland Mackie at Westerton, Rothienorman at a time when the business was expanding quickly en-route to becoming the well known food international manufacturer it is today.

He started and became a partner in Farm Data, one of the first companies in the UK to offer a computerised farm accounting package.

His next move took him to the farmer owned ANM Group and one of the biggest jobs in Scottish agriculture.

In his early years there he oversaw the move of the Aberdeen markets to a newly built complex at Thainstone on the outskirts of Inverurie.

At the same time many of the smaller ANM markets around the north-east were closed in what proved to be a controversial rationalisation programme.

Mr Pack also supervised the expansion of the group’s meat processing businesses at Scotch Premier and Yorkshire Premier.

A former member of the University Court, in 2017 he was awarded at an Honorary Doctorate by Aberdeen University and was a former governor of the Rowett Institute.

He is survived by his wife Pam and their two sons.


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