Malcolm Catlin has been revealed as the new project director for Plant Healthy to oversee the progress of the certification scheme and the Plant Health Management Standard, effective from 29 April.

He says that “there is an urgent need to increase the awareness and coverage of Plant Healthy across the board.”

Catlin will be working closely with Defra and other partner organisations from the Plant Health Alliance in his new role to promote and enhance plant health and biosecurity measures.

Malcolm Catlin

He has worked in horticulture for more than three decades, most recently as a consultant providing support on various aspects including plant health. He is also the chair of the Eastern Branch of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture.

“Having had experience of audits and assurance systems, of working through the recent changes to plant health procedures, and of liaising with Defra and trade bodies on access to plant health and procedural information, this role immediately appealed to me,” says Catlin.

“Everyone I know wants to do the right thing in terms of protecting plant health, but they also need support in understanding and applying the rules in an effective way, based on risk.  Plant Healthy is an ideal way of providing this support and recognising best practice.”

He will be taking over from Alistair Yeoman, who has led the initiative since its inception in 2019 and who “will continue to provide support as needed to ensure a seamless handover,” says Catlin.

Sir Nicholas Bacon, chair of the Plant Health Alliance, says Yeomans has “made a significant contribution to plant health”. He adds that Catlin’s “breadth of experience stands him in good stead for the challenge of continuing to deliver a robust programme that maintains and raises plant health standards across as much of the horticultural, arboricultural and forestry sectors and associated industries as possible.”

READ MORE ABOUT THE PLANT HEALTHY CERTIFICATION SCHEME HERE.