New global forage role for Dr Mark Leggett at Volac

17 November 2021

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 Ecosyl range of silage additives.

His new global role will see him continuing with research and development in a more strategic capacity, as well as taking on added responsibility providing technical support to Volac’s customers and Volac’s 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.

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.

“Volac is a technically-led company. We remain committed to our goal of producing the best products, underpinned by the best research, and to ensuring our customers are supported in their best use.”

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 Mark’s new role, 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.”

Meet the Volac team that are helping farmers make better silage!

One of the biggest challenges in making great silage is that the conditions are always changing! It makes it very difficult to compare one clamp to another and to figure out what went well, and what needs improvement. There are however huge clues in the clamp that point to your current process, and the quality of the silage produced.

Our dedicated team of Ecosyl Silage Experts can help interpret this information, by looking at the physical characteristics of the silage and the clamp, and by looking at silage analysis data to understand the feed quality of what is produced.

Find out more about our team here or contact us.