A prominent East Anglian farming leader said she is "chuffed to bits" to be made an OBE for services to the pig industry.

Dr Zoe Leach, who became the East regional director for the National Farmers' Union in May 2022, was previously chief executive of the National Pig Association (NPA) - championing this key farming sector during a challenging period.

She said she was "shocked" by the OBE announcement. "For me, that sort of honour is usually given to people who have been around a lot longer than me," she said. 

"With a small organisation like the NPA you know all the members and you feel everything with them. They become part of your life. 

"All the great things that were achieved there, I couldn't have done it without the great team I had supporting me. It was a collective effort, even though I am the one receiving the honour."

After completing a PhD in pig welfare, Dr Leach worked on farms before joining Defra in 2002 to lead its livestock science unit.

She became NPA general manager in 2008 and its first chief executive in 2014.