Richard Evison
Westpork – Western Australia
Richard Evison has pork farming in his blood. One of three boys, Richard’s father started his own pig farm in the UK. While Richard always thought he would end up back on the family farm, his early jobs after college took him all over the world including a short stint in Greece. It gave him a taste for exploring the pork industry across the globe, later to Canada and eventually to Australia.
After settling in Western Australia in 2003, Richard joined Westpork in 2009 and currently holds the position of General Manager – Pork Production. Westpork has seven locations with multiple pig farms across Western Australia.
The biggest drawcard for the pork industry for Richard is the fact that the industry is ever changing and has allowed him to travel the globe. As the scale of Richard’s work has increased, he has found a great passion for rising to each new challenge including environmental sustainability, safety and welfare. As the business grows, the diversity of his role has meant that his career has never been dull.
Richard has a passion for biosecurity, particularly when it comes to feral pigs. With the development of the National Feral Pig Action Plan, which was developed independent of government, he currently sits on the Plan’s Implementation Committee. He has worked with many farmers and experts, both in the pork industry and beyond, to work collaboratively in mitigating the risk that feral pigs pose to the environment and commercial agriculture enterprises.