Two learners from Pembrokeshire have scooped prizes at this year's Land-based Learner of the Year Awards.

Margaret Johns, of Castlemorris, was named Farming Connect learner of the year and Neil Perkins, of Newport, was the runner up in the young learner category of the awards, which recognise learners of all ages who develop their careers and businesses in the Welsh land-based sector.

Margaret Johns, 49, scooped her title after taking part in a project giving Welsh farmers access to free skills advice and funded training.

Margaret used her knowledge and new-found skills to develop the farm into retail, setting up a successful business supplying horse and pet feeds from an outbuilding on the farm.

The shop sells everything from haylage bales to dog food, and the venture has grown so much, Margaret now employs one person full time and is thinking of moving into a larger building on the farm.

Neil Perkins gained a National Diploma in Agriculture and a NVQ level three in Livestock Production at the Welsh Institute of Rural Studies in 1998.

During that time he spent six months working on an arable farm in Lincolnshire. He has since gained his pesticides and sheep dip licences.

Earlier this year, Neil was awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship to study performance recording and sheep management in New Zealand where he gained invaluable experience and knowledge.

He intends to use everything he has learned to ensure he produces high quality lambs for the meat market.

The awards are run by Lantra, the skills council for the environmental and land-based sector, ELWa, the FUW, NFU Cymru and Farming Connect.

The winners were announced at last month's Royal Welsh Winter Fair, in Builth Wells.