PEMBROKESHIRE farmer Mansel Raymond has been rewarded for his outstanding contribution to the Welsh dairy industry.

On behalf of the judges, Welsh Dairy Show chairman Lynn Davies said it had beenan extremely difficult task to choose the winner of the Farmers' Union of Wales/HSBC award, as the nominations submitted were of an extremely high standard.

Mr Raymond, farms 3,400 acres near Letterston in partnership with his twin brother Meurig and their families. They have two dairy herds totalling 620 cows plus youngstock and a herd of beef cattle. Arable cropping consists of winter barley, winter wheat, oilseed rape and malting barley as well as potatoes. During the winter up to 2,000 store lambs are fattened.

Mr Raymond has been a farmer director of numerous organisations, and has held a number of positions within the NFU. He is currently the NFU England and Wales dairy board chairman, chairman of the Copa-Cogeca dairy committee (representing numerous farming organisations across Europe), sits on the EU Commission advisory group for the sector and represents Welsh and English farmers on the UK Dairy Supply Chain Forum.

In 2005 he was awarded the MBE for services to Welsh agriculture.