The winner of this year’s NPA Chris Brant Award is Jonathan French, key accounts manager for national feed compounder BOCM PAULS in the south of England. The award is presented annually to someone who goes the extra mile for the British industry.
Several west country pig producers nominated Jonathan French. “He is the hardest working, most committed, caring individual you could possibly wish to have associated with your pig business,” said one.
Another said: “I appreciate he has a vested interest in us paying our feed bills, but his help and advice goes further than that. When we had a fire over a year ago he was at my farm at 6.15 in the morning, to help me out”.
And another said: “He is pioneering — organising seminars with international speakers and taking farmers around Europe to open their eyes to the latest best-practice. He’s always at the end of the phone on evenings and weekends and is desperate for his farmers to improve and succeed”.
Announcing the winner, NPA chairman Richard Longthorp said Jonathan French typified the high calibre of people serving the British pig sector.
“I am flattered to receive the Chris Brant award, particularly as it is run and judged by pig producers’ own organisation, the NPA, and is judged by pig producers themselves,” Mr French said. “This is an outstanding industry to work in and I pay tribute to all the decent, hard-working pig-keepers I have the privilege to work with in my job.”