Pig industry veteran Hugh Crabtree has deservedly been awarded an MBE for services to the pig sector in the King’s Birthday Honours List.
Hugh, a founder and director of Farmex, pioneers of pig building environmental control systems, has given more than 40 years of service to the pig sector, representing the industry through various organisations, most notably NPA, groups and initiatives.
He played a part in the NPA’s formation in 1999 and was heavily involved with it for a quarter of a century until he stepped down last year. He served for many years as its Allied Industry Group chair, before becoming a vice-chairman of the association when the producer and allied industry groups merged in 2019. He was on the NPA’s board for many years and was awarded a Lifetime Fellowship of the NPA in 2019.
He is currently an AHDB board member and is heavily involved in AHDB’s environmental roadmap. He is also a key figure on the Building Suppliers Forum, which collates key information on topics like flexible farrowing, and chairs the successful Pig Industry Scholarship Programme (PISP) group, which helps young people get into the pig industry.
Prior to his NPA days, he was a key figure in the campaigning British Pig Industry Support Group that brought ‘Winnie the Pig’ to Parliament to highlight the pig industry’s plight more than 20 years ago.
He won the David Black Award in 2023 and the NPA Chris Brant Award in 2009, and won the Institute of Agricultural Engineers Award of Merit in 2023.
Hugh is also an accomplished musician and ‘founder and boss’ of Feast of Fiddles, which has toured the country for many years to packed out audiences.
Overwhelmed and humbled
Hugh said he was ‘quite overwhelmed and humbled’ by the response of industry people, friends and family to the news. “Wow, what an honour to be recognised so formally as a pig industry lifer!” he said.
NPA chief executive Lizzie Wilson: “We are absolutely delighted to see Hugh honoured in the King’s Birthday Honours List.
“It is thoroughly deserved – over the years, nobody has given more time and put in more effort to serving the pig industry in so many different ways. Congratulations, Hugh, from everybody connected to NPA!”
Hugh’s long-time friend and fellow MBE, Yorkshire pig producer Richard Longthorp said: “Massive congratulations to my old mate Hugh Crabtree on his appointment to Member of the order of the British Empire.
“Thoroughly deserved, although no mention in the citation of his skills and prowess at fiddling and blathering!”
He added that, if the awarding of honours reflects public service, then, ‘as ever the pig industry punches above its weight’ in this department as well as many others’. As well as himself and Hugh, others honoured includ John Godfrey, Stewart Houston, Ian Campbell, Digby Scott, Meryl Ward and Zoe Davies.