A SCOTTISH free range egg farmer has been named Producer of the Year in the British Free Range Egg Producers Association awards.

Donald Seed from the Woodend Partnership in Duns in the Scottish Borders won the category for units over 16,000 birds. His 32,000-bird unit was set up in 2011 and has become an integral part of the whole farming business: "We used to be an arable farm with some chickens – now we are a chicken farm with some arable," as Mr Seed himself put it.

Reducing dependence on bought-in fertiliser and a commitment to renewable energy, as well as creating additional employment and improving the conservation value of farm were all elements that impressed the judges.

BFREPA chairman James Baxter said: “There are some fantastic businesses and individuals involved in free range eggs and our aim is to celebrate those who are at the top of their game. For our sector to be profitable and sustainable we need the passion, enthusiasm and dynamism that the winners of the awards this year have demonstrated. We hope that celebrating their achievements will serve to inspire others and together free range eggs can be an even stronger sector.”

Two producer of the year awards were handed out, with the under 16,000 birds category going to Darlington father and son team David and William Maughan, who have been in egg production for 15 years, and who impressed the judges with the 'excellent image' of free range they project, with good bio-security, an appetite to innovate and a strong participation in promoting farming more widely.

The Lifetime Achievement award went to Peter Humphrey of Humphrey Feeds, a name synonymous with the poultry industry after 55 years of "relentless enthusiasm, pride and passion".

British Egg Industry Council chief executive Mark Williams also picked up an 'outstanding contribution to the industry award' for his role during the 2016/17 avian influenza housing order, when he coordinated industry stakeholders to ensure eggs from free range birds which were forced to be housed for more than 12 weeks could be over-stickered rather than being downgraded to barn eggs, potentially saving producers millions of pounds in lost revenue.