Patrick Edgington was announced as the winner of the Idris Davies Memorial Award for 2016 during a ceremony at Pembrokeshire County Show on Tuesday.

A well-known and hugely respected figure in agricultural circles throughout Pembrokeshire and beyond, Patrick worked for the NFU for over 32 years up to his retirement in 2012. Having moved to Pembrokeshire from London, Patrick took up the position of county secretary of the Pembrokeshire NFU county branch in 1979, a position he held for 10 years until 1989. Following a restructure within the NFU, he moved onto various other positions in the organisation, including senior policy adviser, senior field manager and latterly as the NFU business development manager in South Wales right up until his retirement in 2012. During his time at the NFU, he helped drive the growth of the organisation and until his retirement he managed a team of 28 NFU Group Secretaries throughout south Wales and played an integral role in the recruitment and retention of NFU membership.

His achievements are numerous and varied, however chief among these was the establishment of the Pembrokeshire Potato Marketing Group Ltd in 1981 at a time when early potato growers in the county were facing massive problems as a result of low demand and in the face of an over-supplied market and increasing competition from imported produce.

Patrick was a key player in the creation of the producer co-operative and he played a leading role in the early days of the business and took responsibility for all the promotions work and press relations, sorting the merchant panel and securing the funding for the running of the business. The co-operative flourished to such an extent that in 1995 it became a private limited company and renamed as Puffin Produce Ltd which has continued to grow and expand into a multi-million pound business which now packs around 35,000 tonnes of Welsh potatoes each year, with around 125 team members now working at its headquarters in Withybush.

Dairy farmers in Pembrokeshire were heavily exposed to the introduction of EU milk quotas in 1984, particularly as many of them had expanded their businesses and taken on significant borrowing to finance this. The imposition of milk quotas was a savage blow to many farm businesses and Patrick was a huge source of help and support to many farmers in the county at this challenging time. As well as being a trusted confidant and a shoulder to cry on, he also went above and beyond the call of duty in helping many farmers find ways of re-financing their businesses and during this period he became known to every senior director of every major high street bank in the country. Through his negotiating skills, he helped find solutions for many NFU members. It was during this extremely tough period that he also established the first links of the farming community with the Samaritans charity and these links continue to this day.

From 1979 to 1990, he was the honorary treasurer for the Pembrokeshire Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs and honorary secretary to the Pembrokeshire branch of the RABI charity. He is a former chair of the Board of Governors of Milford Haven Comprehensive School and is a past board member and chairman of the Pembrokeshire Business Initiative. He has also been honored as both an Associate and a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies.

Patrick’s noteworthy achievements were recognised earlier this year when he was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to agriculture and the rural community.

Mansel Raymond, chairman of the Idris Davies Memorial Award Management Committee, said: “Patrick has made an outstanding contribution to the agricultural community in Pembrokeshire in so many ways, over so many years. He joins some excellent company in becoming this year’s winner of the Idris Davies Memorial Award.”