Tim Brigstocke has been presented with the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers’ Princess Royal Award by Her Royal Highness at Buckingham Palace. The honour was made for his outstanding services to the industry. Herefordshire-based Mr Brigstocke, who currently manages a livestock consultancy specialising in advising government, the supply sector and farmers, has spent his career spanning more than 30 years dedicated to the livestock industry. Highlights include managing the unification of the Holstein Friesian Society and the British Holstein Society to form Holstein UK and Ireland and restructuring the organisation and introducing a telephone registration system linked direct to BCMS.

As RABDF chairman, he established an agreed template for dairy farm costings involving all the major costings and consultancy organisations and quantifying for the first time the true costs of family labour. At IGER and BOCM Silcock/BOCM Pauls, he implemented practical and sensible technology transfer, which is now fully accepted by farmers as good practice. “I have a genuine interest in ensuring a sustainable and profitable farming sector,” he said. “I believe my role as an individual has been, and continues to be, to interpret and communicate a wide range of industry information, from R&D findings through to policy documents and offer general common sense on the way forward.” Recognised as an innovator and valued for his technical expertise across all species, Mr Brigstocke says his interests for the immediate future are focused in four main areas – as a member of the government’s England Implementation Group, to drive through its proposed Animal Health and Welfare Strategy; to encourage farmers to recognise the importance of cattle health schemes; as a director of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, to encourage hobbyists and part-time farmers into the debate on the industry’s future and, as the industry moves into the new era of producing food versus environmental goods, to help introduce new skills to help them plot the way forward.

Former Genus chairman, John Beckett, commented: “UK dairy farmers have gained immensely from Tim Brigstocke’s undivided attention and influence, when they needed it most. “He works well beyond the call of duty and I don’t know anybody who is higher qualified and more respected. I have always admired his wisdom, statesmanship and judgment but, best of all, he makes things happen.”