But once he got out of selling chocolate and came into the pig industry, he really made his mark and it was his hard work and dedication which led judges to make him this year’s recipient of the David Black Award.

He was presented with his award yesterday (Wed) by Food and Farming Minister Jane Kennedy at an industry breakfast held at the House of Lords.

Ian, 65 moved to his Suffolk home in 1970 when he started selling animal feed.

He also worked with United Pig Breeders for 17 years, then left to set up his own AI equipment and consultancy firm, Unitron. He also worked with a local landowner with a nucleus breeding unit which he ran till 1999.

His foray into the political side began shortly after the British Pig Industry Support Group was formed.

He said: “I am genuinely thrilled to win the David Black Award. It is an accolade which I appreciate because it is from my peers.

“There are many people out there who are not as noisy as some about their achievements but are doing fantastic jobs without attracting attention.”

Looking back over his life in the pig industry, Ian reckons he is almost a bit of a fraud as he has truly enjoyed everything he has done. He comes from a non-farming background but always wanted to get into the practical side of agriculture and this he achieved but went far beyond simply working in pig production.

He said: “I believe my skill lies in words and conveying the appearance of knowing what I am talking about.

“I have some ability to find the right words to encourage others to do what is necessary. I have had a huge amount of satisfaction from what I have done.”

He was chosen by a panel of judges chaired by BPEX Chief Executive Mick Sloyan who said: “Ian has worked tirelessly for individuals and family farm businesses particularly during animal disease outbreaks.

“He has made a significant contribution to the pig sector above all through his ability to communicate not only with producers but also with partners in the supply chain, welfare groups, government officials, international organisations and many others.”