The Royal Northern Agricultural Society (RNAS) has revealed the winners of its annual awards.
The society presents a number of awards every year to recognise members of the farming community in the north of Scotland.
It was unable to run the awards last year – with the exception of the student and apprenticeship prizes – due to Covid-19 restrictions, however the society has resumed the process this year and all award-winners will receive their prizes at a special lunch on November 5.
This year’s recipient of the Press & Journal award, which is given to a public figure or personality for their services to agriculture, is Jim Royan.
Mr Royan, who hails from Elgin, has had an extensive career in the butchery and red meat sector and is the current Vice-Lord Lieutenant of Moray.
This year’s winner of the local award, sponsored by ANM Group and presented to a non-public figure who has made an outstanding contribution to progress in the industry, is Sandra Buchan Lyons.
The principal teacher of science at Kemnay Academy, Mrs Buchan Lyons has worked to integrate agriculture into her teachings and developed various initiatives to bring the farm to the classroom.
The winner of the David Argo Award – presented to an unsung hero employed in the sector – is well-known Laurencekirk haulier Douglas Mitchell.
Mr Mitchell has been running his business – D F Mitchell – for almost 50 years and worked with farmers across Scotland from Fife in the south to Orkney and Shetland in the north.
Lastly, the winner of the Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) sponsored 35 Years and Under Award is Huntly pig farm manager Chloe Shorten.
The award is given to a person in that age group who has shown significant achievement and contribution to agriculture.
Ms Shorten, 22, manages an indoor pig unit with 1,100 sows while studying for a degree in agriculture part-time at SRUC.
Meanwhile, RNAS has also named the winners of its student and apprentice awards.
The winner of the student award for a farmer’s son or daughter working at home is Abbie McGillivray.
She recently completed a degree in rural business management at SRUC’s Craibstone campus on the outskirts of Aberdeen and works on her family’s livestock farm at East Auchavaich, Chapeltown, Ballindalloch,.
The winner of the award for an agricultural student working outwith the farm is Isla Dickie-Moir.
She recently graduated from SRUC with an honours degree in rural business management, and now works as an office manager at machinery dealer Ravenhill’s depot at Dyce, near Aberdeen.
Lastly, the winner of the award for an agricultural apprentice is Lewis Grieve, who hails from Turriff.
He works as an apprentice engineer at machinery company CC Powell Ltd, while studying at SRUC’s Oatridge campus.
Last year’s student and apprentice award winners will also receive their prizes at this year’s lunch.
The winners were: Ian Armstrong for the student working at home award; Anna Duncan for the student working outwith the farm award; and Robert Clarke for the apprentice award.
A limited number of tickets for the awards lunch, which takes place at Jury’s Inn at Aberdeen Airport, are available from RNAS secretary Alison Argo.
Mrs Argo can be contacted by email at secretary@rnas.info or by telephone at 07714 899628.
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