The awards recognise the importance now placed on workplace training as producers meet ever higher standards of food safety and animal welfare while competing in an increasingly global market.

The Pfizer Pig Trainee-of-the-Year Award, organised jointly with the monthly journal Pig World and the National Pig Association, follows a similar award which the company has sponsored for the Agskills group of pig producers for the past five years. The new national training scheme launched this year is based on the model developed by Agskills.

The award for the poultry industry is being organised with the monthly journal Poultry World, whose readers will have the opportunity to play their part in selecting the winner.

The main prize for each award is a tailor-made training programme to the value of £2000, with the winner able to choose what would most benefit their career.

"There are many dedicated and talented people working with pigs and poultry and this is an opportunity for them to add the award to their CV in helping to further their careers," says Emmeline Randall, Pfizer Animal Health product manager.

"Pfizer has always taken great pride - and pleasure - in sponsoring the Agskills award as it represented everything that is good about the industry, and now we are delighted to introduce the new awards on a national scale."