David Black Award winner Ian Campbell.

Mr Campbell was presented with the award at a ceremony at the House of Lords in London.

The Citation for the award read: "Ian Campbell has had a long and illustrious career in the English pig production sector. He started in the animal feed sector before moving into pig genetics with United Pig Breeders. Ian rose to national prominence with his involvement with the British Pig Industry Support Group and subsequent involvement with the formation of the National Pig Association, for which he became Regional Manager. He has worked tirelessly for individuals and family farm businesses particularly during animal disease outbreaks.

"He is a fellow of the Royal Agricultural College and a member of the National Fallen Stock Company as well as numerous local organisations in Suffolk. He was awarded an MBE in 2008.

"Ian 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."

Mr Campbell started as a chocolate salesman for the Cadbury company but then entered the pig industry when he moved to Suffolk in 1970 as started selling animal feed.

He 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.

He began taking an interest in the political side of the industry when the British Pig Industry Support Group was formed.

Mr Campbell said: "I was approached by a couple of producers who were worried about the impact the BPISG activity might have on their businesses - fear of what retailers might do.

"They wanted me to be the fall guy and I accepted. I was very angry because retailers had led the industry down the garden path over stalls and tethers, then as a result of currency changes went and bought cheap foreign pig meat rather than the home-produced standard they had demanded.

"I joined the NPA soon after it was formed as regional chairman for East Anglia and then became Regional Manager. In 2000 there was an outbreak of Classical Swine Fever on my patch.

"I did most of the linkage between the industry and Government and then when FMD broke out I was doing the same with Defra."

On winning the David Black Award, said: "I am genuinely thrilled. 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."

In his acceptance speech during the awards ceremony, Mr Campbell expressed concern that the needs of the British pig industry had not been fully appreciated in some sections on the British parliament.

And he called for a period of stability for the industry.

He called for a database of the industry to be started at once and said that there had to be a greater co-operation and understanding between the industry and government as well as a greater involvement of government within the industry.

He said that an early warning scheme to alert the industry over infectious diseases should be established.

And he added that the industry needed to take account of the welfare lobbyists and the lobbyists also had to understand the position of the pig industry.