After almost two decades in the industry, a livestock adviser has been recognised in the prestigious Farmers Weekly awards.

David Howard, head of dairy at Wynnstay, was named a finalist in the livestock adviser of the year category for his work encouraging farms to become more sustainable in their milk production.

Mr Howard has been a livestock adviser for 18 years, four of which have been with Wynnstay, which is based in Llansantffraid on the Powys-Shropshire border.

He currently advises 26 clients, half of which have now cut soya completely from their diets, reducing input costs as well as the environmental impact due to deforestation and transport costs associated with soya production.

Sian Probert, head of marketing at Wynnstay, said: "We are so excited to be recognised in such a prestigious award.

"It is so important that successes both among farmers and the supply chain are acknowledged and commended."

Mr Howard added: "I am passionate about helping farmers to increase herd productivity while managing volatile feed costs at the same time as meeting consumer demand over farming’s environmental footprint.

"It’s a constant challenge but scientific understanding of cow nutrition is improving all the time, and it’s a privilege to be able to pass that on to my farming clients."

Mr Howard's being named as a finalist comes after he helped Mark Lovatt, of Oak Lodge Farm in Leicestershire, to his win of the Feed Efficiency Award at the 2023 Cream Awards.