Award presented in memory of Mervyn Allen

Leading rural retailer Countrywide has announced their regional sales manager, Colin Warne is the recipient of the Mervyn Allen award for 2011.

The award celebrates excellence in agriculture and is presented each year in the memory of Mervyn Allen, who died tragically at an agricultural show in 2009 whilst unloading a silo which touched overhead power lines. Mr Allen was using levers at the back of the truck to lift the silo into place when it hit the live cable.

Mr Allen worked for Countrywide and was well known in Gloucestershire where he lived and the Welsh borders where he worked, travelling the area selling feed and fertiliser to farmers.

Alistair Folly is Countrywide’s Agriculture Director "Mervyn was very well liked by everyone and nothing was ever too much trouble for him. He was very dedicated to increasing sales and working with as many farmers as possible to add value to their business, particularly in the sheep sector.

"Each year a member of the Countrywide on farm sales team is presented with the award to recognise substantial achievement in the industry. This year’s winner, Colin Warne thoroughly deserves the accolade. Colin works with farmers throughout Herefordshire and in the past 12 months has increased his sales of sheep feed by 44% which, in a year when the market has increased by about 3%, is a tremendous effort. This has been achieved alongside the launch of Countrywide’s new range of ewe and lamb feeds which aims to satisfy the nutritional requirements of today’s highly productive modern ewe.

Colin was thrilled with the award, "Mervyn was a good friend and colleague and I am delighted to win the award in his honour. He is sadly missed by all those who knew him.

"Farmers are being challenged every day to increase efficiency and my role involves helping them improve the areas where they can be more successful. Increased productivity through using the right balance of nutrition in feed is vital to that success."