Lord Rooker presents the award to David Perrin

Mr Perrin, who lives at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, worked for Cobb, one of the world's leading poultry breeders, for almost 40 years and was its European technical manager until his retirement.

He was presented with the distinguished service award by Lord Rooker, Defra Minister of State and Deputy Leader of the Lords, at a ceremony in the Commons members' dining room this week.

Mr Perrin began working for Cobb in 1965 in the early years of the UK broiler industry, initially managing breeder farms in the UK and Ireland, latterly at the Cobb pedigree unit near Southwold before joining the company's technical service team in 1980 , providing support for customers.

Edward Wright, chairman of the BPC, stated: "David was well respected in the UK and European poultry industries. and that his advice still remains in practice today on many farms throughout the European poultry industry."

He specialised in providing technical advice to Cobb's grandparent and parent stock customers and, he added, was the man 'tasked with taking issues on the chin' at the UK's Pig and Poultry Fair.

He and his wife Marion have a daughter Nina and son Giles, who were both at the ceremony. In retirement Mr Perrin is able to spend more time sea angling and has taken on an allotment.