BELSTONE farmer Robert Lanning has won the NFU Broiler Growers Efficiency Award, for the second time.

Robert, who has a second farm near Dunkeswell, has been a contract grower for Lloyd Maunder for the last five years, and is now producing for them more than one million birds a year.

He last won the same award in 2000 when his prize was a weekend break for two in Paris.

'It's a similar prize this year, but we won't know where we are going until it is presented at Stoneleigh this week', said Robert.

'But I don't think my wife Jacqui minds where we go!'

This category of the NFU Award, sponsored by Trouw Nutrition is for units under 50,000 sq ft and is judged over three consecutive crops of birds.

A complex formula which takes into account the birds' average age, weight, mortality and the amount of food consumed, is used to decide the winner.

'You can make it with luck on one crop of 42 days, but it's much harder to keep that up for three consecutive crops,' said Robert.

He has been mad about poultry since he was a small boy, running his own flock of 100 layers when he was only ten.

'My son Edward is already showing an interest — but I think it will be a while yet before he's winning any awards.'