A SUFFOLK duck farm worker has scooped a top flight award at a House of Commons ceremony.

James Newman, who works manages a large duck rearing unit at Northfield Farm at Gressingham Foods, of Debach near Woodbridge, was presented with a 2011 Pfizer Trainee of the Year Award in the poultry section by farming Minister Jim Paice at an event this week

The pig award went to Christopher Rose from Worksop in Nottinghamshire who is now assistant manager on an 850-sow weaner production farm.

The awards, which each include a �2000 training grant, are sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health in conjunction with the journals Pig World and Poultry World

Judges were impressed by the way James had taken a wide range of courses while working for Green Label Farms, building on the NVQ Level 3 in poultry production he had gained as top student of the year at Easton College in Norfolk in 2005.

“James has a clear vision of where he wants to be in the medium term — helping to co-ordinate the contract farms for Green Label — and how he could get there with further training in staff management,” they said.

James, who has been with the company for 10 years, previously scooped an award from Easton College in Norfolk for his outstanding NVQ.