Dan Browne, one of the leading figures in the Irish meat industry, has received a special award from the Agricultural Science Association (ASA) for his outstanding contribution to the profession of agriculture and to the agriculture and food industry over the past 50 years. He was presented with the ASA Distinguished Member Award at the association's annual conference in Galway.

From a farming background in Douglas, Co Cork, Dan Browne started his career as a research scientist. After graduating from UCD in 1959 with a degree in agricultural science, he joined the newly established agricultural research institute, An Foras Talúntais.

His first posting was at the grassland research centre at Johnstown Castle in Wexford. In late 1959, he moved back to his native Cork and was given the task of developing a national dairy research centre on a derelict farm at Moorepark, outside Fermoy. He was the third scientist to be recruited to Moorepark and was central in building a world-class centre there over the following 15 years.

Acknowledging his phenomenal contribution to the development of the dairy industry, ASA President, Elaine Farrell said milk output was a little over 100 gallons an acre when Moorepark was established.

"The pioneering work of Dan Browne and his colleagues in Moorepark was vital in transforming dairy farming into the competitive and sophisticated business it is today. He not only developed the new science and technology, he also communicated it with enthusiasm and conviction to dairy farmers.His communications skills received national recognition and in the early- 1970s he presented a series of television programmes on dairying on RTE", said Elaine Farrell.

In 1974, he left the world of research and joined the meat industry, becoming manager of the Cork Marts - IMP plant at Midleton. In 1980, he set up Dawn Meats with the Queally family in Waterford, as managing director of the company, a position he held for the following 27 years. Under his leadership, Dawn quickly developed into one of Ireland's leading meat companies with plants in Ireland, the UK and France.

In tandem with his busy life as a leading meat industry executive, he also played an important part in the development of the farming and food industry. He was chairman of Teagasc from 1993 to 1998, a member of the board of An Bord Bia and, earlier this year, he was appointed chairman of Bord Bia. He is also long-serving member of the Agricultural Trust, publisher of the Irish Farmers Journal.

The ASA Distinguished Member award is sponsored by AIB.