Farmers' Union of Wales president Gareth Vaughan - who retires today (Friday June 17) after eight years in the post - received the union's annual internal award for his services to the agricultural industry during the organisation's annual general meeting in Aberystwyth.
Mr Vaughan was elected North Wales member of the FUW's national finance and organisation committee in 1998 before being elected vice president in 2000, deputy president in June 2002 and president in June 2003.
His term in office has seen two outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, a devastating rise in bovine tuberculosis and a slump in farm incomes.
Paying tribute to him, FUW deputy president Emyr Jones said: "Gareth has been a towering presence within the FUW. He has represented us with great dignity and forcefulness during private meetings with Government Ministers and officials and at public engagements throughout Wales.
"He is a true champion of farming and a true champion of the FUW," added Mr Jones.
About his term in office, Mr Vaughan said many of the problems of the past eight years will remain on the agenda of the farming world.
"No-one could have predicted that we would live through two spells of foot-and-mouth and so many other animal health issues including the arrival of Bluetongue for the first time.
"Bovine TB was not really talked about eight years ago but now it's a serious problem in some parts of Wales."
Mr Vaughan runs a traditional beef and sheep unit at Cwmyrhiwdre Farm, Dolfor, near Newtown, in partnership with his wife of over 40 years, Audrey, and 13 years ago his daughter Catherine and son-in-law Brian joined the business.
Speaking about his retirement as president, Mr Vaughan said: "I will be getting my hands a bit dirty again and I've always enjoyed training sheepdogs and shooting so I'll be doing more of that.
"All my family are on the farm with me and we are very fortunate that we see our grandchildren every day," he added.
Born in Llanidloes in 1941, Mr Vaughan attended Manledd Primary and Llanidloes High Schools. He was chairman of the union's Newtown branch in 1988-89, Montgomeryshire county chairman from 1991-93 and has also represented the county on the union's grand council and land use and parliamentary committee, the British Wool Marketing Board, the Meat and Livestock Commission liaison committee and the Agricultural Dwellinghouse Committee.
Mr Vaughan was awarded the MBE in the 2011 New Year Honours List for services to agriculture and stated he was proud to accept the honour on behalf of all staff within the union who carry out such dedicated work.
He added that he owed a great deal to Llangurig YFC, which he joined after leaving school at 15, and the FUW, both of which "have been there for me" after "wasting so much of my school days".