The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) has announced that His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is to receive the Society's National Agricultural Award for 2009.

In its citation, the RASE Awards Committee describes His Royal Highness as "a farmer, who clearly cares about the British countryside and the welfare of those who live and work in it." It also praises the fact that he has acted as a catalyst to facilitate change, generate debate and raise ‘minority' interests in agriculture and rural communities.

The citation highlights The Prince's work as the driving force behind four practical initiatives as part of the Business in the Community's Rural Action Programme, in particular food, farming and local sourcing, Affordable Rural Housing, Strengthening Trading Conditions for Market Towns and Rural Enterprise.

"Through some of his many other initiatives HRH has encouraged partnership and has worked to improve communication within the industry as well as between farmers and the general public," says the citation.

The RASE Awards Committee highlights particularly Mey Selections, part of the North Highland Initiative - helping farmers in the north of Scotland create a recognised brand for their, mostly meat, produce. They noted similar initiatives for farmers in the Peak District and Cumbria and pointed out that his own Duchy Originals had been a hugely successful brand and acted as a blueprint for others. HRH was also a driving force behind Mutton Renaissance - an initiative to boost mutton sales and help support sheep farmers income.

As well as being an Honorary Trustee of the Society, The Prince is Patron of a number of organisations closely linked with the RASE, including the Year of Food and Farming, Farm Crisis Network and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

The Prince has also been active behind the scenes in both official and unofficial patronage of the Society's charitable work. HRH gave considerable practical support to farmers and others affected by the more recent foot and mouth outbreaks.