11/12/2002 
European Pig Producers: A great honour for Mr Bernard Gussinklo (Harreveld / NL)
Abraham M. Prins (Lellens / NL) and Benny Gussinklo (Harreveld / NL) were recently honoured with the DLG*) silver medal for international cooperation. This award was handed over by the DLG board of directors. According to their president, Baron Philip von dem Bussche, the DLG thus honoured two entrepreneurial celebrities who render outstanding services to the creation and development of an international network of European farmers as well as to the clubs of European Dairy Farmers (EDF) and European Pig Producers (EPP) and to the DLG. Von dem Bussche handed over the medals on November 11, 2002, during the EuroTier 2002 Fair at Hanover.
Bernard Gussinklo
Von dem Bussche described Gussinklo as one of the most significant creators of the institutionalisation of the experts’ talks among pig producers on an international basis. He as the first President of the European Pig Producers organisation has promoted the idea since 1990, showing great personal commitment and a very open, communicative nature. From the number of approximately 330 members from 20 countries, one can see that he was extremely successful in his efforts. Behind all those activities, there is a man who did not only pay attention to his pig farm but who – besides his presidency for the EPP – works as a broker and who contributed to the restructuring of Dutch pig production. At Rabobank (Dutch bank), Gussinklo is very active in various fields. And he has long-term contact with the DLG: He has been, for instance, a member of the committee for works management since 1990 already. But even before that, he was a frequent and very welcome guest at DLG events. He brought all his knowledge and advice into the DLG work in many ways, as for instance into the highest DLG committee: the general committee which he belongs to for some years now.
Abraham Prins
Von dem Bussche described Prins as an outstanding European dairy farmer. Prins, who was a founding member and first president of the European Dairy Farmers’ club, runs a dairy farm together with his brother and his son. Being ready to fathom out the possibilities for dairy farms by changes in the regulatory framework and to then realise them in practice, continuously searching for improvement, risking things in order to promote developments: all this distinguishes him from all others. On top of this is his readiness to expose himself to critical questions from others and then take the appropriate measures for his own acting as a result of it. Not least of all, it still goes as a guideline for the EDF members to act in a market- and product-orientated way. Many of Prins’ ideas fell on fertile ground in the EDF organisation. Today, the club – which was founded twelve years ago – has more than 300 members. Apart from that, Prins is very much committed to the DLG. He is a member of the general committee and brought his knowledge and experience into the DLG work by – for example – speaking during DLG winter conferences and DLG entrepreneurial conferences.
*) DLG = Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft = German Agricultural Society
Bernard Gussinklo
Von dem Bussche described Gussinklo as one of the most significant creators of the institutionalisation of the experts’ talks among pig producers on an international basis. He as the first President of the European Pig Producers organisation has promoted the idea since 1990, showing great personal commitment and a very open, communicative nature. From the number of approximately 330 members from 20 countries, one can see that he was extremely successful in his efforts. Behind all those activities, there is a man who did not only pay attention to his pig farm but who – besides his presidency for the EPP – works as a broker and who contributed to the restructuring of Dutch pig production. At Rabobank (Dutch bank), Gussinklo is very active in various fields. And he has long-term contact with the DLG: He has been, for instance, a member of the committee for works management since 1990 already. But even before that, he was a frequent and very welcome guest at DLG events. He brought all his knowledge and advice into the DLG work in many ways, as for instance into the highest DLG committee: the general committee which he belongs to for some years now.
Abraham Prins
Von dem Bussche described Prins as an outstanding European dairy farmer. Prins, who was a founding member and first president of the European Dairy Farmers’ club, runs a dairy farm together with his brother and his son. Being ready to fathom out the possibilities for dairy farms by changes in the regulatory framework and to then realise them in practice, continuously searching for improvement, risking things in order to promote developments: all this distinguishes him from all others. On top of this is his readiness to expose himself to critical questions from others and then take the appropriate measures for his own acting as a result of it. Not least of all, it still goes as a guideline for the EDF members to act in a market- and product-orientated way. Many of Prins’ ideas fell on fertile ground in the EDF organisation. Today, the club – which was founded twelve years ago – has more than 300 members. Apart from that, Prins is very much committed to the DLG. He is a member of the general committee and brought his knowledge and experience into the DLG work by – for example – speaking during DLG winter conferences and DLG entrepreneurial conferences.
*) DLG = Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft = German Agricultural Society
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