Accolade to Mr Canola 2020

by Dr Ilse Trautmann, ilset@elsenburg.com

TThe Protein Research Foundation (PRF) awards achievements in different categories annually.

The objectives of the PRF and its predecessors, including funding of research to achieve specific objectives, date back to 1973. Before 1990, certain other objectives had to be achieved using specific funds, but they were terminated in 1989 to make way for a pure research function and related matters. The latter were determined formally in 1990, with the establishment of a research trust now known as the Protein Research Foundation (PRF). The Western Cape Department of Agriculture (WCDoA) and its Directorates of Animal and Plant Sciences have partnered with the PRF for many years. Even though it was as a partner in the advancement of protein research and use, it also received research funding over many years in support of the departmental research portfolio.

For the 2020 year, Mr Piet Lombard (scientific technician in cultivar evaluation) from the Directorate Plant Sciences received the award for his “outstanding contribution by an individual, who promotes the PRF’s objectives”. This award was not only based on his excellent research on canola, but also for his commitment to publish the popular magazine Canolafokus and author several articles on canola. “This made him a deserving candidate for this prestigious award”, said Mr Gerhard Keun, chief executive officer of the PRF.