New Era’s senior agricultural reporter Deon Schlechter, was awarded the prestigious Agra-sponsored “Media Personality of the Year” award at last week’s 68th Namibian Agricultural Union Annual Congress in Windhoek. The award recognises his informative and educational reporting on all agricultural issues in the various fields of the industry, on local, regional and international levels. Schlechter, a veteran in the fields of sport, agriculture and aviation, coordinates the weekly supplement in New Era called Farmers Forum, which keeps the newspaper’s readers updated on the latest developments in the agricultural sector with special emphasis on the communal and emerging farmers’ sectors. The award was handed to him during the official opening ceremony of the congress where president of the NAU Derek Wright was the keynote speaker.