Farmers and foresters from across Wales are invited to attend the Farming Connect Wales Farmers’ Forum which will take place from 10am – 4pm on Thursday, 2 February 2017 at Hafod a Hendre, Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd.
Eirwen Williams, Director at Menter a Busnes, who deliver Farming Connect, which is funded by Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, said that the theme of the forum will be managing what you can control, despite external influences such as Brexit and fluctuating market prices, to help inspire delegates to future-proof their own businesses.
“With so much uncertainty currently facing the industry, our aim for this event, which will be chaired by Professor Wynne Jones OBE FRAgS, chair of the Farming Connect strategic advisory board, is to inspire attendees to focus on those elements of their businesses within their control.
“They will hear at first hand from a number of successful business people who are either doing that themselves or advising others on what they can do to gain that competitive edge.”
The speaker line up for the forum, which includes a number of interactive question and answer sessions, includes Sion Williams, Farm Manager at Buccleuch’s 3,786 acre Bowhill Estate on the Scottish Borders, who will give an address on efficiency improvements and market-focused changes to sheep, cattle and arable enterprises.
“How can we ride the storms”, will be the question posed by banking expert Euryn Jones, Regional Agriculture Director for HSBC whose address will focus on future-proofing farm and forestry businesses and managing volatility. Andrew Slade, Director of Agriculture, Food & Marine, Welsh Government will provide his perspective on what Brexit and devolution could mean for the agriculture industry in Wales, while leading academic Jamie Newbold, Professor of Animal Science at IBERS, Aberystwyth University, will explore the opportunities likely to arise from climate change.
In addition, three award-winning Welsh farmers who have themselves benefited from the wide range of support services available through Farming Connect, will give presentations on how they have developed their respective businesses, how they identify business needs, make decisions and implement changes. Beef and sheep farmer Richard Tudor from Llysun near Welshpool, who is also a Farming Connect demonstration farmer, was the Farmers Weekly Beef Farmer of the Year 2016; Farming Connect mentor Ben Anthony of Frowen, Whitland, was the British Farming Awards Sheep Innovator of the Year 2016; and Farming Connect mentor Eurig Jenkins from Pentrefelin near Lampeter, was British Grassland Farmer of the Year 2016.
The forum will end with updates from the Farming Connect technical team on projects and trials currently taking place across the programme’s demonstration network.
Spaces at the forum are limited, so booking is essential before the rsvp date of 26 January 2017.
You can book online at www.gov.wales/farmingconnect or email
sian.tandy@menterabusnes.co.uk or call 01970 631404.
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