Farmer wins award for contribution toWelsh sheep industry

A SHEEP farmer from Powys has won an award for his contribution to the Welsh sheep industry.

Richard Roderick was presented with the John Gittins Memorial Award at this year’s Royal Welsh Winter Fair.

Mr Roderick, his wife Helen and their family farm a mixed farm of 650 acres with sheep, beef and arable at Newton Farm in the Brecon Beacons.

Judges from the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, the Welsh Mule Sheep Breeders Association and the National Sheep Association Wales said they gave Mr Roderick the award “for his innovative ways of promoting Welsh lamb and for his contribution to the sheep industry”.

Mr Roderick is no stranger to awards, having, along with his wife, been presented with the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group National Silver Lapwing Award last year and the Sheep Farmer of the Year Award from Farmers Weekly in 2015.

He said: “We are very proud to receive the John Gittins Award signifying recognition of the huge role that family farms play in the producing the world-class product that is Welsh lamb, while as the same time caring for the unique Welsh landscape in which we live.”

Newton Farm is a Farming Connect demonstration site and Mr Roderick a Farming Connect mentor with more than 30 years’ experience running an agricultural business to share with others.

He has been involved in projects looking at food-waste digestate as agricultural fertiliser and evaluating the possibility of enhancing his grain-feeding system to efficiently finish Stabiliser bull beef before 15 months of age.