Union’s top officials returned in election
MEMBERS of the presidential team of the Farmers’ Union of Wales have been reelected at a special virtual meeting of the union’s council
The presidential team is democratically elected by the union’s farmer members from across all 12 county branches.
In their roles as official FUW representatives, the presidential team speaks exclusively on behalf of the farmers of Wales at local, national and international levels.
They also frequently represent the union at ministerial meetings, stakeholder workshops and local branch meetings.
The full team includes the president Glyn Roberts and deputy president Ian Rickman, as well as the vice-presidents for the north, mid and south Wales regions.
Mr Rickman is a Carmarthenshire sheep farmer, who is a past county chairman of the FUW in
Carmarthenshire, and has held the position of chairman of the hill farming and marginal land committee.
North Wales vice-president Eifion Huws is a highly respected Ayrshire cattle judge and dairy farmer, who has been representing the dairy industry in the hope of acquiring better conditions and prices for farmers.
Mid Wales vice-president Brian Bowen farms a mixed suckler cow and hill sheep unit near Tredegar.
The farm consists of 150 acres of owned land, with a further 1000 rented acres and 1,200 acres of common rights on three separate commons.
He runs the farm, along with his father, mother and son.
Mr Bowen served as FUW Brecon and Radnor vice-chairman from 2008 and was elected as its county chairman in 2010.
He has been the Brecon and Radnor delegate on the FUW livestock, wool and marts committee since 2009 and currently serves as its vicechairman.
South Wales vice-president Dai Miles is a Pembrokeshire dairy farmer and chairman of the milk and dairy produce committee.
He is also one of the four founding directors of Calon Wen, an organic milk co-operative that not only sells on its members’ milk to processors but has created its own brand of dairy products which are available through all major retailers in Wales and UK wide via distributors.
In 1997, in partnership with his wife Sharron, he took on the tenancy of Barnsley Farm, a 143-acre farm in west Wales.
At the time it was a stock/arable unit, which they converted into an organic dairy unit starting with 33 cows and leased milk quota.
In 2001 they took on a further 90 acres of pasture land and then in 2005 the neighbouring farm within the same estate.
At the moment the couple have 120 cows and 65 youngstock. Cropping is mainly grass, however arable silage, forage rape and fodder beet are part of the rotation farming around 300-plus acres.
FUW president Mr Roberts said: “I’m grateful to have such a strong team representing our members in every region of Wales.
“We face some big challenges in the months and years ahead but I am confident that together we can advance and protect Wales’ family farms, both nationally and individually, in order to secure thriving, sustainable family farms here in Wales – which has always been our mission and vision – and we will continue to do everything we can to keep our farmers farming.”