page 18_Layout 1 24/04/2019 16:39 Page 18 1 8 o NEWS


The British Farmin 2 0 1 9 aren w o enp !


THE search to find UK food and farming’s unsung heroes has been launched as the British Farming Awards 2 0 1 9 opens for entries. With the agricultural industry contributing


more than £2 4 billion to the UK economy, the role of our British farmers, families and rural businesses has never been so paramount. Amid ongoing Brexit battles and daily political


grappling, the British Farming Awards 2 0 1 9 offers a timely reminder there are certainties in the country’s provision of food and drink through our dynamic and innovative farmers and producers. Organised by AgriBriefing and supported by


Morrisons, there are 1 4 categories in total. Alongside farming’s core sectors ‐ dairy, beef,


sheep, arable and machinery ‐ there is also a celebration of talented youngsters coming into the industry and a reminder of the contribution rural businesses are making to the UK’s tourism, textile, wedding, retail and wildlife sectors ‐ just to name a few. Ben Briggs, editor of Farmers Guardian, said:


“With so much change and uncertainty characterising the current era of agriculture, the British Farming Awards are a timely


celebration of the innovation and skill at the heart of the farming industry.


“Whether it is about boosting the profile of


your business, acknowledging the hard work of your staff, or celebrating great on‐farm ideas, the British Farming Awards provides an unrivalled platformto shout about our fantastic farming industry.”


Andrew Thornber, Trading Director at


Morrisons said: “Morrisons is the single biggest supermarket customer for British farmers, so we are proud to support the British Farming Awards. Our businessmodel is based on buying direct from British farmers wherever possible and we believe this approach strengthens British agriculture and supports farming communities.”


To enter or nominate an individual who is


doing an exceptional job and deserves recognition for their efforts, simply visit www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk to nominate or enter. Entries close on Friday, July 1 2 , 2 0 1 9 .


For more information on the awards,


individual categories and tips on entering, visit www.britishfarmingawards.co.uk


NSAWelshSh eep 2019 looks to th


THE efforts of a farming college to equip the next generation with the skills to manage change will form the backdrop to NSA Welsh Sheep 2 0 1 9 onMay 2 1 . It will feature innovation, precision grazing and full use of modern


technology deployed by Glynllifon Agricultural College, near Caernarfon in NorthWales. These are coupled with traditional farming systems and husbandry skills to future proof the sheep industry. The setting is a first for the organisers and presents them with its own


challenges as well as opportunities. The Glynllifon site is owned by Grwp Llandrillo Menai College and the college authorities, with NSA Welsh Sheep, its sponsors and exhibitors are looking forward to showcasing the industry. The Principal, Aled Jones Gruffydd, told journalists that he welcomed


the opportunity to bring together the land based industries and organisations at the ‘hidden gem’ that is Glynllifon. He stressed the importance of trialling newtechnologies on a commercial,working farm and relaying the results to the wider farming community. And he added: “As a college we are an


educational establishment and that is the primary aim of the farm, to offer young people an opportunity to work practically. “If there weren’t students here we wouldn’t


have a farm and if we didn’t have a farm, we wouldn’t have students here. So we have a relationship that works hand in hand between the farm and the educational side of things.” Farm Manager and lecturer, Rhodri Manod


Owen, said the 4 0 0 acres was run as a commercial entity.


It was primarily an


educational facility, but it had to pay its way. It was a challenging time, but the college was


e n ext gen eration


the shed for five years, they’ve been on a kale break feeding system, so we’ve stripped out probably in excess of £2 0 0 a cow in winter feeding. “We’ve already worked on this because we knew the Single Farm


Payment systemwas coming to an end. The writing was on the wall that we’d have to look at our costs. The dairy herd has gone down the cross breeding route, so we’re putting our faith in hybrid vigour. “We’ve gone from pure bred Holsteins and Ayrshires to three way


cross breeding, to bring in the health attributes, lower antibiotic use and better costs, while maintaining milk solids and yields and fertility.” The farm has 6 0 0 ewes and 2 0 0 dairy cows, with the students heavily


involved in all the husbandry tasks. The fifty sowpig unit supplies pork to butchers’ counters in North East Wales, while the beef herd comprises 3 5 Stabiliser and Welsh Black suckler cows, out wintered on a break feeding, kale, brassica system. He said: “The college prides itself on our


“As acolleg e we are an educational


establishment and that is the primary aim of


the farm, to offer young people


an opportunity to work


CHARTERED SURVEYORS, AUCTIONEERS, ESTATE AGENTS & VALUERS COVERING SHROPSHIRE, MID & WESTWALES:


looking at innovation. Staff have their finger on the pulse and are providing students with knowledge and understanding of innovative techniques to face challenging markets. This included making better use of grass, looking at genetics and


harnessing the inherent skills of students from family farms. They had often been working with sheep since they were four or five years old. They were being encouraged to be ‘very nimble’ to tackle any challenge. He said: “We can’t do anything about markets, but we can do a lot on


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the farmyard and that’s where we are concentrating our efforts in the classroom.We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. “We’ve put in genetics that can handle change. In the sheep section,


we’ve ewes that could rear lambs off grass with no hard feeding.We’ve gone for a medium size ewe that’s very prolific, giving us numbers of lambs off grass. “So if it comes to no hard feeding, then you have things in place


already. With suckler cows, we have an easy calving Stabiliser cow and some Welsh Black cross breds in there as well, so they haven’t been in


practically.”


students. If our students succeed, then we’ve succeeded and our students have achieved a lot of success in national competitions. “We’ve been competing in the NSA now for 1 5


years and have hadmany successes. The current European Young Shepherd of the year is a student of ours, having finished the Level 3 Qualification last year. “So over the last 1 5 years we’ve been


consistently achieving the Best Young Student in the Under 2 1 sector. We’ve had European success and have competed on a world level as well.” Rhodri stressed the importance of return on


investment on the farm. He had an annual KPI meeting with college authorities, with benchmarking targets for every enterprise. It was also critical to ensure things flowed smoothly between education and farming and how they integrate ‐ an example is that ewes lamb indoors to facilitate learning and balance demands on the farm.


NSA Welsh Sheep 2 0 1 9 will feature almost two hundred exhibits and


trade stands across a wide area, with seminars held in the college premises. The major sponsor HCC will, among other issues, stress the environmental benefits of Welsh farming, with grass based systems requiring fewer inputs while helping to regenerate soil and aid carbon sequestration. There will be a comprehensive programme of things to see and do,


including Sheep Dog Trials, a demo ofWelsh Sheepdogs and the SRUC CT scanner will be present, British Wool will offer gear maintenance workshops from their stand along with workshops from other sponsors MSD, Caltech and Innovis in the college premises. All details are on the website www.nationalsheep.org.uk/welshsheep/


NSAWelsh Sheep will be held at Coleg Meirion‐Dwyfor Glynfllifon, near Caernarfon on TuesdayMay 2 1 2 0 1 9 .


Y TIR g Awards


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