The future is looking bright for Welsh hill sheep businesses, thanks to state-of-the-art technology used to performance-record animals, says one young Gwynedd farmer.

Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales’s Hill Ram Scheme, supported by Welsh Government and EU funding, is proving crucial to upland and hill farmers as DNA technology looking at lamb parentage, Estimated Breeding Values (EBV) and fat and muscle depth are all being used to help farmers select quality rams to put to their flocks.

Experienced farmer Bedwyr Jones of Nant Gwynant is a Hill Ram scheme leader and is part of the push to record data of key livestock traits to help Welsh farmers produce the quality meat consumers are looking for.

At the same time the scheme is ensuring an efficient flock of hardy native breeds best suited to the environment of Wales’ upland hillsides.

Ryan Williams, 28, who share farms in Ffestiniog says the scheme has ensured his finished lambs are ready two kilos heavier since buying Hill Ram recorded rams from Bedwyr.

“I am delighted with the way these rams have been performing,” said Ryan, who farms at Ty Isaf, Ffestiniog in a share farming system with Bini and Dr Huw Jones. As part of the farm business, they sell Bini Organic meat boxes supplying customers locally and further afield.

“We’ve made no changes to our system here.” said Ryan, who says he has learnt a lot during the process and is grateful to Bedwyr and his family for opening the door to showcase his farm and his stock.

“You can see where these Welsh mountains lambs are produced at Gwastadanas, Bedwyr works with nature on these upland hills and mountains and produces quality lambs. For me, that’s crucial to our business too as we graze up on the Mignaint moorland.”

Bedwyr established himself at the Nant Gwynant farm, 25 years ago and says technology and DNA testing is supporting traditional farming methods to produce better quality lambs for the market.

Bedwyr and his family are improving the genetic merit of their flock, producing lambs from grass to meet market requirements and breeding rams with known quality performance.

“This year’s annual ram sale at Gwastadanas was one of the best yet,” saidBedwyr, who together with wife, Helen, son Aron and their three other children farm 4,000 acres at their Nant Gwynant beef and sheep farm, with land reaching up to the summit of Yr Wyddfa.

“What we’ve found over the three years we’ve been part of the Hill Ram scheme is that you see small improvements each year. The lambs’ potential improves year on year in weight gain and quality. We select the best breeding rams, manage the flock better because of the data that we glean and use the technology to our advantage.”