Dairy farmer Abi Reader has been unanimously elected as the new President of NFU Cymru.

Supporting Abi in her new role will be livestock farmer Paul Williams of Nebo, Clwyd who was elected as the new Deputy President of the union.

The duo were elected at a meeting of NFU Cymru Council in Cardiff Bay.

New NFU Cymru President Abi Reader is a third-generation farmer, farming dairy, sheep and arable at Goldsland Farm in partnership with her parents and uncle in Wenvoe, just outside Cardiff.

A passionate advocate for promoting food and farming to the next generation and the wider public, Abi is a co-founder of the Cows on Tour movement and regularly engages with schoolchildren both on farm and in classrooms.

A former NFU Cymru Wales Woman Farmer of the Year, she was honoured by the Queen with an MBE in 2019 for her services to agriculture.

Abi first became involved with NFU Cymru in 2012, taking up a vacancy for the position of NFU Cymru Vice County Chair just six months later.

Abi has served as NFU Cymru Glamorgan County Chair, NFU Cymru Dairy Board Chair and for the last four years has served as NFU Cymru Deputy President. Abi replaces outgoing NFU Cymru President Aled Jones, who decided not to stand for re-election after a long and distinguished career with the union.

Speaking on her aspirations for her time as President of NFU Cymru, Abi Reader said: “This year sees the implementation of the long-awaited Sustainable Farming Scheme.

“NFU Cymru has been at the forefront of the scheme design process in recent years and although the scheme has transformed considerably since its early iterations, we still think there is work to do.

“I am committed to working with Welsh Government and partners across the industry to fine-tune this scheme where we believe change is needed.”