THE Montgomeryshire branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales held a successful first-ever county Farming Conference, which discussed the future of the industry in light of Brexit.

The well-attended event was held at the Elephant & Castle Hotel, Newtown, on Thursday, 16 November, and guest speakers on the night were Steve Hughson, chief executive of Royal Welsh Agricultural Society; Helen Davies, NSA Cymru; Adam White, Barclays national performance manager for agriculture and Kevin Roberts, chair of Hybu Cig Cymru.

Ffermio presenter Alun (Elidyr) Edwards, who chaired the evening, opened the conference saying: “For the future, one word we must remember is grazing. Everything starts with grazing. Let people understand, that’s the cycle we deal with. Sheep, especially, are the sector that’s threatened the most by Brexit and if that sector goes, that will be the end of the countryside and we need to tell people that.”

The first speaker of the night was Steve Hughson, chief executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, who said: “The society’s role in promoting agriculture, forestry, horticulture and Welsh culture are just as important. The society also has an important role in shaping and influencing the future of agriculture and rural affairs, as it provides the perfect platform for debate, innovation, education and much more to take place.”

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