A SPECIAL event will be held in Portmeirion next week to celebrate women in Agriculture.

Farming Connect has selected Portmeirion to stage this year’s highly anticipated Women in Agriculture Forum on Tuesday, 19 September.

A second forum will also be held in Cardigan Castle on Thursday, 21 September.

Both events will run from 10am to 4pm. This year’s speaker line-up will be headed by Ceredigion farmer’s daughter Fflur Sheppard, who was recently headhunted by one of the UK’s leading communications companies.

She will be joined by Nuffield scholar and farmer Holly Beckett who has helped grow her family’s fourth generation Midlands farm to include a farm shop, restaurant, cookery school and conference facilities; as well as representatives from two Welsh police forces who will talk about agricultural cybercrime.

Eirwen Williams, director of rural programmes with Menter a Busnes, which delivers Farming Connect on behalf of the Welsh Government, said that the aim of the events is to encourage women to drive forward change and innovation within farming particularly as businesses face the uncertainties of Brexit.

“Women play a key role in many farm businesses and rural enterprises in Wales and there has never been a more important time to make sure their voices are heard,” said Mrs Williams.