A PWLLHELI GP has been selected to take part in a pioneering agricultural programme.

Farming Connect has announced the names of this year’s intake of 36 successful applicants selected to take part in its flagship personal development programme, the Agri Academy.

After a rigorous selection process, the panel of judges was again led by Professor Wynne Jones OBE FRAgS who said they were stunned with the outstanding calibre of this year’s candidates representing numerous sectors of farming and rural life in Wales.

Dr Eilir Hughes from Pwllheli has bene selected on the Rural Leadership programme.

Welsh speaker Dr Hughes grew up on a dairy farm near Pwllheli before completing his higher education in Bangor, Swansea and Cardiff Universities where he studied psychology and medicine.

He returned to his birthplace in 2017 as a GP and now works across two sites to provide a community health service for 4,500 patients within a very rural area.

Equally passionate about caring for the medical needs of his patients and safeguarding the future of the family farm, Dr Hughes hopes that by being part of the Agri Academy Rural Leadership Programme, he’ll be introduced to a wider network of agricultural professionals and advisers.

“I believe I will gain confidence in my ability to lead and contribute to life in this part of Wales if I take advantage of opportunities such as those offered by the Agri Academy.”

“For the first time, a record 55 per cent of applications were from women, which augurs well for the future of our industry with so many women in agriculture now thriving in increasingly prominent and visible profiles,” said Professor Wynne.

Read the full story in this Thursday’s north editions of the Cambrian News