Young farmer, Peredur Owen, from Llandovery has been awarded the Brynle Williams Memorial Award for 2019.

The award, celebrates the huge contribution made by the late Brynle Williams to Welsh agriculture, both as an Assembly Member and as a farmer.

The award was established in 2011 and this year celebrates the achievements of young farmers who have excelled in the Welsh Government’s Mentro/Venture programme which supports new entrants to establish share farming agreements with landowners.

Peredur, 26, has been part of a 500-acre share farming enterprise near Llandovery since late 2018.

Having been given responsibility alongside the landowner on all key decisions and as the main labour provider, Peredur has been able to implement the changes needed for a low-cost forage system.

A stringent grassland management strategy which involves measuring covers and the introduction of rotational grazing is already starting to increase both efficiency and profitability of the business.

Peredur, who was brought up on a family farm in north Wales, realised that the family farm wasn’t of sufficient scale to offer him a livelihood.

He was determined to gain work experience across all sectors, from dairy through to beef and sheep and accepted that a move away from his native north Wales might be necessary.

He has also worked on a large scale pork, beef, sheep and arable enterprise in York and spent a year as a general farm worker in New Zealand to gain experience.

Peredur said: “It is a great honour to be awarded the Brynle Williams Memorial Award. He was a hero and such a likeable and significant personality within the Welsh agricultural industry.”