Aberystwyth sheep farmer Aled Llyr Thomas was today named as the first winner of the Brynle Williams Memorial Award.
This annual award has been established to recognise the contribution of the late Brynle Williams )pictured), former North Wales Assembly Member, to Welsh agriculture, both as an AM and as an active farmer.
It will also celebrate the achievements of young farmers who have received support as part of the Welsh Government’s Young Entrant Support Scheme.
Announcing the winner at the Royal Welsh Show alongside the late Brynle Williams’ widow Mary Williams, the Deputy Minister for Agriculture Alun Davies said,
“I know how much Brynle enjoyed the Royal Welsh Show and how honoured he was to be asked to judge the Supreme In Hand Championship & Cuddy Supreme Qualifier last year.
“It is therefore very appropriate that we are marking Brynle’s commitment to agriculture today by announcing the winner of the first Brynle Williams Memorial Award.
“The finalists were all drawn from the Welsh Government’s Young Entrant Support Scheme and I was very impressed with the high standard of applicants we received.
“The winner, Aled Llyr Thomas, is already making his mark in the sheep breeding circles with his breeding stock taking many prizes in County Shows across the country. Thanks to the Young Entrant Support Scheme Aled has been able to construct a new sheep building which will help him to increase his ewes from 75 to 175 over the next few years.
“It is this kind of young entrepreneur we want to see grow and thrive in the Welsh farming industry. By supporting young farmers through the Young Entrant Support Scheme we can help to give Welsh farming a strong future.
“I hope this award will prove to be a fitting memorial to Brynle and his love of rural Wales. I know he would agree with me that Aled is a very worthy winner of the first Brynle Williams Memorial Award.”
