The Wales Woman Farmer of the Year competition has returned after a two-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) Wales (Cymru) and NFU mutual are looking for nominees to be the 24th winner.
The winner will receive £500 and a Welsh Royal Crystal bowl at the Royal Welsh Show on Thursday, July 21.
NFU Cymru deputy president Abi Reader, a former winner of the award, will be one of this year’s judges.
“The Wales Woman Farmer of the Year Award is there to champion the contribution that women make to farming businesses and wider rural life,” she said.
“Over the years we have had a variety of winners, all representing different sectors and parts of the farming industry, and we look forward to receiving applications for the 2022 title.”
The most recent winner, crowned in 2019, is Nicola Drew (pictured top), who farms in partnership with her father, Peter, near Talgrath. Together they run a beef and sheep enterprise. She was commended for her passion for farming by judges at the time, Aled Jones and Sioned Mair.
“We’ve seen a fantastic rise in the number of women farmers in the industry, many running farms and leading diversification enterprises to increase farm income,” added Gwenllian Jones, NFU Cymru and NFU Mutual Group Secretary, who will be judging this year’s competition alongside Abi Reade.
“We are proud to recognise the critical role women play in Welsh agriculture and hope that this award will inspire other women in Wales to take centre stage and influence farming in the future,” said Jones.
Entry applications, which can be found by contacting the NFU Cymru office, need to be submitted by the deadline of Monday, June 13.
