I can’t quite believe that we are in May already. Whether it’s due to the cold, the wet spring we have had, lambing, the SFS consultation work or Single Application Forms [SAF], the last four months seem to have flown by. We are currently only 11 weeks away from this year’s Royal Welsh Show, which is hard to believe, but NFU Cymru is already preparing for this year’s event.

 Ahead of the show, we are on the lookout for winners of two awards. Firstly, the prestigious Wales Woman Farmer of the Year Award 2024. As many of you will be aware this award has gone from strength to strength in the last few years and along with award sponsors NFU Mutual, NFU Cymru is looking to celebrate the contribution of women in the Welsh farming industry.

 The winner of this year’s award will receive £500 and a Welsh Royal Crystal bowl. The judges this year are past winner of the award and NFU Cymru Deputy President Abi Reader and NFU Cymru / NFU Mutual Group Secretary Heather Holgate. The award will be presented to the winner on Thursday 25th July on the NFU Cymru stand at the Royal Welsh Show.

 If you are interested in entering, or know someone who you think is worthy of a nomination, please visit the NFU Cymru website or contact the NFU Cymru office by telephoning 01982 554200 or emailing [email protected].

Secondly, supported by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust, we are looking for applications from people under 30 who are considering travelling as part of the Gareth Raw Rees Memorial Scholarship. This year the committee have made £3,000 available to support these beneficial experiences, as the late Gareth Raw Rees MBE was a firm believer in the benefits of travelling towards the fulfilment of a broader and more rewarding education.

The scholarship is managed by the Raw Rees family, NFU Cymru, NFU Mutual, Wales YFC, the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University and the Future Farmers of Wales.

The closing date for applications is Friday, June 14, with the winners announced on the Tuesday of the Royal Welsh Show. For an application form please visit the NFU Cymru website, email [email protected] or telephone the NFU Cymru office on 01982 554200.

Finally, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind you all that the final deadline for completing your SAF forms is Wednesday 15th May. If you haven’t yet completed your form and would like some help doing so, please contact your local NFU Cymru group office and speak with your Group Secretary.