A valuable opportunity to listen to the experiences of Welsh hill farmers
GWCT Cymru was delighted to attend this year’s Royal Welsh Agricultural Society ‘Hill Farming’ event on Thursday 12 June at Hafod y Llan Farm, Beddgelert. A landmark occasion celebrating the crucial role of hill farming in sustaining rural communities, biodiversity, and the Welsh uplands. Hosted by the RWAS 2025 feature county Committee of Caernarfonshire, the event brought together farmers, land managers, policymakers, and conservationists to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing upland farming.
During the day, two panel seminars were held in the main marquee next to the GWCT Cymru stand. Glyn Roberts chaired both discussions, which were followed by questions from the audience.
The first seminar “Next generation farming: Innovation, genetics and the future of uplands” included insights from Professor Prysor Williams from the University of Bangor, Dewi Jones executive of Innovis, and Emma Jones a business management and livestock specialist.
The second seminar “Policy, practice and productivity: Where is hill farming headed?” included speakers, Giles Hunt the Land and Estate Director for the National Trust, Herley Brown-Keech Germinal grassland expert, Dan Jones a National Trust tenant farmer, and Aled Rhys Jones the Royal Welsh show Chief Executive.
Across the site there were many other stands and stalls including food and drinks, farming equipment, animal health and wellbeing, crop information and more. Along with many demonstrations and competitions such as sheep dog demonstrations, stock judging, North Wales Shire Horse Society Display, quad bike driving inter-college competition and so much more.
Visitors to the GWCT Cymru stand were able to hear more about our research on upland ecosystems, predator management, and the positive impact of integrated conservation practices. Our team was on hand to discuss current projects in Wales, including work on curlew conservation, and the importance of farming systems that balance food production with nature recovery.
The event provided a valuable opportunity to listen to the experiences of Welsh hill farmers, whose experience with the land is vital for shaping future agri-environment funding schemes. As the sector navigates changes to support schemes and environmental targets, GWCT Cymru remains committed to working alongside the farming community to ensure resilient landscapes that are rich in wildlife and productive for generations to come.
We would like to thank the organisers for a fantastic event and look forward to continuing these important conversations throughout Wales and beyond.