A BEEF and sheep farmer from Llanfair Caereinion has been appointed as the new Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) Montgomeryshire county chairman.

Bryn Francis, who was born and raised in the Llanfair area, attended Llanfair primary and high schools and an agriculture course at Newtown college of further education. He is also a former member of Llanfair Caereinion YFC.

He is married to Caroline since July 1994 and the couple have three children, Enfys (12) who attends Caereinion High School and two sons Alaw (11) and Derwyn (nine) who both attend Llanfair Caereinion Primary School.

The stock on the farm is mainly Mule ewes with about 30 pedigree Texels that are used to produce tups for use on the commercial flock and a suckler herd which is mainly Belgian Blue x Friesian/Holstein cows that are put to a Blonde d’Aquitaine bull.

All the stock is sold through local livestock markets, mainly Welshpool and Oswestry. The lambs are all sold in the prime lamb section and the cattle mainly through the store cattle ring.

Speaking about his appointed as the new county chairman, Bryn said: “I would like to thank the out-going Montgomeryshire county chairman, Aled Roberts, for his commitment and dedication during his term. His boots will be tough to fill but I look forward to the challenge.

“I am passionate about our industry and the future of farming in Wales. We produce the highest quality produce available anywhere in the world with high welfare standards and full traceability. Therefore it’s only right that we continue to lobby our government to support Welsh and British agriculture.

“Whatever becomes of the dreaded 'Brexit beast', it is essential that we safeguard the industry’s future, to keep us self sufficient in our food production, to keep the 76,000 people involved in agriculture and the food sector in Wales in employment and to help keep the backbone of rural life thriving.

"In my role as FUW chairman for Montgomeryshire, I will do my utmost to support the work of the union - to ensure that we have thriving, sustainable, family farms in Wales for generations to come.”