Victoria and Eirinn head to CFFI Cymru Annual Agri Conference in Aberystwyth

What a fantastic weekend in Wales Eirinn Braniff and I had at the CFFI Cymru Annual Agri Conference in Aberystwyth on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th January. This years theme was “Inspiring the Next Generation”. I eagerly anticipated the exciting itinerary, and it certainly delivered.

First up was Brian Jones of Castell Howell. Castell Howell is one of Wales’ leading independent food service suppliers. Their focus on supporting local farmers and championing Welsh food was inspiring to hear about, as well as how Brian founded the business. Next, we heard from Katie-Rose Davies, Beef Farmer of the Year 2025 and several other accolades. Katie Rose runs an impressive hill farm with 45 suckler cows and 750 sheep, followed by Ifan Roberts, who after completing his Nuffield Scholarship, is now share farming a 500-cow dairy unit, it was very interesting to hear how Ifan’s travel and research has led him to making informed decisions today.

We then headed out on a farm tour to Rhosgoch, where they keep Llyn ewes and rear dropped calves through to finishing. They have also recently diversified with the addition of a stunning “treehouse” holiday let — a brilliant example of diversification. Arwain DGC delivered a very informative talk on antimicrobial resistance, highlighting its importance for the future of agriculture.

Then it was time to transition from field wear to formal wear for the much-anticipated Agri Awards. The standard of all participants was outstanding, and it was fantastic to see so many dedicated and passionate members being celebrated.

On Sunday morning, we ventured to Innovis, well known for its industry-leading genetics and performance-recorded rams. I was particularly looking forward to this visit, having previously worked with some of their breeds. We were also incredibly fortunate to be visiting while they had the SRUC sheep CT scanner on site. This technology uses CT scanning to accurately measure muscle, fat and bone, allowing breeders to make more informed genetic decisions and further improve flock performance.

We had a fabulous time and thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the agricultural industry in Wales. It was lovely to see old friends from previous YFC travel opportunities and I look forward to visiting Wales again.

Written by: Victoria Minford, Holestone YFC