AN Agricultural Business graduate from Llanyre is living the American dream on a once in a lifetime trip to study the American beef industry, in order to improve practices in Wales.

 Clare James is a 2017 Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) scholar, and has been awarded a scholarship of £3,000 towards travel to the United States to see how American beef industry practises could be implemented to improve productivity and efficiency in the sector in Wales.

 In total, Clare will spend three months travelling the US. Her trip begins with high profile meetings at the Department of Agriculture in Washington before heading to the frontline of American agriculture by undertaking farm stays in Missouri, Colarado and Texas, truly embedding herself into both the industry and the culture. 

To gain a fully rounded experience, Clare will also visit markets, abattoirs and agricultural universities, strengthening her understanding of the sector.

Clare will largely be studying the beef grading system which is implemented in the United States, which differs greatly from that which is used in the UK and Europe.

Clare is a former pupil at Coleg Powys and a recent graduate from Harper Adams University, where she won the Irish Bowl for Student of the Year 2017 and graduated top of her class.

Speaking on how she came to this area of study, Clare explained:

“During my degree I conducted a research project on beef so when this opportunity came up I knew that I wanted to study beef production and grading. America is often regarded as the global leader in product consistency and the largest exporter of beef in the world.”

Clare said: “I’m very excited to be fully immersed in American beef farming.

“My intention is to develop a global knowledge and understanding of the sector during this time of economic and political uncertainty.”

“I am grateful for being chosen as a 2017 HCC scholar, particularly in the scholarship’s 20th anniversary year and I am looking forward to being able to come back to Wales and impart my findings with the sector.”

This year, Hybu Cig Cymru is celebrating 20 years of the scholarship to eager and ambitious individuals to study aspects of the red meat industry across the world and ambition clearly runs in the James family, as Clare is following in the footsteps of her father Roger James who was awarded a HCC scholarship exactly 10 years ago in 2007 to study in New Zealand.

This year, Clare and Thomas Howells, from Llanerfyl near Welshpool, were victorious in gaining the HCC Scholarship. Thomas will be heading to New Zealand and Australia in the new year to study the sheep sector.

James Ruggeri, HCC’s Industry Development Executive and scholarship co-ordinator commented: “We are delighted to have awarded Clare a HCC scholarship this year.

“She was an excellent candidate and will undoubtedly enrich the sector with her findings.

“It is especially fitting since she is embarking on a study programme 10 years after her father.”

“We wish Clare the best of luck in her study and look forward to hearing the results on her return.”