An impressive line-up of industry leaders will bring political, environmental, consumer and agricultural insights to the annual NFU Cymru Conference next month.

This year’s event, titled ‘Welsh farming – Producing for the future’ will be held at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells from 10am onwards on Thursday, November 2.

Previous NFU Cymru Conferences have attracted a star-studded line-up and the 2023 conference is no different.

The event will begin with an opening speech from NFU Cymru President Aled Jones, which will be followed by an address and Q&A with the Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths.

Discussions in the second session will centre on climate change and agriculture’s net zero aspirations, with Dr Niki Rust, Head of Land, Agriculture and Nature Team, UK Climate Change Committee; and Dr Michelle Cain, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Senior Lecturer in Environmental Data Analytics, Cranfield University.

NFU Cymru is delighted to be able to welcome WalesOnline Welsh Affairs Editor Will Hayward to this year’s conference and he will be leading a session on the Welsh political landscape.

Trade will be the focus of the conference’s third session and Sam Lowe, Partner at Flint Globally, is ideally placed to provide commentary on the outlook for Wales in the global marketplace.

After lunch, popular global food and drink industry analyst Professor David Hughes, Emeritus Professor of Food Marketing, Imperial College London, will be returning to NFU Cymru Conference to give an entertaining insight into consumer trends and behaviours.

The final session will see NFU Cymru President Minette Batters take to the stage for what promises to be an interesting session covering her near six-year tenure at the helm of the NFU in England, a period which has seen significant political change and a global pandemic. Minette will also be providing her thoughts on what the future holds for UK farmers.

NFU Cymru Director John Mercer said: “Each year we manage to attract the very best speakers to NFU Cymru Conference and our 2023 line-up promises to be one of our best events to date given the high calibre of speakers who have agreed to join us this year.

“The Agriculture (Wales) Act has paved the foundations to develop new devolved policy here in Wales and the Sustainable Farming Scheme will shape Welsh farming for many years to come. Given the anticipated changes to the policy landscape, Wales’ place in the global marketplace and the industry’s ongoing climate change challenges, I believe our expert line-up of guests will help inspire and inform those who attend.

“NFU Cymru Conference is a popular event among the membership and so I encourage interested members to confirm their attendance as soon as possible.”

Those wishing to attend the conference can register by calling 01982 554200 or emailing [email protected].