The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) has honoured Elwen Roberts with its External Award for Services to Agriculture at this year's Royal Welsh Show, recognising her outstanding contribution to promoting Welsh farming and the country's red meat industry.

For more than 25 years, Elwen has been one of Wales' foremost ambassadors for Welsh red meat, dedicating her career to educating consumers about the nutritional benefits of locally produced beef and lamb as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

Originally from Betws Gwerfil Goch, Elwen began her career with MLC Wales in 1999 before going on to serve as Consumer Executive at Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC). Since then, she has become a familiar face in homes across Wales through thousands of cookery demonstrations, educational workshops, media appearances and live events, inspiring audiences with her passion for Welsh produce.

Her work has reached people of all ages and backgrounds, from pupils in small rural primary schools and teachers to television audiences and visitors at some of Wales' largest agricultural events, including the Royal Welsh Show. Renowned for combining practical cookery skills with clear nutritional advice, Elwen has played a pivotal role in strengthening public understanding and appreciation of Welsh red meat while championing the farmers who produce it.

Presenting the award at the FUW President’s reception, Farmers’ Union of Wales President Ian Rickman said: "Elwen has dedicated her career to championing Welsh agriculture and promoting the exceptional quality of our home-produced red meat.

"Through her enthusiasm, professionalism and ability to engage with people of all ages, she has helped strengthen the connection between consumers and the farmers who produce some of the finest food in the world. 

"On behalf of the Farmers' Union of Wales, I am delighted to congratulate Elwen on this thoroughly deserved recognition and thank her for her outstanding contribution to Welsh agriculture."

The Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) is calling for an urgent escalation of resources and coordinated government action as the wildfire burning across the Rhinogydd mountains continues to devastate one of Wales' largest and most significant upland landscapes.

The sheer scale of the fire has shocked local communities with the fire now threatening property, livestock, grazing land and internationally important habitats.  The fire is also highlighting the increasing challenge of responding to major wildfires in remote rural areas.

The need for urgent action has been highlighted by the Farmers’ Union of Wales to several politicians at the Royal Welsh Show, including representatives from the Welsh Affairs Committee.

FUW President Ian Rickman said: "Our thoughts are with the firefighters, emergency services, local residents and farming families who have been dealing with this fire under incredibly difficult conditions.

"The scale of this wildfire is deeply concerning. The Rhinogydd is not only an internationally important landscape for wildlife, but also a working landscape that supports farming families who have cared for these uplands for generations. The impact of a fire of this magnitude will be felt for years through the loss of grazing, damage to habitats, risks to livestock and will have a knock-on effect on the wider rural economy."

FUW Meirionnydd County Chair, Gwion Rowlands, said the scale of the incident had caused widespread concern throughout the local community.

"The sheer size and duration of this wildfire are unlike anything many people in the area can remember. Our immediate concern is for everyone whose properties, livestock and livelihoods are at risk while the fire continues to burn.

"This is an exceptional incident that requires an exceptional response. Every available resource should be considered to bring the fire under control as quickly as possible.”

Prominent Welsh journalist, Nia Thomas, has been presented with the Bob Davies +Memorial Award, an honour awarded annually by the Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) during the Royal Welsh Show.

The award commemorates the late Farmers Weekly Wales correspondent, Bob Davies, and recognises an individual or organisation that has made an outstanding contribution to raising the public profile of agriculture in Wales.

Born and raised on her family's farm in Llannerch-y-medd, Anglesey, where she still lives today, Nia began her journalism career in 1980 as a trainee reporter with the Herald newspapers, working from the Holyhead Mail office in Llangefni.

She later worked as a freelance journalist for the BBC before joining the corporation's agriculture team in the early 1990s. During this time, she became a familiar face as a reporter on S4C's rural affairs programme Ar y Tir, travelling across Wales to cover the issues that mattered most to farming families and rural communities.

Following the advent of devolution, Nia was appointed BBC Wales Rural Affairs Correspondent in 2000. During one of the most challenging periods for the agricultural industry, she led coverage of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak, the protests surrounding the Hunting Act, and the BSE crisis, earning widespread respect for her authoritative and balanced reporting.

After spending time presenting programmes on BBC Radio Cymru and working in production roles, Nia returned to agricultural journalism in 2024 as a news presenter on S4C's Ffermio. Since then, she has continued to shine a light on many of the sector's most pressing issues, including the Sustainable Farming Scheme, Water Resources Regulations, and the ongoing fight against bovine tuberculosis (bTB).

The award was presented to Nia during the Farmers' Union of Wales President's Reception on Wednesday evening, 22 July, at the Royal Welsh Show.

Presenting the award, FUW President Ian Rickman said: "It is a great pleasure to present the Bob Davies Memorial Award to Nia Thomas. For decades, Nia has been one of the most prominent journalistic voices of rural Wales, reporting with fairness, integrity and professionalism on the challenges facing our farmers and rural communities.

"As someone who comes from a farming background herself, she has a deep understanding of the industry and the people at its heart. She has earned enormous respect for her ability to tell the story honestly and impartially, giving Welsh farmers a voice while never shying away from asking the difficult questions. She is a worthy recipient of this award."

Accepting the award, Nia Thomas said: "It is a tremendous privilege and honour to receive this award. Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to interview dozens of remarkable people from across the agricultural industry, and it has been a privilege to help share their stories and perspectives, which remain as important to me today as ever.

"The journalist should never be the focus of the story. At a time when misinformation and misleading content are increasingly prevalent on social media, it is more important than ever that agricultural stories are told with fairness, accuracy and balance."

The Welsh Government has today announced that the budget for the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) will be maintained at £340 million per year for the next three years, with £238 million per year being allocated to the universal layer of the scheme.

The announcement was discussed further with Farmers’ Union of Wales on Monday morning at the Royal Welsh Show in a meeting with Wales’ First Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth, and Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience and Sustainability, Llŷr Gruffydd.

The UK’s departure from the EU led to the loss of the intermediate term stability provided by the EU’s seven year multiannual financial framework, therefore funding for rural affairs and farm support in Wales has since been set annually.

Welsh farmers will receive over £1 billion in funding across this Senedd term, with the announcement fulfilling a pledge made in the Plaid Cymru Government's first 100 days to provide a multi-annual budget for the Sustainable Farming Scheme.

Welcoming the announcement, FUW President, Ian Rickman said: “Recent years have brought significant financial uncertainty for the farming sector in Wales, making it increasingly difficult for businesses to plan with confidence and make informed long-term financial decisions.

“The FUW has consistently called for a five-year funding framework, so today’s commitment to provide certainty until March 2030 is a welcomed relief for the family farms of Wales. It provides much-needed stability and a stronger foundation for the remainder of the decade, giving businesses greater confidence to plan for the future. 

"The Minister's commitment should also be viewed in the context of mounting budgetary pressures and evolving decisions in Westminster, both of which could have significant implications for Wales over the coming years.

“Our Senedd Election Manifesto emphasised that Welsh farmers should not be disadvantaged for transitioning to a new system of support that places greater societal and environmental demands on their businesses. On this basis, we continue to highlight the need to increase the base-level funding of the SFS to mitigate any economic impacts and match the policy ambitions of the Welsh Government.

“To this end, we will continue to work closely with the Welsh Government to ensure that the universal baseline payment rates are appropriate, and that every penny of the SFS budget is received by the active farmers of Wales.

“Providing farming businesses with the certainty they need to make informed decisions is essential. Today's announcement therefore represents a major milestone for agricultural support in Wales and an important step towards delivering the long-term confidence that Welsh farmers have been seeking.”