Brian Walters, the FUW’s long serving Vice-President has retired from official union duties at the recent annual general meeting.
Brian, a passionate and committed supporter of the FUW, has been a member since he started farming. He was county vice-chairman from 1995 until 1997, when he became county chairman, a position he held for two years. He is a past chairman of both the Carmarthen branch milk committee, of which he became chairman in 1995, and the union’s central milk and dairy produce committee, of which he was chairman from 1996 to 2000. He held the role of vice-president of the FUW since 2000.
He was a District Representative on Milk Marque’s South Wales Board, and then Area Representative on the Board of First Milk until 2002. Brian represented the union on the Council of the Wales Federation of YFCs and the Organic Steering Group and has given evidence on TB in cattle to the Agriculture Committee of the House of Commons and to the Environment, Planning and Countryside Committee of the National Assembly for Wales.
Brian has acted in a local drama group for 20 years and also compères local concerts. He is also an after-dinner speaker. During his time in office he has given many television and radio interviews in Welsh and English on various topics for Radio Cymru, Radio Wales, and Radio 5 Live, as well as participating in ‘Farming Today’ on Radio 4 and Jeremy Vine’s programme on Radio 2, as well as many other local radio stations.
Speaking about his retirement, FUW President Glyn Roberts said: “I would like to thank Brian for all his years of long service to the FUW and agriculture. He has been a stalwart for farming, standing up for the rights of our members and tirelessly campaigning about the eradication of bovine TB.”