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Re-elected FUW President Glyn Roberts with Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths[/caption]
Well known Conwy beef and sheep farmer, Glyn Roberts, has been re-elected as the Farmers’ Union of Wales President during a meeting of the Union’s Grand Council in Aberystwyth (Monday, June 19).
Following his appointment Mr Roberts of Dylasau Uchaf, Padog, Betws-Y-Coed, Conwy, who has held the role of FUW President since 2015, said: “I am delighted to be at the helm of the FUW during this historic period.
“As President of this Union I want to see the opportunities in problems rather than see problems in opportunities. A priority for us now is to ensure that we maintain a sustainable and viable farming sector here in Wales.
“We want to see a vibrant and real future for real rural people. Many of our members fear that if farming is not high enough on the agenda of the government, Wales will turn into an open air museum. There is a real concern that if agriculture fails, we will see an increase in rural depopulation, which will not only have a sever impact on our rural economy, way of life and language but it will also cause an extra strain on our towns and cities.
“Without the right deal for farmers, our rural communities will disappear and turn into ghost towns. The objective now is to create a sustainable agricultural industry, within a sustainable rural community. If we work proactively, keeping the bigger picture in, this should be achievable.”
In 1977 Glyn successfully submitted an application for the tenancy of a 100-acre upland farm, Ynys Wen, Ysbyty Ifan and also worked part-time during this period at Dylasau Uchaf.
In 1983 Mr Roberts secured the tenancy of Dylasau Uchaf, a 350-acre farm owned by the National Trust, where he continues to farm with his daughter Beca. His wife Eleri runs a separate catering business at Ysbyty Ifan. The couple have five children, all of which have graduated from Aberystwyth University.
Mr Roberts has been on the FUW finance and organisation committee as North Wales member from 2003 – 2004; FUW vice president from 2004-2011 and was elected as deputy president of the Farmers’ Union of Wales in 2011.
Glyn has lectured several times on agricultural issues and a personal highlight was lecturing on the Future of the Uplands at Glynllifon in 1997 and sharing the stage with head of the agriculture department of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth Professor Mike Haines and John Cameron from NFU Scotland. A personal highlight was the invitation from Franz Fischler, EU Agricultural Commissioner, to attend a meeting on future Rural Development in Strasburg in 2003.
During 2006-2008 he was the FUW’s representative on the board of Hybu Cig Cymru and from 2008 to 2015 served as non-executive director on the board of Hybu Cig Cymru by Welsh Assembly Government appointment.
In January 2001, Carwyn Jones AM visited Dylasau Uchaf and Ysbyty Ifan and Mr Roberts was responsible for preparing a comprehensive document looking at the inevitable link between agriculture and the future of rural communities, “The Importance of Agriculture in Rural Communities”.
Mr Roberts led the first FUW delegation from Caernarfonshire to Brussels to discuss E.I.D. back in October 2000.
Glyn won the National Eisteddfod Farm Management competition which involved compiling a three-year plan, and in 1992 when Glynllifon College was faced with the threat of closure, Glyn was chosen as a member of a Working Group of three to look at the possibilities of keeping its doors open.