Gwynedd farmer Rhisiart Tomos Lewis, who runs a herd of 140 dairy cows with home-bred dairy heifers near Llangybi, was presented with the Farmers' Union of Wales/HSBC award to the person who has made an outstanding contribution to the Welsh dairy industry at the Welsh Dairy Show near Carmarthen today (Tuesday October 14).
Mr Lewis was born at Tan Y Bryn, Sardis, near Pwllheli, and educated at Glynllifon College which is now under the banner of Coleg Meirion Dwyfor.
After leaving college he returned to his family farm and in 1964 they bought Coed Cae Gwyn farm, Llangybi, as an addition to the land they were already farming.
In 1974 he was elected as director on the executive board of Hufenfa De Arfon and in 1997 he was elected chairman of the board. Since then he has travelled extensively across Europe and North America to represent the dairy industry.
FUW senior policy officer Hazel Wright, a judge on this year’s award selection panel, said: “Rhisiart Lewis has extensive knowledge of the dairy industry due to the fact that he has been a member of various national committees.
"He travels regularly to London for meetings and his understanding of the industry from the bottom to the top has always been an advantage to him, even when he was chairman of the creamery.
“He knows every chairman of every British dairy processing company in person and is able to discuss with each of them on first-name terms - a fact that is a credit to him and the trust they have shown for him.
“I would describe Rhisiart Lewis as a very democratic person and one who can keep his head in difficult situations.
“He is a very brave and determined man and his invaluable contribution was a key to the success and continuity of the agreement that existed between Hufenfa De Arfon and Marks & Spencer’s.
“Without a doubt Rhisiart Lewis is a man you can rely on to discuss any matter relating to the dairy industry at all levels of the production process.
“He deserves the recognition offered to him today which is, without doubt, the result of years of work he has given to the dairy industry, not only on behalf of his co-producers on the Llyn Peninsula, but dairy producers over Wales.”
He has four children, Owain who is at home farming; Nia who is married to a dairy farmer at Madryn Isaf, Pwllheli; Tudor, a surveyor with Gwynedd County Council; and Mari who works at the Gallery at Plas Glyn y Weddw, Llanbedrog.
He has been a member of the FUW since he started farming and a member of the Caernarfonshire dairy branch committee for many years.
[caption id="attachment_3108" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Presenting the FUW/HSBC award to the person who has made an outstanding contribution to the Welsh dairy industry to Rhisiart Tomos Lewis is deputy farming and food minister Rebecca Evans with FUW president Emyr Jones (far left) and HSBC agricultural manager for south Wales Nigel Williams (centre back).[/caption]