If you have been around the Carmarthenshire countryside lately, you may have unknowingly crossed paths with team GB cyclist Manon Lloyd, who is representing Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Her parents, Farmers’ Union of Wales members Ian and Helen Lloyd, have been farming at Torcoed Fawr, Crwbin, Kidwelly since 2003 and the family have been here since 1919.

Their daughter however had other ideas for her future. Her passion and dedication to cycling means that the 21-year-old is representing Wales on both the track events and the road race on the Gold Coast.

“I was so relieved and happy when I got told I was on the team. I am proud to be Welsh and the opportunity to represent Wales only comes around every 4 years, and it being my first games I am really excited,” she said.

Dad Ian is proud of his daughter and is looking forward to see her race for Wales: “We normally have about 120-150 ewes but we have cut back drastically this year so we can watch Manon race. It is a tremendous achievement for her and we couldn’t be more proud.” 

Manon spends the majority of her time training in Manchester or racing abroad but comes home whenever she can and helps out with lambing and feeding the animals. But how has she been preparing herself for the challenge ahead?

Wales’ highest mountain is calling Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) fundraisers once again - this time round the FUW team will tackle six routes in 12 hours, in order to raise funds for the Union President's charities: Alzheimer’s Society Cymru and The Farming Community Network (FCN).

Snowdon is one of Wales’ most famous landmarks, standing tall over the village of Llanberis. It is part of a close-knit family of jagged peaks and can offer views of Snowdonia, Anglesey, Pembrokeshire and Ireland.

Tackling the 1085 metre giant on Friday 22 June, fundraisers will have the choice whether to walk 1, 2 or 3 peaks on the day.

The first ascent will take fundraisers up the Watkin Path and down the Pyg Track, the second climb will go up the Miners Path and down the Snowdon Ranger Path and the final route will take walkers up the Rhyd Ddu Path and down the Llanberis Path.

“This is another fantastic challenge our staff and members have set themselves to raise money for our charities. If you are interested in joining the team, either by walking or in a supporting role, please contact your local county office for more information,” said FUW President Glyn Roberts.

FCN Regional Director in Wales, David Williams said: “As a charity, we are amazed by the lengths the FUW are going to in order to raise money for FCN and we are incredibly grateful to them for taking on this incredible challenge. The money raised will go such a long way in order to help FCN in its support of the farming community throughout Wales. We wish everyone taking part the very best of luck.”

Natalie De Maid, Regional Community Fundraising Manager for Alzheimer’s Community Cymru said: “ The FUW have set themselves an epic target with their Snowdon climb. Dementia is now the UK’s biggest killer, with someone developing it every three minutes.  

“Alzheimer’s Society Cymru are extremely grateful for the FUW’s continued support which will directly help the 45,000 people living with dementia in Wales.

“Alzheimer’s Society is urging everyone to unite against dementia. Unite now with the Farmers’ Union Wales and join them in their Snowdon climb to help raise money for people affected by dementia.”

A Glamorgan beef and sheep farming couple have called for clarity on trade and funding post-Brexit on the eve of the 1 year exit countdown.

Farmers’ Union of Wales Glamorgan County Chairman Richard Walker and his partner Rachel Edwards, who run Flaxland Farm - a 120 acre holding just outside of Barry, look after 120 breeding ewes, 3 rams, 40 lambs from last year, 150 lambs from this year and 100 cattle (consisting of 37 breeding 60 young stock).

They are worried about the lack of progress made in trade negotiations and the fact that farmers in Wales still don’t know what budget will be allocated to Wales in terms of agriculture.

Speaking from his farm, Richard said: “We are 1 year away from leaving the EU, yet we have no idea of where our produce will be sold to and under what conditions and we don’t know how much money will be allocated to Wales as part of the agricultural budget. It is very worrying and I urge the UK Government to provide clarity as soon as possible.”

Even though Richard and Rachel have secured a market for their lambs with local butchers in the Vale of Glamorgan, the concern for the rest of the industry remains.

Rachel said: “We have managed to secure a market for our produce locally but that doesn’t in any way help the other lamb producers across Wales. Politicians need to understand that most of the lambs born this year will be sold into a post-Brexit market - but what exactly that market looks like, and under what conditions, such as tariffs, where and how our produce will be sold is a mystery.

We recently caught up with Bryony Francis, a dog behaviour consultant, Clinical Animal Behaviourist and Full Member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC), who spoke at the Animal Welfare Network Wales livestock worrying seminar, hosted by the FUW at the end of last year. She has been running a behaviour practice in South Wales and the Marches since 2002 and lives in farming country near the Black Mountains with her husband and a Jack Russell Terrier.

Here is her advice for dog owners when it comes to livestock worrying:

With various access rights, walkers and dogs share the countryside with the farm animals and wildlife that live there. We all want to enjoy it. Yet science shows that any new arrival causes stress to livestock and, of stimuli investigated, a dog is the most aversive stimulus that you can present to sheep.

In short, as soon as you take a dog into a field of sheep, you are likely to cause stress to the sheep regardless of how you and your dog behave after that. Stress can cause illness and injury, and therefore has serious consequences for the welfare of the livestock and the farmer’s livelihood. Owners and walkers of dogs have responsibilities under the law and, under some circumstances, farmers are legally entitled to shoot dogs that endanger their sheep.

Dogs inherit some behavioural tendencies and acquire others. The domestic dog is a predator, with hunting behaviours altered but not eliminated through breeding. A dog’s desire to engage in these hunting behaviours varies from breed to breed and from individual dog to individual dog. Most dogs learn early in their lives to enjoy chasing things.