News

18 - July - 2008Four Young Farmers Will See the World Thanks to Travel Scholarship

Four young farmers from across Wales have financially benefited from this year’s Gareth Raw Rees Memorial Travel Scholarship. This year has seen the highest amount ever awarded by the Management Committee to scholars wishing to broaden their knowledge of agriculture, following a donation from the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust.

This year’s awards will be presented by the Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones AM, at the Royal Welsh Show, on Tuesday, 22 July 2008 at 10.45am.

Llŷr Humphreys the main winner, from Cerrig y Drudion, near Corwen, will receive £800 to help him travel to New Zealand this autumn. Llŷr intends to look at different farming systems used in New Zealand, focussing particular on beef and sheep production.

Llŷr graduated from Aberystwyth University this year after gaining an honours degree in Agriculture with Business Studies at the Institute of Rural Sciences. Commenting on his impending visit to New Zealand, Llŷr said, “I am really looking forward to taking this opportunity to see first hand how New Zealand has coped following the removal of Government support for agriculture. I intend to leave in October and hope to work out there on farms to learn about their farming practices.”

Kevin Davies, also receives £500 from the scholarship towards a three week tour of the Chicago area of the United States of America. The trip, arranged through the YFC movement, will take Kevin away from his family farm in near Llanybydder to broaden his knowledge on beef and sheep farming.

There are two further recipients from the scholarship this year, both receiving £150 to help with their travels.

Robin Davies, from Betws y Coed, has just completed his degree in Agriculture with Countryside Management at Aberystwyth University. He will travel to New Zealand this autumn where he will spend some time working to learn about agricultural practices in the country.

Aled Gibbon, from Whitland in Carmarthenshire, is currently working as a stockman on a dairy farm. Aled will spend four weeks in Zambia, later this year. The trip, organised through the YFC International Discovery Programme will enable Aled to learn about agriculture in a developing country.

The scholarship, which is administered by NFU Cymru was set up in memory of the late Gareth Raw Rees who, for many years, was a delegate on the NFU London Council and Chairman of the NFU Cymru Education Committee. Gareth believed fervently that travel was an important form of education for young people.