A poultry producer from mid-Wales has been honoured at NFU Conference for her dedication and commitment to the NFU and Welsh farming industry.

This year’s Meurig Raymond Award – named after the NFU’s former President – was last night presented to NFU Cymru member Sharon Hammond.

Sharon, who farms at Llanyre near Llandrindod Wells, is the former NFU Cymru Brecon and Radnor county chair. She speaks regularly to the media on high profile issues that impact members, offering balance to interviews on subjects like water quality, and using her educational background, visits schools across the area, teaching primary and secondary pupils about Welsh food and farming.

Sharon said: “There’s no I in team, there’s no I in NFU, I’m extremely proud to farm and very proud to be part of Brecon and Radnor NFU and speak up on behalf of our industry. The NFU is a family and we are here to support each other in the good times and bad, but it also gives us the ability to speak up and fight for what we believe in.”

NFU Director General Terry Jones said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Sharon has won this year’s Meurig Raymond Award after being nominated alongside four other fantastic members from across England and Wales.

“Sharon really is the embodiment of what the NFU is all about. As well as running a very successful broiler enterprise in mid-Wales, she regularly engages with colleagues from across the organisation, hosts stakeholders and politicians on her farm and speaks at NFU Cymru events, in schools and to the media on a range of difficult food and farming issues.

“Sharon’s continued hard work, dedication and positivity has helped raise the profile of Welsh farmers and what they do, making her a very worthy winner of this year’s award.”

Sharon Hammond, representing NFU Cymru, was selected from five nominees drawn from each of the NFU’s four English regions and NFU Cymru. The other nominees were: Andrew St Joseph (East), Anthony Snell (Midlands), Rebecca Wilson (North), and George Hosford (South).