An impressive line-up of industry leaders will bring political, supply chain, consumer and agricultural insights to the annual NFU Cymru Conference in Llandrindod Wells.

This year’s event, titled ‘Securing the Future of Welsh Food’ will be held at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod from 10am on Thursday, November 7 and will focus on the need to secure sustainable food systems.

Every year, the event draws in hundreds of delegates owing to its high standard of speakers, and with a stellar line-up again this year, the union is set for another packed conference.

The event will begin with an opening speech from NFU Cymru President Aled Jones, followed by a keynote address and Q&A with Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies MS.

Discussions in the second session will centre on securing sustainable and resilient food systems, with Professor Tim Lang, Emeritus Professor of Food Policy at City University London's Centre for Food Policy.

The following session will hear from three industry leaders, Katie Palmer, Programme Manager at Food Sense Wales, Professor Susan Jebb, Chair of the Food Standards Agency and Shelagh Hancock, Chief Executive Officer at First Milk. This session will delve into securing opportunities for Welsh food producers.

After lunch, Dr Matthew Wall, Associate Professor of Politics, Philosophy and International Relations at Swansea University will be leading a session on the Welsh political landscape.

The final session will see John Murray, Director of Meat, Food and Beverages at Bord Bia – The Irish Food Board, take to the stage to speak about the Irish experience of securing and developing markets.

NFU Cymru Director John Mercer said: “Each year, we receive great feedback for the calibre of speakers we are able to attract to NFU Cymru Conference, our 2024 line-up promises to be one of our best events to date, given the speakers who have agreed to join us this year.

“We are especially pleased to be receiving a keynote address by our Cabinet Secretary, Huw Irranca-Davies MS. At such a crucial time for Welsh farming we look forward to hearing about the progress made on the Sustainable Farming Scheme proposals and Welsh Government’s work on key policy areas including bovine TB and water quality regulations. At a time when farming is being asked to deliver so much in terms of food security, nature and climate, we need Welsh Government to put policies and adequate budget in place that will allow us to continue to deliver on these objectives.

“NFU Cymru Conference is a popular event among the membership and so I encourage interested members to confirm their attendance as soon as possible.”

Members wishing to attend the conference, can register by calling 01982 554200 or emailing: [email protected]

Alternatively, members can register via the NFU Cymru website.