Agriculture students from Newtown College recently featured on the popular BBC Radio Cymru programme Dros Frecwast, sharing their views on the key priorities facing the agricultural sector ahead of the Senedd election.
The broadcast included contributions from Agriculture Lecturer Siân Jerman, alongside students Josh Davies, who is studying Level 3 Agricultural Engineering, and Ioan Phillips, a Higher National Diploma (HND) Agriculture student. The interviews were recorded at Fronlas Farm with BBC reporter Garry Owen.
During the discussion, Siân Jerman highlighted several significant challenges currently facing Welsh agriculture. These included the ongoing impact of bovine TB, rising fuel costs influenced by global conflict, and the importance of initiatives such as Farming Connect in supporting young people into employment within the industry.
Student Josh Davies, from Llanfair Caereinion, spoke candidly about the impact TB has had on his family’s farm. He explained how the business was forced to reduce its cattle numbers and refocus on sheep and alpacas, despite many successful years as beef farmers. Josh called for greater understanding of the realities farmers face, questioning whether removing cattle is always the most effective solution and raising concerns about the adequacy of compensation arrangements.
Ioan Phillips, who studies at Newtown College while working on his family’s farm in Abermule, discussed the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) and questioned whether the scheme would be a viable option for all farms. He expressed concerns around some of the current regulations, including restrictions on growing maize on sloping land, which can create challenges for many holdings. Ioan suggested that while larger farms may be able to adapt and remain profitable, smaller farms could face increasing difficulties.
The interviews can be heard on BBC Sounds via Dros Frecwast from Monday 13 April, 7:33am, and are also available online via BBC Cymru Fyw.
