- Kepak sponsors Wales YFC Stock Producer of the Year Award.
- Open to Young Farmers Club members aged 16 to 28.
- Judged by Kepak specialists based on stockmanship and sustainability criteria.
- Awards to be presented at Wales YFC Agri Conference in January 2027.
The search is on for the Wales YFC Stock Producer of the Year Award. The prestigious Award, sponsored by Kepak, seeks to recognise inspirational young people who drive innovation, sustainability and growth to ensure a dynamic future for livestock farming in Wales.
Wales YFC Stock Producer of the Year Award is open to all Young Farmers Club (YFC) members between the ages of 16 and 28. Kepak is one of the region’s leading livestock buyers and meat processors, based at Merthyr Tydfil in Powys.
Announcing the Award at a Brecon farm walk for the Kepak Young Farmer Forum last month, Angharad Thomas, Chair of Wales YFC, said:
“As the future of livestock production in Wales, this is an exciting platform for young farmers to demonstrate their skills and talents to champion the region’s high-quality produce.
“We urge all young farmers involved with producing beef, lamb and other livestock to enter the Awards. While the ultimate accolade is to win the overall Award, there is a huge amount to learn from being involved; to gain experience and to share best practices with others.
“A big thank you to Kepak for sponsoring the Award and leading the judging process, as well as the continual ongoing support for young farmers and the livestock industry in Wales.”
Entrants for the Wales YFC Stock Producer of the Year Award are judged on their understanding of all aspects of livestock management, including their use of genetics and nutrition to optimise farm output, animal health and welfare, along with understanding the market requirements of their stock.
Furthermore, reflecting the vital importance of sustainability in today’s livestock production systems, entrants are scored on their understanding of environmental, social and economic sustainability.
Frances Thomas, Kepak UK Sustainability Officer, added:
“Wales produces much of the UK’s highest quality livestock. Young farmers have an essential role in maintaining the tradition and continuing to improve in the future.
“Along with their exceptional stockmanship skills, sustainability is at the heart of protecting that future production. That includes environmental aspects of soil, water, emissions and biodiversity, along with social sustainability in the role of livestock production within the rural communities and economic sustainability of the business and its viability.
“Most farms have already made great strides in developing sustainable practices within their businesses, and the economic benefits. Young farmers have the vision to further develop new ideas and innovation, which we are keen to recognise and showcase with the Awards.”
Last year’s overall winner of the Wales YFC Stock Producer of the Year Award, beef and sheep farmer Daniel Evans, of Tanygraig, Silian, near Lampeter, highlighted it was a genuine privilege to have won.
“It has been hugely rewarding to have the recognition for all the work that has been involved in moving the business forward. It’s shown we are on the right track, and an important part of the motivation to continue to build the business and try new ideas.
“It’s quite easy to feel relatively isolated in the farming industry, so it is positive to get out and meet other livestock producers. Being part of the YFC community is incredibly important and creating the friendship network where we can all be part of a positive livestock industry,” he added.
Daniel’s Top Tips he identified for winning the Wales YFC Stock Producer of the Year Award include:
- A focus on cow fertility that resulted in a tighter calving pattern, giving a more even batch of calves through the system that makes management much easier.
- Improving genetics used on the herd that has made a real difference to feed conversion ratio, meaning they can grow meat as efficiently as possible.
- Making the most of home-grown forage helps to manage costs and know precisely the value of what’s going into the ration.
- Bringing silage production in-house, rather than using contractors, gives total control to maximise quality, targeting 11ME and 14% protein silage that has made a real difference in stock performance.
- Studying the abattoir spec sheet closely, as that tells you everything you need to know for what’s working or not in the system.
- Using data to constantly monitor performance instantly identifies issues to fix and getting everything finished as quickly as possible from home-grown forage.
The Wales YFC Stock Producer of the Year Award is open for entries now on the website. Judging will take place later in the year, with the Awards announced at the Wales YFC Agri Conference in January 2027.
