Farmers’ Union of Wales Carmarthenshire county vice chairman Catherine Nakielny was today elected chairman of the union’s new animal health and welfare committee.
Miss Nakielny, 34, of Blaennant, Talley, near Llandeilo, has previously worked as an independent sheep consultant for two-and-a-half years and also helps run the 350-acre family upland sheep farm.
She is a co-opted member of the FUW’s livestock, wool and marts committee and the union’s parliamentary and land use committee. She is also involved with the Welsh region of the National Sheep Association and has just recently returned from a three-week study tour of research organisations and farms in New Zealand as part of her Nuffield Scholarship.
Elwyn Jones, 48, the Meirionnydd delegate for the animal health and welfare committee, was elected the committee’s vice chairman. Together with his wife Megan, a teaching assistant, he runs a flock of 900 Lleyn ewes on his 700-acre farm at Dinas Mawddwy, near Machynlleth. He took over the family business in 1998 and has since developed four cottages into holiday accommodation.
After the committee’s inaugural meeting at the union’s headquarters in Aberystwyth, Miss Nakielny said: “It is a great honour for me to be elected to chair this important committee.
“By establishing the animal health and welfare committee we are now able to voice our concern and discuss future plans of action with the Welsh Government.
“It was great to have the chief veterinary officer for Wales, Christianne Glossop, here with us today and to speak to her about the concerns the union has regarding sheep scab, the eradication of bovine tuberculosis and other animal welfare and health issues.
“I look forward to the great work that this committee can do for the union and its members in the future and hope that we will continue working closely with the Welsh Government on animal health and welfare issue,†she added.
