Owain is top young farmer

A 26 year old farmer from Ffordd Corwen near Ruthin has scooped top prize in the Welsh heat of the NFU Farming Excellence Awards.

Owain Llyr Morgan, of Tyn-y-Wern Farm now goes forward to the national finals where he will battle it out with young farmers from across the UK for the coveted title of UK Young Farmer of the Year 2004.

Owain was picked for his commitment and vision in an industry where the average age of farmers is 58 years old. Despite the lure of a promising career in Law, Owain left university to take over the family farm when his grandfather became ill.

"The appeal of working with livestock and carrying on the family business eventually proved irresistible," Owain explains and it was a decision he has never regretted.

Tyn-y-Wern is a 70 acre holding and the farm enterprise consists of a pedigree breeding flock of 80 Lleyn ewes and 80 beef cattle, which are bought as stores and finished on concentrates. He also runs a bull hire enterprise, which has now grown to include 100 stock bulls during the busiest times of year.

Running the farm isn't just about managing livestock - Owain rates marketing as very important, and says that paperwork takes up a lot of his time.

Since becoming a partner in the business three years ago, Owain has made a number of changes. "We have put in a new cattle handling system, constructed additional bull pens, built a new office in the old granary, and implemented new computer systems," he explains.

Activities that began as a hobby have become vital to promoting the business. "Showing cattle at events like the Royal Welsh Show and Winter Fair allows me to meet new people and potential customers," he says.

And Owain has big plans for the future too. "I want to increase the volume of breeding and store cattle and further expand the bull hire business," he says. "I am investigating the possibility of importing top quality bulls from France and Belgium during the next 12 months."

There are also plans to set up a website to market stock, and Owain hopes that reform of the CAP will open up new opportunities for young farmers like himself.

"It could provide the opportunity of expanding the farming side of the business, taking on more land and additional buildings, with the aim of establishing a top quality suckler herd, as well as increasing the number of ewes," he adds.

The winners of the national finals will be announced next month.