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FUW president Glyn Roberts[/caption]
Farmers’ Union of Wales deputy president Glyn Roberts was elected as the union’s president during a meeting of its grand council in Aberystwyth yesterday (Monday, June 15).
Mr Roberts of Dylasau Uchaf, Padog, Betws-Y-Coed, Conwy, who stepped up from deputy president, said: “ I would like to thank all those who have voted for me to be the next president of the Farmers’ Union of Wales.
“We are indebted to our former president Emyr Jones for his leadership over the past four years and as we celebrate 60 years of fighting for family farms, I look forward to pro-actively continuing in the footsteps of my predecessors.
“As president of this union I want to see the opportunities in problems rather than see problems in opportunities and would like to further a sustainable agricultural community which continues to be the backbone of our rural economies and culture.”
In 1976 he completed a full-time course at Glynllifon, and not being a farmer’s son, he went to work as a shepherd at Dylasau Uchaf, Padog.
In 1977 Glyn successfully submitted an application for the tenancy of a 100-acre upland farm, Ynys Wen, Ysbyty Ifan and also worked part-time during this period at Dylasau Uchaf.
In 1983 Mr Roberts secured the tenancy of Dylasau Uchaf, a 350-acre farm owned by the National Trust, where he continues to farm with his wife Eleri. The couple have five children – three of which have graduated from Aberystwyth University and two of whom are students there now.
Mr Roberts has been on the FUW finance and organisation committee as North Wales member from 2003 – 2004; FUW vice president from 2004-2011 and was elected as deputy president of the Farmers’ Union of Wales in 2011.
He served as FUW chairman for Caernarfonshire between 1999-2002; Llanrwst FUW Branch Chairman from 1990-1994; FUW national bilingualism and publicity committee chairman from 2001-2004, represented Caernarfonshire on the FUW’s central tenants committee and Snowdonia National Park Committee between 1998-2002 ; he was also a member of the FUW’s Council between 1994-2002.
Further to this, Mr Roberts has served as treasurer of the National Trust Tenants’ Society for the Ysbyty Ifan Estate since 1993 to present and he is the secretary of Ysbyty Ifan Sheepdog Trials, a post he has held since 1998.
Glyn has lectured several times on agricultural issues and a personal highlight was lecturing on the Future of the Uplands at Glynllifon in 1997 and sharing the stage with head of the agriculture department of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth Professor Mike Haines and John Cameron from Scotland.
Mr Roberts has also taken part in many television and radio programmes on agriculture.
During 2006-2008 he was the FUW’s representative on the board of Hybu Cig Cymru and since 2008 serves as non-executive director on the board of Hybu Cig Cymru by Welsh Assembly Government appointment.
In January 2001, Carwyn Jones AM visited Dylasau Uchaf and Ysbyty Ifan and Mr Roberts was responsible for preparing a comprehensive document looking at the inevitable link between agriculture and the future of rural communities, “The Importance of Agriculture in Rural Communities”.
Mr Roberts led the first FUW delegation from Caernarfonshire to Brussels to discuss was E.I.D. back in October 2000.
Glyn won the National Eisteddfod Farm Management competition which involved compiling a three-year plan in August 1992 and in 1992 when Glynllifon College was faced with the threat of closure, Glyn was chosen as a member of a Working Group of three to look at the possibilities of keeping its doors open.