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The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society has appointed Aled Jones, aged 27, of Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire as Assistant Chief Executive of the organisation.  He will join the staff of the society in September, working alongside Steve Hughson, who took over as the new Chief Executive of the Royal Welsh in May.

A chartered surveyor and agricultural valuer, Aled joined the Carmarthenshire firm of Rees Richards & Partners, Chartered Surveyors and Land Agents, as an assistant land agent in 2007 and became a partner of the firm in January this year.

Visitors to the Royal Welsh Show, particularly farmers who may be seeking information or advice on environmental issues, are being encouraged by the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society to go to the showground’s Countryside Care area during the four-day event at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, (July 22-25).

One of the most interesting and important sections of the show, it was created in 1990 as an extension of the Country Pursuits area in response to increasing public awareness of nature conservation and wildlife.

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have accepted an invitation to visit this year’s Royal Welsh Show and they will be at Llanelwedd for the third day of the event, Wednesday July 24.

“The society is delighted to announce the royal visit and we are honoured that both the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are to join us this year,” said the new chief executive of the RWAS, Steve Hughson.

A £3000 Royal Welsh Agricultural Society scholarship to encourage students to develop their potential through academic achievement so that they can make a more effective contribution to the agricultural industry has been awarded to William Henry Sawday of Hill Farm, Llanigon, Hay-on-Wye.

The scholarship fund is sponsored annually by Waitrose and is intended to help students from Wales who have qualified through a Higher National Diploma or Foundation Degree to proceed to a degree course in land-based studies at any university college in England, Scotland or Wales.  To qualify a candidate’s family must have lived in Wales for at least five years.

A 66 year-old farm worker from Ceredigion who has been employed on the land for 54 years will receive a Royal Welsh Agricultural Society Long Service Medal marking his achievement at this year’s Royal Welsh Show.

Emyr Lloyd Jones, of Bow Street, Ceredigion, who has spent his entire working life on two nearby farms – 31 years with JH, RH & SP Morgan at Llandre, Bow Street, and 23 years with Mr & Mrs W. Jones of Ty Hen, Llanrhystud - is one of nine farm and estate farm workers who will be presented with the medals in recognition of their length of service to farming.  Between them they have spent over 370 years working in the industry.

A student from Carmarthenshire is this year’s winner of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society – Harper Cymry Student Award introduced in 1999 to encourage students from Wales at Harper Adams University to contribute fully to developing both their academic and personal potential.

In spite of one of the worst seasons on record some of the best grass silage growers in Wales produced top quality results in the All Wales Clamp and Big Bale Silage competitions run by the RWAS and the Federation of Welsh Grassland Societies.

Silage is key to the production of meat and milk on many Welsh farms, and the competition is one of the most contested in the industry,