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Business News Wales
13-06-2025
- Business
- Business News Wales
International Collaboration Can Create a More Resilient Welsh Economy
We often talk in Wales about the strength of our communities, the innovation of our businesses and the richness of our culture. These are assets we should be proud of. But pride alone won't drive economic resilience or business growth. That comes from learning, adapting and being open to new ideas, wherever they may come from. At Mentera, we believe that progress is best achieved by listening to others as well as ourselves. Wales has never held a monopoly on good ideas, and it never will. But we do have a strong culture of sharing, collaborating and being curious, and these are qualities that stand us in good stead in an increasingly interconnected world. Our work takes us across Wales and, increasingly, across borders. We've experienced the value of study exchanges, field visits and collaboration between regions. These are not just learning opportunities for individuals; they have the potential to reshape how we approach key issues at a national level. Wales isn't just learning from others; it's also a source of international expertise. For instance, our work in farming and animal health has gained global recognition, with staff invited to speak at events in Australia and Austria. Our Arwain DGC programme, focused on responsible antimicrobial use, was presented at a conference in Australia, while Farming Connect's research on soil carbon has been shared in Belfast. Furthermore, their work on farm succession has been discussed at the Oxford Real Farming Conference, and their expertise in antimicrobial stewardship was highlighted in Austria. These invitations underscore Wales' valuable contributions to international knowledge sharing and innovation. A recent example is the visit to the Basque Country by the ARFOR programme. This was a focused exercise to understand how another small nation is navigating the complex links between language, identity and the economy. The Basque Country has taken bold steps to ensure the future of its language, including through innovation, entrepreneurship and public policy. There are parallels with Wales, but also notable differences. And it is in those differences that some of the most useful lessons can be found. The value of that visit lies not only in what was learned during the week but in what follows. The conversations that continue, the partnerships that develop and the decisions we make back home that are shaped by what we saw. It's this type of exchange that pushes us to question how we do things in Wales and that can only be healthy. These links work both ways. Wales is not just a recipient of international best practice; it is also a contributor. In areas such as sustainability, skills and education, Wales has developed models and approaches that are now informing thinking in other parts of the world. We have something to offer, and we should be confident in sharing it. That's especially important when it comes to policy development. Whether we're talking about public services, energy, workforce skills or regional development, Wales is facing many of the same challenges as other nations. It makes little sense to try to solve them in isolation. By learning from other countries and adapting their ideas to suit our context, we avoid starting from scratch and make better use of our resources. What we're aiming to do at Mentera is create the conditions for that learning to happen more often and in a more structured way. That means making space for reflection, for sharing knowledge, and for testing out new ideas. It also means making sure the learning doesn't stay with the people who go on the trips, but is shared more widely so that it can inform programmes and policies. There's a particular opportunity here for small nations and regions. We can be agile in the way we learn and apply knowledge. Our size allows us to make connections more easily and to trial new approaches more quickly. But we still need to make those connections in the first place. That's why international collaboration matters. And it's not always about going far. Sometimes the most valuable insights come from those with similar challenges, similar ambitions and similar constraints. The fact that Wales and the Basque Country are both minority language nations added a richness to the recent exchange. There was a shared understanding of the role language plays in economic identity, and a mutual respect for the journey each nation is on. Our hope is that these kinds of collaborations will become more commonplace. We want to see more Welsh businesses looking outward, more community leaders engaging with their peers internationally, and more policymakers drawing on a wider evidence base. This isn't about copying what others do. It's about learning from them, adapting it for our own context, and sharing what we've learned in return. Wales has plenty of strengths but if we want to make the most of them, we have to stay open. Open to new ideas, open to challenge, and open to learning from beyond our borders. That's what will help us compete, thrive and build an economy that's resilient, inclusive and forward-looking.
North Wales Chronicle
06-06-2025
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Anglesey farm praised for climate-friendly food production
Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies visited Castellior Farm to see how sustainable practices are shaping the future of agriculture in Wales. The visit highlighted the success of farmer Dylan Jones, who has combined profitable beef farming with strong environmental stewardship. Mr Irranca-Davies said: "The sustainable production of food remains at the core of the Sustainable Farming Scheme. "But significant changes to our climate and weather will continue to develop over the next few decades, and it is essential that we take steps now to build resilience and adapt to the potential impacts of climate change. "Dylan is an exemplar in showing how farms can modify pasture management to address the impacts of climate change while staying profitable – good for business and good for our environment." Castellior Farm, covering 332 hectares and run by Mr Jones and his father Wyn, has received several industry awards. Mr Jones has also secured funding through Farming Connect's Try-Out Fund for a project titled Evaluation of Phosphate sources with homegrown cereals in relation to farm nutrient balance and environmental footprint. He said: "I was pleased to welcome the Deputy First Minister to the farm to showcase the progress and developments we've made over the past ten years. "Our collaboration with Farming Connect at various stages throughout this period has provided valuable guidance and helped give us the confidence to move forward. "During the visit, we had an open and constructive discussion about the ongoing challenges facing the agricultural sector. "I was grateful for the Deputy First Minister's respectful approach and willingness to listen to my concerns, particularly around food security and the long-term future of agriculture in Wales." READ MORE: Llinos Medi MP presses Government on destruction of Gaza healthcare system Eirwen Williams, director of service delivery for Farming Connect at Mentera, said: "This visit was a great opportunity for the Deputy First Minister to see the impact this important programme has on the agricultural industry. "As the agricultural industry transitions to the new Sustainable Farming Scheme the support offered by Farming Connect will be vital. "It's been a pleasure working with Dylan on some of the innovative projects he's been doing in Castellior." Results from Mr Jones' work will be shared at a Farming Connect Our Farms Farm Walk in September. The event will give other Welsh farmers the opportunity to learn from Castellior's approach to sustainable farming.
Pembrokeshire Herald
29-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Plea to lift agricultural occupancy condition rejected
A NEW co-operative formed between West Wales pig farmers and a meat supplier is allowing pork from herds born and reared within the region to be transported for processing just a short distance in a low-throughput abattoir – reducing stress on the animals, providing low food miles meat for consumers and improving producer margins. The eight Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire-based farmers were brought together by the Farming Connect Agrisgôp initiative after the idea was discussed by Fishguard meat supplier and butcher Martyn Lloyd and Agrisgôp leader Lilwen Joynson. Martyn had been a member of another Agrisgôp group where Lilwen had helped him to develop his idea for a new processing facility and later, at a Farming Connect mentoring meeting, the idea for the Red Dragon Porc Cyf co-operative was established. Martyn and his wife, Danielle, had been unable to source low food miles pork for their customers. 'We could get beef and lamb and we have our own poultry but what we were missing was pork, we did our best to find Welsh pork for customers but that pork came with a lot of food miles and that doesn't fit with our business ethos,'' Martyn explains. Developing an abattoir on their farm at Cilshafe presented a solution. 'We wanted to get some pork producers on board, to help them advance their businesses,'' says Martyn. 'There are a lot of small pig producers in west Wales and many were struggling to work out how best to get their meat to the market but with an existing customer base we could help. We looked to Agrisgôp to help to bring that to life.'' After the first Agrisgôp meeting, facilitated by Lilwen, the idea took shape. Agrisgôp is a fully-funded management development programme that encourages eligible farmers to get together to not only develop their businesses, but to personally gain confidence and skills through action learning. And this is what happened for the Red Dragon Porc Cyf members. Farmers had been receiving inconsistent prices for their pigs when they marketed as individual businesses and their ability to supply a butcher directly was constrained as meeting supply volume requirements was tricky. 'The farmers shared a mission and were guided on putting their ideas into action,'' Lilwen explains. Building trust and confidence was crucial to the process of forming a cooperative. 'Collaboration and open sharing are definitely key,'' says Lilwen. 'Differences of opinion and thinking had to be overcome and a set of rules and values adopted with individuals accepting that it had to work for the majority since they were no longer operating as individual businesses.'' For some it even meant changing breeding patterns and breed type to accommodate market demands. At the end of 2024, Red Dragon Porc Cyf had already marketed £43,000 worth of pork, including sausages which captured awards at last year's Royal Welsh Winter Fair. In April, the missing part of the local pork jigsaw slotted into position when the Lloyds started processing pork at their own Food Standards Agency-approved abattoir. Until then, co-operative members including Will Kerr had to transport their pigs further to be processed. 'We didn't have any control over prices, the margins were very small,'' Will admits. 'Martyn opening the abattoir in Fishguard has been the catalyst we needed.'' Will has six Welsh pig breeding sows, which he runs alongside suckler beef and sheep enterprises at his family's farm, Blaenawen, at Glanrhyd. He had long been frustrated at the perception of pork being, in his words 'the cheap cousin'' of beef and lamb. While it has become commonplace for butchers to display the full history of the beef and lamb they are selling, Will points out that this is rarely applied to pork because it is largely sourced wholesale or has been imported. 'We too are now in a position to tell the exciting story of our pork,'' says Will, who farms with his parents, Mark and Kip. He sees a major advantage in being part of a co-operative. 'As a group we are more powerful, it gives us many advantages, we are already getting a better price for our pigs. 'Without Agrisgôp we would never have come together so we are grateful to Martyn for initiating it with Farming Connect and to Lilwen for pulling us all together.'' Another member of the group, Ed Walker, also sees big value in collective marketing, that 'strength in numbers''. 'As eight producers we are on a par with commercial farmers as we can offer consistency of supply but we are still individual small producers too.'' The businessman-turned-farmer produces around 600 pigs a year on an outdoor system at 46-acre Model Farm near Tenby. His 22 breeding sows are a mixture of Large Whites crossed with a Welsh boar and Oxford Sandy and Blacks which he crosses to a Large White. Keeping pigs started as hobby, alongside running his own civil engineering business, but it is now more or less a full-time job, with a part-time helper too. Almost all his sales are through Red Dragon Porc Cyf although he is also licenced to sell meat from the farm as Tenby Woodland Pork. Before the abattoir was established at Cilshafe, he would need to make a 150-mile round trip to the facility at Maesteg. The next stage for the co-operative could be to establish a meat box scheme. The throughput of pigs through the Lloyds' abattoir, which also processes other livestock, will be small initially but that is projected to increase as sales gain momentum. The facility has so far has created four full-time jobs and more could follow. Picture caption: Collaborating on pork marketing: Pictured from the left are Tom Young, Nic Caine, Martyn Lloyd, Ed Walker, Will Kerr and Lilwen Joynson
Pembrokeshire Herald
28-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
New Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire farms join innovation network
A NEW co-operative formed between West Wales pig farmers and a meat supplier is allowing pork from herds born and reared within the region to be transported for processing just a short distance in a low-throughput abattoir – reducing stress on the animals, providing low food miles meat for consumers and improving producer margins. The eight Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire-based farmers were brought together by the Farming Connect Agrisgôp initiative after the idea was discussed by Fishguard meat supplier and butcher Martyn Lloyd and Agrisgôp leader Lilwen Joynson. Martyn had been a member of another Agrisgôp group where Lilwen had helped him to develop his idea for a new processing facility and later, at a Farming Connect mentoring meeting, the idea for the Red Dragon Porc Cyf co-operative was established. Martyn and his wife, Danielle, had been unable to source low food miles pork for their customers. 'We could get beef and lamb and we have our own poultry but what we were missing was pork, we did our best to find Welsh pork for customers but that pork came with a lot of food miles and that doesn't fit with our business ethos,'' Martyn explains. Developing an abattoir on their farm at Cilshafe presented a solution. 'We wanted to get some pork producers on board, to help them advance their businesses,'' says Martyn. 'There are a lot of small pig producers in west Wales and many were struggling to work out how best to get their meat to the market but with an existing customer base we could help. We looked to Agrisgôp to help to bring that to life.'' After the first Agrisgôp meeting, facilitated by Lilwen, the idea took shape. Agrisgôp is a fully-funded management development programme that encourages eligible farmers to get together to not only develop their businesses, but to personally gain confidence and skills through action learning. And this is what happened for the Red Dragon Porc Cyf members. Farmers had been receiving inconsistent prices for their pigs when they marketed as individual businesses and their ability to supply a butcher directly was constrained as meeting supply volume requirements was tricky. 'The farmers shared a mission and were guided on putting their ideas into action,'' Lilwen explains. Building trust and confidence was crucial to the process of forming a cooperative. 'Collaboration and open sharing are definitely key,'' says Lilwen. 'Differences of opinion and thinking had to be overcome and a set of rules and values adopted with individuals accepting that it had to work for the majority since they were no longer operating as individual businesses.'' For some it even meant changing breeding patterns and breed type to accommodate market demands. At the end of 2024, Red Dragon Porc Cyf had already marketed £43,000 worth of pork, including sausages which captured awards at last year's Royal Welsh Winter Fair. In April, the missing part of the local pork jigsaw slotted into position when the Lloyds started processing pork at their own Food Standards Agency-approved abattoir. Until then, co-operative members including Will Kerr had to transport their pigs further to be processed. 'We didn't have any control over prices, the margins were very small,'' Will admits. 'Martyn opening the abattoir in Fishguard has been the catalyst we needed.'' Will has six Welsh pig breeding sows, which he runs alongside suckler beef and sheep enterprises at his family's farm, Blaenawen, at Glanrhyd. He had long been frustrated at the perception of pork being, in his words 'the cheap cousin'' of beef and lamb. While it has become commonplace for butchers to display the full history of the beef and lamb they are selling, Will points out that this is rarely applied to pork because it is largely sourced wholesale or has been imported. 'We too are now in a position to tell the exciting story of our pork,'' says Will, who farms with his parents, Mark and Kip. He sees a major advantage in being part of a co-operative. 'As a group we are more powerful, it gives us many advantages, we are already getting a better price for our pigs. 'Without Agrisgôp we would never have come together so we are grateful to Martyn for initiating it with Farming Connect and to Lilwen for pulling us all together.'' Another member of the group, Ed Walker, also sees big value in collective marketing, that 'strength in numbers''. 'As eight producers we are on a par with commercial farmers as we can offer consistency of supply but we are still individual small producers too.'' The businessman-turned-farmer produces around 600 pigs a year on an outdoor system at 46-acre Model Farm near Tenby. His 22 breeding sows are a mixture of Large Whites crossed with a Welsh boar and Oxford Sandy and Blacks which he crosses to a Large White. Keeping pigs started as hobby, alongside running his own civil engineering business, but it is now more or less a full-time job, with a part-time helper too. Almost all his sales are through Red Dragon Porc Cyf although he is also licenced to sell meat from the farm as Tenby Woodland Pork. Before the abattoir was established at Cilshafe, he would need to make a 150-mile round trip to the facility at Maesteg. The next stage for the co-operative could be to establish a meat box scheme. The throughput of pigs through the Lloyds' abattoir, which also processes other livestock, will be small initially but that is projected to increase as sales gain momentum. The facility has so far has created four full-time jobs and more could follow. Picture caption: Collaborating on pork marketing: Pictured from the left are Tom Young, Nic Caine, Martyn Lloyd, Ed Walker, Will Kerr and Lilwen Joynson
Pembrokeshire Herald
28-05-2025
- Business
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Over 100 gather to oppose GreenGen pylons in growing ‘David vs Goliath' battle
A NEW co-operative formed between West Wales pig farmers and a meat supplier is allowing pork from herds born and reared within the region to be transported for processing just a short distance in a low-throughput abattoir – reducing stress on the animals, providing low food miles meat for consumers and improving producer margins. The eight Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire-based farmers were brought together by the Farming Connect Agrisgôp initiative after the idea was discussed by Fishguard meat supplier and butcher Martyn Lloyd and Agrisgôp leader Lilwen Joynson. Martyn had been a member of another Agrisgôp group where Lilwen had helped him to develop his idea for a new processing facility and later, at a Farming Connect mentoring meeting, the idea for the Red Dragon Porc Cyf co-operative was established. Martyn and his wife, Danielle, had been unable to source low food miles pork for their customers. 'We could get beef and lamb and we have our own poultry but what we were missing was pork, we did our best to find Welsh pork for customers but that pork came with a lot of food miles and that doesn't fit with our business ethos,'' Martyn explains. Developing an abattoir on their farm at Cilshafe presented a solution. 'We wanted to get some pork producers on board, to help them advance their businesses,'' says Martyn. 'There are a lot of small pig producers in west Wales and many were struggling to work out how best to get their meat to the market but with an existing customer base we could help. We looked to Agrisgôp to help to bring that to life.'' After the first Agrisgôp meeting, facilitated by Lilwen, the idea took shape. Agrisgôp is a fully-funded management development programme that encourages eligible farmers to get together to not only develop their businesses, but to personally gain confidence and skills through action learning. And this is what happened for the Red Dragon Porc Cyf members. Farmers had been receiving inconsistent prices for their pigs when they marketed as individual businesses and their ability to supply a butcher directly was constrained as meeting supply volume requirements was tricky. 'The farmers shared a mission and were guided on putting their ideas into action,'' Lilwen explains. Building trust and confidence was crucial to the process of forming a cooperative. 'Collaboration and open sharing are definitely key,'' says Lilwen. 'Differences of opinion and thinking had to be overcome and a set of rules and values adopted with individuals accepting that it had to work for the majority since they were no longer operating as individual businesses.'' For some it even meant changing breeding patterns and breed type to accommodate market demands. At the end of 2024, Red Dragon Porc Cyf had already marketed £43,000 worth of pork, including sausages which captured awards at last year's Royal Welsh Winter Fair. In April, the missing part of the local pork jigsaw slotted into position when the Lloyds started processing pork at their own Food Standards Agency-approved abattoir. Until then, co-operative members including Will Kerr had to transport their pigs further to be processed. 'We didn't have any control over prices, the margins were very small,'' Will admits. 'Martyn opening the abattoir in Fishguard has been the catalyst we needed.'' Will has six Welsh pig breeding sows, which he runs alongside suckler beef and sheep enterprises at his family's farm, Blaenawen, at Glanrhyd. He had long been frustrated at the perception of pork being, in his words 'the cheap cousin'' of beef and lamb. While it has become commonplace for butchers to display the full history of the beef and lamb they are selling, Will points out that this is rarely applied to pork because it is largely sourced wholesale or has been imported. 'We too are now in a position to tell the exciting story of our pork,'' says Will, who farms with his parents, Mark and Kip. He sees a major advantage in being part of a co-operative. 'As a group we are more powerful, it gives us many advantages, we are already getting a better price for our pigs. 'Without Agrisgôp we would never have come together so we are grateful to Martyn for initiating it with Farming Connect and to Lilwen for pulling us all together.'' Another member of the group, Ed Walker, also sees big value in collective marketing, that 'strength in numbers''. 'As eight producers we are on a par with commercial farmers as we can offer consistency of supply but we are still individual small producers too.'' The businessman-turned-farmer produces around 600 pigs a year on an outdoor system at 46-acre Model Farm near Tenby. His 22 breeding sows are a mixture of Large Whites crossed with a Welsh boar and Oxford Sandy and Blacks which he crosses to a Large White. Keeping pigs started as hobby, alongside running his own civil engineering business, but it is now more or less a full-time job, with a part-time helper too. Almost all his sales are through Red Dragon Porc Cyf although he is also licenced to sell meat from the farm as Tenby Woodland Pork. Before the abattoir was established at Cilshafe, he would need to make a 150-mile round trip to the facility at Maesteg. The next stage for the co-operative could be to establish a meat box scheme. The throughput of pigs through the Lloyds' abattoir, which also processes other livestock, will be small initially but that is projected to increase as sales gain momentum. The facility has so far has created four full-time jobs and more could follow. Picture caption: Collaborating on pork marketing: Pictured from the left are Tom Young, Nic Caine, Martyn Lloyd, Ed Walker, Will Kerr and Lilwen Joynson
