THE John Gittins Memorial Award for outstanding contributions to the Welsh sheep industry has been won this year by Montgomeryshire farmer Steve Smith.

The award, one of the most prestigious prizes in Welsh agriculture, has been won by Mr Smith, of Pen-y-Bryn, Castle Caereinion.

Mr Smith was raised in a non-farming family but he always knew from a very young age that he wanted to farm. He got the farming bug and eventually moved to Wales in 1981 to work as a shepherd in Montgomeryshire. He believed that the sheep industry had great opportunity and looked towards the then new breeds that were starting to be imported from the continent and decided that Texels and Belgian Blue’s provided a great opportunity in developing the Welsh red meat sector.

In 1983 he brought his first importation of Texels and joined the Texel Sheep Society, recognising the importance of good animal health and welfare, and he became the first to have a MV registered flock in Wales.

By starting out on a council tenanted farm, he graduated to a Powis Estates farm before acquiring his own holding and further land, taking his holding to 1,200 acres, increasing the sheep and suckler cow numbers along with diversifying into tourism, letting residential properties and renewable energy and timber production.

Over the years Mr Smith has attained many achievements. He was the chair and founder member of the first MLC performance recorded ram sales before it transferred to NSA. A founder member of the Antur flock discussion group based at IBERS as a research flock, he contributed both stock and time when it was in operation. Mr Smith’s progressive approach to farming earned him the title of Welsh Sheep Farmer of the Year in 1993. As far as he knows, the competition – run by the then Premium Quality Lamb – was only run for a single year, making him the current (and sole) holder of the title. Other roles included being a former branch chairman of Newtown FUW and a former director and chair of the Montgomeryshire Rural Enterprises, which was established to support farming families to strengthen their base to secure it for future generations.

Mr Smith has competed with his stock at shows across the UK, winning several of the top awards in county and national shows. This has led to many judging roles at Wales, national and European level, helping to broaden his knowledge base and an opportunity to promote Welsh farming.

Promoting the Welsh red meat sector, improving technical ability and safe breeding programmes have been central to Mr Smith’s core business of farming and as a result of the support and mentoring received this has enabled him to gain confidence and the success in his chosen path. It is due to this support received that he regularly shares his knowledge and experience with others, especially the younger generation through being a mentor for the Welsh Government YESS Scheme, and having great pride when three of his mentees won successively the Brynle Williams Memorial Award for young entrants into farming.

In his role as president of the Mid Wales and Shropshire Texel Club, he works with young breeders to support them to understand leadership and responsibilities required to ensure the industry is well represented going forward.

Mr Smith currently represents Wales Texel breeders as a director of the British Texel Breeding Society, and by being chair of the breed development committee and member of the finance committee has meant that he works closely with AHDB, HCC Innovate UK and academia to secure significant funding to research lamb eating quality, genetics and genomics and their impact on animal health and welfare, climate change adaptation and technical performance.

Mr Smith said: “None of my achievements would have been possible without the Welsh farming industry who gave me that support as a 19-year-old coming from grey pavements to green pastures. “I chose that theme as my submission for entry into CARAS Wales as an associate, which I am pleased to say was successful and I am looking forward to the next stage of my farming career and what that may bring.”

Alwyn Rees, representing the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, Kevin Parry, from the Welsh Mule Sheepbreeders Association, and Kate Hovers, from the National Sheep Association Wales, made up the panel of judges for the award.

The judges stated that the quality of candidates this year was, once again, outstanding. Interviewing a shortlist of three candidates the judges were impressed with the achievements of all the candidates, but after careful consideration they finally agreed that the accolade should go to Mr Smith in recognition of his lifetime contribution to the Welsh sheep industry.

Mr Smith will be presented with an item of Welsh Crystal, sponsored by the Welsh Mule Sheepbreeders Association.