Ben Chilman from Radnor and Naomi Williams-Roberts from Monmouthshire will make up the union's eleven newly announced ambassadors from across England and Wales.
With a forthcoming UK General Election and an ongoing need to keep food and farming front of mind amid a busy political and media agenda, the Student & Young Farmer ambassadors will play a vital role in telling the story and value of British farming to the public.
The Welsh ambassadors
Ben Chilman
NFU Poultry Industry Programme 2024/25, free range producer, Wales
With many crediting the opportunities and supply chain insights gained, coupled with the chance to meet other young people from within the industry, the experiences they have shared have been a major reason for my application.
Initially, at a younger age, I admit poultry was not a natural passion of mine, but over time it is something I have become increasingly passionate about, and therefore am always keen to keep furthering my knowledge of both the free-range egg industry and the wider poultry sector.
Naomi Williams-Roberts
NFU Student & Young Farmer Ambassador, NFU Cymru
Hailing from the valleys, a self-proclaimed late comer, it wasn’t obvious she was ‘allowed’ to join the industry however after joining YFC her feet are firmly under the table. Establishing her farm in 2018 with her partner, Naomi hopes to help others realise their farming dreams can come true!
NFU President Aled Jones said: “I’d like to offer my congratulations to Naomi and Ben for being selected for the NFU’s Student & Young Farmer Ambassador programme. It is absolutely fantastic to have such vibrant and enthusiastic people wanting to work with the NFU and NFU Cymru to help us tell our positive farming story to the public, opinion formers and politicians, locally and nationally.
“Farming is undergoing huge change, from significant changes in farm policy and support, inflationary costs of production impacting farm businesses, to the impacts of climate change and more regular adverse weather events, so it’s arguably never been a more important time to be able to tell the positive story of agriculture and showcase the massive show of support we are so fortunate to have from the public.
“I’m thoroughly looking forward to working with Naomi and Ben and it is remarkable to see how much they have already achieved despite their tender years. I can’t wait to see what impact they have in the coming year.”