Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society elect Mansel Raymond as new President

Mansel Raymond, whose family farm in Letterston, has been unanimously elected to become the new President of Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society for the year ahead. Brian Jones, the Founder of Castell Howell, has also been voted in as President-elect.

Both were elected at the Annual General Meeting of Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society held on the Pembrokeshire Showground on Wednesday, 30 March 2022.

Mansel Raymond’s agricultural activities are centred on a family partnership, with his twin brother, their wives and sons. Mansel has held a variety of high-level positions across the agricultural industry over many years including President of Copa Cogeca; European Milk Chairman as well as Chairman of the NFU’s Milk Board and Pembrokeshire County Chairman for NFU Cymru.

Speaking on his aspirations for his time as President, Mansel said, “What I’d like to see during my term in office is a further increase in the membership of the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society. I’d like farmers of all ages and all farming sectors to see the value of joining us and being involved with the Society.

“Covid-19 has highlighted how fragile the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society is and how we all have perhaps taken it for granted in previous years. We’re determined to come back stronger after the past two difficult years and we hope our members and supporters will help us to do that.”

The Officeholders elected at the AGM for 2022 include: Mrs Carys Phillips voted in as the Ambassador; Mrs Nicola Owen is the Honorary Treasurer and John Evans was re-elected as one of the Honorary Show Governors.   

Stephen James, the outgoing Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society President, took the opportunity to pay tribute to the army of volunteers and Board Members who have kept the Agricultural Society running during the past two years of Covid-19 restrictions and said he was pleased to see the Society coming back stronger after the dark days of having to furlough the staff. 

Pembrokeshire County Show, the largest county agricultural show in Wales, is going ahead this year, over two days on 17 and 18 August. Everyone is invited to attend the event this year which is a celebration of rural life in the county.

The last full-scale show was held in 2019 followed by a virtual event in 2020 and a scaled down version in 2021 for animals and members only.