“Beef for a Brighter Future” will be the theme of a conference and dinner to be held at the Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, on Tuesday, June 7th 2005.

The afternoon conference is part of Beef Expo 2005, which takes place at the same venue the following day, and will follow a tour of three Welsh beef farms earlier in the day.

The conference is being organised by the National Beef Association, organisers of Beef Expo, and sponsored by meat wholesalers, Dovecote Park Ltd, dedicated suppliers to Waitrose.

Four leading figures in the UK beef industry have accepted an invitation to address the conference -

John Davies, Pentre Farm, Merthyr Cynog, Brecon. Former Welsh Farmer of the Year and chairman of Wales YFC and Brecon and Radnor NFU.

David Evans. Director, Blade Farming and Beef Production Systems Ltd.

John Cameron, Balbuthie, Kilconquhar, Leven, Fife. Former president of the National Farmers Union of Scotland (now NFU Scotland) and currently chairman of the Cattle and Sheep Standard Setting Body of Quality Meat Scotland.

Remi Fourrier. The Meat and Livestock Commission's Paris-based European export director.

The conference will take place from 4.00 - 6.00 p.m. and will be chaired by Derek Rees, a member of the organising committee for Beef Expo and a former chairman of Future Farmers of Wales, Carmarthenshire YFC and Wales YFC rural affairs committee.

“This is an outstanding line-up of speakers who will be in a position to give beef producers a real insight into the future prospects for the beef industry,” said Robin Gibson Watt, chairman of the organising committee for Beef Expo.

“The timing of the conference couldn't be better as beef producers assess the impact on their businesses of an unsubsidised market and the impending dismantling of the Over Thirty Month Slaughter scheme and re-opening of export markets. The conference will point the way ahead for the whole UK beef industry.”

Welsh beef for the dinner in the evening will be sponsored by HCC/Meat Promotion Wales and the after-dinner speaker will be well-known farmer and popular Welsh television personality, Dai Jones, MBE, ARAgS, Llanilar, nr Aberystwyth, presenter of the country life programme, Cefn Gwlad. Mr Jones was last year's winner of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's Sir Bryner Jones award for his outstanding contribution to Welsh agriculture and is president of the Welsh Black Cattle Society.

Admission to the conference and dinner is by ticket only and delegates are strongly advised to make early application to avoid disappointment.

Tickets, priced £34 (including VAT) for the conference and dinner, or £5.88 for the conference only, are available from Euan Emslie, 3 Briar Close, Newport, Brough, East Yorkshire. HU15 2QY. Tel: 01430 441870. Fax: 01430 448432. Mobile: 07718 908523. E-mail: euan@eemslie.fsnet.co.uk