Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) has announced the recipients of the 2016 HCC Scholarship during a reception at the Royal Welsh Show.
The individuals to have been awarded the scholarship are Richard Roderick, a beef and sheep farmer from Brecon, and Peter Rushforth, a young butcher from Mold.
The pair will head to America to investigate red meat production and processing methods, and to boost their skillset on a global fact-finding mission.
Each year HCC offers scholarships worth up to £3,000 to successful applicants who work in the red meat sector to travel the world and gain an insight into farming and processing techniques in countries of their choice.
Scholars are encouraged to search for practices and methods that could be implemented in Wales to benefit the sector.
Supported and funded by HCC, the successful candidates will spend between four and six weeks at their chosen destination, studying a range of interesting topics and techniques.
James Ruggeri, HCC’s industry development executive, said: “We were very pleased to offer the HCC Scholarship to two extremely motivated and ambitious individuals this year. Both Richard and Peter will travel to America. Their topics are completely different but still very relevant to the red meat sector in Wales.
“We look forward to hearing the outcomes of their travels and new-found knowledge, and to learning how their findings can benefit two areas within the sector here in Wales.”
More about Roderick and Rushforth
Richard Roderick farms at Newton Farm, in the Usk Valley, Brecon in partnership with his wife, Helen. They keep suckler cows and over 1,000 breeding ewes and 260 ewe lambs, and also grow cereals and fodder beet.
Roderick is said to be changing the direction of his beef production systems and aims to produce exceptional meat from a smaller, more efficient, forage-based suckler cow. It is for this reason that he will visit America to investigate beef breeding options, and to gather data and knowledge to inform and develop his own farming practices.
Award-winning butcher Peter Rushforth works at Swan’s Farm Shop near Mold. Rushforth is said to be keen to find out how the red meat sector copes with the demand – how it is processed in large volumes, butchery techniques of the forequarter to add value, and the ageing process. He will also consider the American perspective on charcuterie.
Rushforth has won numerous awards including Welsh Young Butcher Champion 2014 and 2015 and was the highest scoring Welsh Butcher in the 2016 regional heats for Worldskills UK.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
