The first ever five nations conference was held last weekend, where young farmers from across the UK gathered in Edinburgh, hosted by SAYFC, to provide members with the opportunity to develop as individuals while strengthening connections with other young farmer organisations.

The conference had the theme of rural leadership where members attended leadership sessions, visited rural organisations where strong leadership has created thriving businesses and they heard from key industry leaders such as Sarah Millar from Quality Meat Scotland.

Lucy Mitchell, chair of the five nations conference and past SAYFC national chair commented: "Last year, the young farmer national chairs from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland set a goal of creating a new event, the five nations conference.

"We felt there was a need to provide training and personal development opportunities for our members while strengthening connections between the five young farmer organisations.

"I am delighted that SAYFC were able to host the first conference and through this we have been successful in reinforcing links between the UK young farmer organisations as well as enhancing our members’ leadership skills and developing their knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing our organisations.

"After this fantastic weekend, going forward the event will annually, with a rotating hosting schedule."

Richard Beattie, vice president for young farmers clubs’ of Ulster, who will be hosts next year, added: "The Five Nations conference has been a tremendous success and could not have happened without the perseverance and commitment from all nations involved to organise the event. SAYFC have set the bar high and already have preparations are underway for the 2024 conference and we hope to emulate the fun and learning we had in Scotland."