A dairy farmer from Usk has been officially elected as the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society’s next president for 2015.

Mr David Morgan, the originator of the first robotic milking parlours in Wales and known to many as ‘Morgans of Usk’, has taken over the prestigious role during Gwent’s year as the society’s feature county.

Next year will be the fourth time Gwent, or Monmouth as it is sometimes referred to, has been the feature county since the Royal Welsh Show settled permanently at the showground in 1963. The unique structure of feature counties and advisory committees is what sets the society apart from others and ensures the people of Wales retain ownership of the events. The fundraising efforts of all the counties since 1963 have contributed millions of pounds which are invested back into the showground, making it one of the finest in Europe.

Proposed at the society’s annual council meeting last week by Helen Rees, chair of the Gwent advisory committee, David was described as “a wonderful motivator of people who, along with wife Nancy, sons Peter and Andrew and daughter, Sue, has led Gwent’s fundraising events from the front”.

A busy man, David is currently president of both the Raglan Farmers club, the Usk Rural Life Museum, is patron to Usk Show and also holds the title of Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the County of Gwent.

Gwent’s fundraising activities have already been taking place regularly over the past year and include an extremely successful equine day and race night and a sponsored 100 mile horse ride by the county’s lady ambassador, Hannah Barry.

The society is very much looking forward to working with David Morgan and the whole Gwent team through 2015.