Three local women are among the four finalists for the coveted title of NFU/Natwest Woman Farmer of the Year 2002 after the preliminary judging last week.

Annette Spratt, of Laugharne; Ruth Davies, of Llangoedmor, Cardigan; Anne James, of Crymych; and Nia Parry, of Gwynedd, have been shortlisted ahead of final judging next month. The judges were looking for women who were helping to make the farm a successful economic unit while contributing to the local community and raising the status of women in farming.

Annette Spratt was a runner-up in last years competition. While her husband has taken up a full-time job outside the farm, Annette runs the 65-cow dairy farm with help for just three milkings a week. She has increased milk production, milk quality and margin per litre per cow. She is mother to two children aged five and nine, and also finds time to represent the county at hockey and help the local school.

Ruth Davies runs her own 200-acre sheep and beef farm in a less favoured-area as well as helping to run her husbands farming business. As well as full-time farming and bringing up five children, she finds time to study for an MA in heritage tourism in order to look at diversification opportunities for the farm. She is also actively involved with the local school and the Welsh Ploughing Association.

Her husbands untimely death in 1995 left Anne James pregnant and with a two-year-old son. The easy option may have been to sell up, but Anne took on the running of her husbands 200 acres and milking herd, in addition to her own farm. Today she runs two farm-assured units with over 500 breeding ewes and 50 suckler cows. Her two sons are now nine and six, and in addition to Sunday school teaching she is actively involved with the local community.

Sponsor of the competition regional agricultural manager for Natwest Bank, Noel Morgan, said he was impressed with the calibre of entries. These women exemplify the crucial role that women play in the farming community. While the industry is still seen as male-dominated, this competition proves that women are playing an ever more important role. NFU Cymrus public affairs officer Leigh Roberts agreed. I feel quite humble when I see how much these women manage to pack into their lives - running farms single-handedly, raising families, and still managing to help out the local community. They really are an inspiration and NFU Cymru wants to do everything it can to ensure that womens contribution to farming is recognised.