Sheep farming post Brexit under spotlight at County Durham event

THE future of sheep farming post-Brexit will dominate a regional being held in County Durham in June.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) will be hosting a number of seminars and workshops as part of their North Sheep Event which takes place on Wednesday, June 7, at Westshields Farm, just off the A68 at Tow Law.
Seminars include What happens when the schemes end?’ when Andrew Entwistle, a partner at George F White will examine special areas of conservation and sites of specific scientific interest, discussing some “what if” scenarios.
He said: “Throughout the seminar we will look at what stance statutory bodies such as Natural England will take post Brexit. We will also look at what controls can be exercised on sheep farmers and what farmers should be doing now to prepare for scheme negotiations.”
Also featuring will be Balancing Upland Farming and the Environment which will be chaired by Eddie Eastham, NSA northern region chairman.
Throughout the seminar, Margaret Read, head of commons, access and inland waterways at Defra, will discuss any new UK replacement support and environmental schemes.
Patrick Begg, rural enterprises director for the National Trust will explain the trust’s future plans for upland areas.
Also speaking is Phil Stocker, chief executive of the NSA, who will be putting forward reasons why ongoing financial support for upland farming is justified.
NSA board member and sheep farmer John Gerald will chair a seminar on sheep meat exports post-Brexit.
Currently, the UK sheep industry relies heavily on exports to the EU and future trade deals could put this market at risk. However, there is also the possibility of opening up new markets for this product in non EU countries.
With so much still unknown, this seminar is aimed at giving some direction for the future of UK sheep meat exports. During the seminar, Rizvan Kahlid, of Euro Quality Lamb, Norman Bagley, director of AIMS and Remi Fourrier of AHDB’s French office will discuss domestic and export markets and give a sense of likely trends post-Brexit.
The final seminar will feature a number of young industry ambassadors who give a talk on the issues facing young people trying to get into the agricultural industry.
Workshops include one led by Ian Booksbank, senior head grader at British Wool, who will guide farmers through the grading process which all wool undergoes to establish its quality and value.
Alongside the various seminars and workshops, visitors can browse over 180 trade stands from all sectors of the industry at NSA North Sheep.
Visitors can also see the latest industry developments and technology, and seek advice from industry professionals on ways to maximise the efficiency and profitability of their enterprises.
Event organiser Heather Stoney-Grayshon said: “Through a number of informative seminars and workshops, various industry professionals cover all areas and will advise farmers on how they can improve production and maximise output.
“There is so much uncertainty within the entire agricultural industry, and so it is even more important that farmers optimise every opportunity to future-proof their businesses.”
As an organisation, the National Sheep Association (NSA) represents the views and interests of sheep producers throughout the UK.
The NSA is funded by the memberships of its sheep farmers. Together with the many industry related activities it is involved with, it aims to ensure that it plays a key part in every aspect of the sheep farming sector.