The main message for livestock farmers in relation to liver fluke this year is to “test, don’t guess’.

Sustainable Control of Parasites in Sheep (SCOPS) and Control of Cattle Parasites Sustainable (COWS) have labelled 2023 as a “very strange year” in terms of weather patterns and parasites.

On behalf of COWS, Prof Diana Williams of the University of Liverpool said:

“2023 has been a funny old year. A very dry cold spring was followed by a hot early summer and then July and August were extremely wet.

“Top that off with the mini heatwave in early September accompanied by heavy rain, and it is fair to say there will be an impact on levels and timing of the risks faced by grazing livestock this season.”

Fluke forecast

The National Animal Disease Information Service’s (NADIS) fluke forecast, which is based on local weather patterns, is generally predicting a low-to-medium risk, with the exception of high-risk hotspots in Scotland.

SCOPS and COWS said this is almost certainly due to how dry it was at the start of the year and, while recent months may have been ideal for the fluke and snail lifecycles, the total window for their development has been relatively short.

“Liver fluke and its intermediate host, the mud snail galba truncatula, require temperatures of more than 10^o to remain active and continue development, so if we have a warm autumn and early winter the risk may still increase later in the year, particularly if the conditions also tempt farmers to keep their livestock out later,” Williams said,

“The serum antibody ELISA test, which is done on blood samples taken from 10 individuals is an extremely valuable tool in these circumstances.

“Using this test, we can monitor lambs or calves born in 2023 to look for evidence of exposure to liver fluke.

“Repeated at regular intervals, this not only means we can check for exposure but also when that exposure occurs, which reduces the risk of unnecessary or mistimed treatments.”

SCOPS

SCOPS independent sheep consultant, Lesley Stubbings, said: “Anecdotally, we’ve not seen much liver fluke across the country this year so far.”

In contrast, Stubbings highlighted the increase in cases of haemonchosis in sheep, which is caused by the highly pathogenic roundworm haemonchus contortus  (also known as the barber’s pole worm).

“The conditions in the UK this summer and last summer have seemingly suited this worm, which is common in many tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world,” Stubbings said.

“Because clinical signs of anaemia, bottle jaw and weight loss can result from the blood-feeding behaviour of either liver fluke or haemonchus, this can be confusing.

“Differential diagnosis is all the more important and underlines the need to ‘Test, don’t guess’.”

Testing

Experts from both SCOPS and COWS have urged caution to any producers looking to use the ELISA test but thinking of trying to cut the cost by pooling blood samples rather than testing individuals.

“The sensitivity of a pooled test is much lower and may give a negative result even though one or more animals are positive,” Stubbings said.

“This means that tests need to be done more regularly (every 10-14 days) to try to ensure the exposure is not missed, which will probably cancel out any cost saving compared to individual blood testing every three to four weeks.”

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As part of the farm-tours section of the Sommet de l’Élevage livestock show which took place in France earlier this month, Agriland travelled to a dairy farm that is milking 250 Alpine goats, located to the north of Clermont Ferrand.

The farm is owned by Carole Neyrial who is the sole employee of the 40ha enterprise. The goat’s milk is sold for cheese processing.

The current milk price is 90c/L (78p/L) but milk prices generally vary from €0.80-1.00/L (70p/L-87p/L).

The price paid depends on both markets and milk constituents. Milk is stored in a cooler tank and is collected by the processor every second day.

Carole explained that prices tend to be higher during the winter months which is why she has selected this system.

Goats are milk recorded and the average production is 860L/goat milking from September to June. Some of the top-performing goats are producing in excess of 1,000L/year.

The average fat content of the milk produced on the farm is 4.17% and the average protein content is 3.54%.

Goats are fed grass and clover silage as well as lucerne hay and meadow hay. The concentrate ration includes ingredients such as maize, bran, soya pulp, sainfoin and extruded linseed.

Goats kid from September onwards and milking continues until June with goats dried-off for July and August.

Breeding generally commences in April and every year, 50 of the top-performing goats are selected for breeding with artificial insemination (AI) and the remainder are served naturally with the use of 10 Alpine bucks.

Goats kid at 12 months-of-age and enter the milking herd then. When giving birth, goats can produce anywhere from 2-5 kids generally.

The AI-bred female kids are used as replacements. The AI-bred male kids are used for breeding also and the remainder of the kids are sold for either meat production or to other dairy herds for replacements.

Goats are seasonal breeders and naturally come into season when the daylight hours become shorter. Because of this, the breeding herd is kept in a shed where the lighting is controlled.

The shed used is a converted pig shed with open plan pens and a straw-bedded floor. The milking parlour is located to the rear of the shed.

Goats are milked twice-a-day and the milking parlour is a 24-24 rapid exit BouMatic goat-milking parlour with automatic cluster removers (ACRs).

Goats enter the parlour from the side and receive concentrate feed which is delivered through an auger system.

Once milking is complete, the front of the parlour lifts up and the goats can then exit.

There is no shortage of machinery on the farm (see images below).

The farm is located 250m above sea level and has a sandy-loam soil type. The farm generally receives an annual rainfall of 650mm.

Land in the region trades at €4,000/ha (£3,5000/ha) approximately.

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The National Sheep Association (NSA) has said that Red Tractor has “sideswiped” the sheep farming sector following the announcement of its Greener Farms Commitment (GFC).

The trade association for UK sheep farmers said it is “deeply concerned” that none of the detail of the commitment has been discussed with those directly impacted.

The NSA is calling for a “root and branch review” of the Red Tractor assurance scheme and its governance.

NSA chief executive, Phil Stocker, said: “NSA continues to support the concept of farm assurance as an open gate declaration of good practice.

“But we have long been frustrated that the scheme is losing its way and has become less relevant to sheep farmers with little acceptance of the unique nature of our sector.

“Most of the nation’s sheep farms are not big businesses with layers of management, but are family farms and single operators, many with little land of their own, and our sector still offers a valuable first step on the farming ladder for young new entrants.

“Becoming Red Tractor Assured presents a huge hurdle for many sheep farms, and for most of the sector’s routes to market it adds no value.”

Green farms commitment

NSA said the GFC takes Red Tractor into the realm of setting environmental policy in isolation rather than getting behind the key environmental and sustainable farming schemes being introduced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

Following a meeting of the NSA English committee on Monday (October 16) NSA chair Kevin Harrison said:

“There is no doubt the feeling of the NSA English committee is one of a great deal of frustration and concern on how Red Tractor is forcing its vision of the greener farms commitment through without proper consultation, and without any understanding of the unique position sheep producers find themselves in. 

“It is quite telling that those responsible for the governance of the assurance scheme felt the need to work on this behind closed doors without even consulting their boards or technical advisory committees.”

Farming sector input

Stocker said that the recent announcement of the GFC with no practical input from the farming sector is “flawed and simply a step too far.”

“We do not accept this will remain a voluntary scheme and additionality like this comes with a cost that needs to be supported via market premiums or by full alignment with Defra’s Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship schemes”.

We are frustrated by the fact there has been no consideration for the hundreds of sheep farmers who operate as graziers on other people’s land and have no influence on wider land management decisions, or direct access to SFI and similar schemes, yet do a great job within the boundaries of their authority”.

“We are not prepared to put at risk the social and cultural makeup of our industry in this drive for more industrialisation, supposed professionalisation, and red tape.”

NSA said it is especially concerned this development comes as “one of a litany of ill-thought-out decisions” from Red Tractor.

“This latest proposal has resulted in NSA calling for a review of the governance and direction of Red Tractor,” Stocker said.

“NSA is fully prepared to continue to work with the scheme in a constructive way, on the beef and lamb board and the technical advisory committee, but that doesn’t stop us from calling the governance of the organisation into question. 

“Furthermore, NSA is not prepared to be part of any development advisory panel for the greener farms commitment on the basis that the whole concept needs to go back to the drawing board with full debate and discussion with the farming community.”

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Vet Sustain and VetSalus have announced a new veterinary resource for farm vets, which is to be launched at this year’s British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA) Congress.

The BVCA Congress is set to take place this week from Thursday (October 19) until Saturday (October 21) at the Telford International Centre.

Vet Sustain and VetSalus will launch their new farm vet resource at the event – a factsheet outlining key considerations for vets when approaching conversations around sustainable and regenerative farming practices with their farmers.

The organisations said farm vets, as trusted advisors an advocates, are integral to supporting sustainable and regenerative farming practices and that, through their influence, they can offer solutions for farmers.

Veterinary resource

The factsheet will help vets prepare for these conversations with farmers and act as a starting point towards encouraging a more regenerative mindset, the veterinary organisations said.

Managing director of VetSalus, David Black, said: “After receiving feedback from veterinary colleagues, we set out to develop a user-friendly resource for vet professionals to inspire and enable them to have discussions around sustainability in agriculture; we have provided concepts and evidence to help initiate and maintain meaningful dialogue, thus avoiding polarising debate.”

Chair of Vet Sustain, Ed Bailey, said: “Sustainable food and farming is a complex and nuanced subject in which there are many different competing views.

“This can feel overwhelming as a practising vet trying to navigate conversations with farmers, colleagues or friends who look to us for knowledge and advice.

“This resource is a starting point to help engage and understand more about the challenges and solutions.”

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The union’s advice follows calls for farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue virus (BTV-3) as reports of a new strain in the Netherlands emerged.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) confirmed the presence of BT-3 at four sheep farms in the Netherlands last month – the country’s first outbreak since 2009. The route of BTV-3 incursion into the Netherlands is currently unknown.

The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has since confirmed that as of September 29, 416 outbreaks of BTV-3 have been reported by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

Bluetongue has also been confirmed in neighbouring Belgium this month, however the strain has yet to be named. BTV-8 has also been confirmed in France.

The UFU said farmers must be aware of current risks to help safeguard Northern Ireland’s livestock industry.

UFU deputy president John McLenaghan said: “In recent weeks a number of diseases are said to be circulating across Europe.

“A new strain of bluetongue was initially detected in Holland but has now spread into Belgium, and epizootic haemorrhagic disease has been detected in Southern France, having spread from Spain and Portugal.

“Whilst imports from Holland and Belgium are no longer possible as export conditions cannot be met due to the diseases circulating, local farmers need to be aware that animals originating from neighbouring jurisdictions could carry a significant risk.”

Should farmers buy livestock in Europe, McLenaghan said they need to be “extremely cautious” and report any possible signs of disease immediately.

“Farmers must also bear in mind that should their imported animals be infected by bluetongue or epizootic haemorrhagic disease, there is no compensation for animals that must be removed from the farm,” he said.

“This stresses the importance of protecting the herd and the farm business.”

BTV-3 symptoms

Symptoms of BTV-3 can vary across ruminants, with sheep generally exhibiting more overt symptoms than cattle, but both can showcase clinical signs.

Symptoms in sheep include:

• Drooling;
• Mouth lesions;
• High fever;
• Lameness;
• Oedema (swollen heads);
• Sudden death.

Cattle are not usually as severely affected but may show similar clinical signs as well as teat, eye, coronary band and nose lesions.

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With good husbandry and nutrition, the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) has said lambing ewe lambs can improve the financial viability of sheep systems and reduce the number of breeding females kept, or bought in, the following year.

Stephen Flanagan, a senior beef and sheep advisor at CAFRE has outlined that breeding from ewe lambs allows for faster genetic progress, optimising live weights, reproductive success, and crossbreed trait benefits.

Breeding weights

The success of such a breeding programme involving ewe lambs requires careful weight management and attention to detail.

Ewe lambs need to have reached 60-70% of their mature bodyweight prior to mating, a target that Flanagan said is essential to maximise conception rates and ensure good foetal development.

E.g., breeding from a Texel X Mule ewe lamb with a potential mature weight of 75kg must be between 45-50kg at time of mating.

However, the CAFRE senior beef and sheep advisor said that heavy feeding of very young female sheep (younger than five months-of-age) can reduce mammary gland development and subsequent milk yield.

Ewe lambs can have a lower initial reproductive performance which can be caused by various factors, including the age of the onset of puberty.

While this can occur between 7–10 months-of-age, it can be brought on earlier with the interaction of teaser rams.

If using teaser rams, the teaser should be left in with the ewe lambs for 14 days before fertile rams are introduced.

CAFRE recommends that ewe lambs should mate with ram breeds with a smaller than average mature size and farmers should use breeds with evidence of lower birth weights.

The ideal group size, according to CAFRE, is one ram to 25-30 ewe lambs and grazed in small fields or paddocks.

Post-conception

CAFRE referred to studies that showed lower embryo survival has been demonstrated in ewe lambs when compared to mature ewes in the first 30 days following conception.

To help counteract this, CAFRE recommends that ewe lambs should mate on lower grass heights of poorer nutrition.

This can help slow down the amount of hormones filtered out by the liver which in return will hopefully result in higher scanning results, according to CAFRE.

However, while ewe lambs are recommended to be on lower grass quality, Flanagan said they must be gaining at least 250g/day for a further six weeks post-mating, and then lowered to 130-150g/day up until six weeks before lambing to aid in embryonic survival.

Pregnancy

During early and mid-pregnancy, Flanagan said ewe lambs need about 20% more feed than mature ewes of a similar weight to sustain their continuing development.

He urged farmers not to overfeed in the last week before lambing and target feed only for maintenance and pregnancy, not growth.

Feeding for growth at this point, according to the CAFRE advisor, will create large single lambs and potentially increase lambing difficulties.

From an environmental aspect, breeding ewes as ewe lambs can also provide additional benefits, e.g., by reducing the farm carbon footprint.

When using these results within a commercial carbon footprinting tool, CAFRE said the carbon footprint was 5% lower for a system using ewe lambs rather than hoggets.

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The Beef and Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) New Season Outlook 2023-24, published today (Wednesday, October 11), shows that global demand for beef and sheepmeat is expected to recover slightly.

However, ongoing increases in farm costs are anticipated to sharply reduce the incomes of sheep and beef farmers for the second year in a row.

The report states that profit before tax for 2023-24 is forecast to average NZ$88,600/farm (€50,354).

After adjusting this figure for inflation, this is equivalent to NZ$54,800/farm (€31,145) in 2004-05 terms.

B+LNZ said that this represents a 25% lower farm profit than what was recorded in 2004-05.

New Zealand

B+LNZ’s chief economist Andrew Burtt said that this will be another tough year for the country’s farmers.

“Farm-gate prices are expected to be similar to last season but increasing costs, driven by inflation and high interest rates, will continue to squeeze farm profitability.

“We’re forecasting farm profitability to fall by 31% for the 2023-24 year, which follows a decline of 32% in 2022-23 and means profits for farmers have more than halved in two years.

“This is a 15-year low, when you take inflation into account. The global outlook for the red meat sector remains fragile,” he said.

B+LNZ said that although demand is expected to recover slightly from last year’s levels, prices are expected to remain soft compared to the highs of two years ago, especially for lamb and mutton.

The pace of China’s economic recovery is also uncertain, while the economies of other key markets remain relatively weak.

Farmers in New Zealand will also face stiff competition from Australian red meat exports to China.

“There are further short-term downside risks on these forecasts, should China not recover as quickly as forecast, and if Australia suffers a strong drought its red meat exports would be higher than expected in New Zealand’s key markets,” Burtt added.

New Zealand exports over 90% of its meat production, so global economic conditions significantly influence farm-gate prices.

Profit

The B+LNZ report states that some farmers in New Zealand are likely to not make a profit this coming season.

“We expect profitability in all regions and farm classes will decline with sheep-dominant areas most affected, as lamb prices are likely to be flat for the coming season while beef prices are relatively good,” Burtt said.

“This lower profitability comes at a time when many farmers are continuing to rebuild farms in the wake of last summer’s cyclones and preparing for potential drought conditions in the coming months as a result of El Nino, which will impact the timing of sales for example.

“The B+LNZ forecast does not take into account the potential increased costs facing farmers from the government’s regulatory reform agenda,” he added.

The B+LNZ chief economist said that “money management is going to be critical this year”.

“Firstly, making sure every farm input is driving productivity and profitability and secondly, working proactively with bankers and accountants to best manage any debt and tax obligations,” he said.

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Farmers have been urged to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue virus as reports of a new strain (BTV-3) in the Netherlands emerge.

According to Ruminant Health and Welfare (RH&W) the existing BTV-8 vaccine will not offer cross-protection against this new strain, making “any likely outbreak difficult to control”.

RH&W has facilitated emergency meetings this week, bringing together over 40 key stakeholders and representatives from across the industry, to ensure the four nations are prepared for this emerging disease threat.

“What we are advising is threefold,” Dr. Joseph Henry, president of the Sheep Veterinary Society and member of RH&W’s steering group said.

“Farmers need to beware when buying animals in, especially from Europe, take action to report any signs of the disease, and at all times, remain vigilant.”

BTV-3 is a viral disease transmitted by biting midges, which affects all ruminants (e.g. sheep, cattle, goats and deer) and camelids (e.g. alpaca).

Symptoms of BTV-3 can vary across ruminants, with sheep generally exhibiting more overt symptoms than cattle, but both can showcase clinical signs.

In sheep these include: Drooling, mouth lesions, high fever, lameness and oedema (swollen heads) and sudden death. Cattle are not usually as severely affected but may show similar clinical signs as well as teat, eye, coronary band and nose lesions.

Bluetongue virus in Europe

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) confirmed the presence of BT-3 at four sheep farms in the Netherlands last month – the country’s first outbreak since 2009. The route of BTV-3 incursion into the Netherlands is currently unknown.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has since confirmed that as of September 29, 416 outbreaks of BTV-3 have been reported by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.

Bluetongue has also been confirmed in neighbouring Belgium this month, however the strain has yet to be named. BTV-8 has also been confirmed in France.

A Defra spokesperson said: “The UK remains officially bluetongue-free but we are not complacent against the risk it poses to our farmers.

“The detections in Europe are an important reminder to all farmers to be vigilant in sourcing their stock and germinal products, ensuring imported animals are properly vaccinated and that they have strong biosecurity practices in place to prevent the spread of disease.

“If farmers have any suspicions of disease, they should report them to APHA (Animal and Plant Health Agency) immediately.”

According to Cat Mclaughlin, National Farmers’ Union (NFU) chief animal health and welfare advisor, and member of RH&W steering group, BTV-3 appears to “mimic BTV-8 in its behaviour, leading us to be extremely cautious to the risk it poses”.

She added that while there are no reported cases in the UK currently, the risk of it reaching the UK is increasing, “so we must adhere to advice and do all we can to keep it out”.

Remain vigilant

Phil Stocker, National Sheep Association (NSA) chief executive and member of RH&W steering group, adds that bluetongue does not pose a threat to human health, but it remains a notifiable disease.

“We’d strongly advise farmers to beware when buying livestock from Europe, and to request pre-movement testing of animals prior to departure,” he said.

“All imports of live animals are subject to post-import testing with restricted movements until a negative post-import test result has been confirmed, so caution is key.”

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Statistics from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) latest livestock survey has shown English sheep flock numbers to be at their lowest in 12 years.

The Defra survey shows the English sheep flock has declined 3.2% year-on-year, totalling 14.5 million heads in June 2023 – this is the lowest recorded population since 2011.

The female breeding flock saw a reduction of 116,000 heads (-1.6%) to stand at nearly 7 million heads in June 2023.

Looking at this by category, the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said there was a “notable increase” in breeding ewes intended for slaughter, up 8.8% compared to the same period last year.

This was countered by declines in the number of ewes intended for first time breeding (-8.3%) and ewes intended for further breeding (-1.3%).

While a decline versus last year, the number of ewes for further and first-time breeding was relatively level with numbers recorded in 2021.

“Declines were also seen in the rest of the English flock, driven by a reduction of 4.9% (364,000 head) in lambs aged under a year old, compared to the June 2022 survey,” AHDB said.

“Ram numbers did see a slight increase of 1.2% year-on-year alongside an increase of 3.5% of other sheep one-year-old and over.

“These reductions continue the general trend in the total English flock seen since 2017.”

AHDB said industry challenges are well documented, including:

• Input cost fluctuation;
• Changes to direct payments;
• Agricultural policy and government support schemes;
• Consumer purchasing trends.

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The Scottish region of the National Sheep Association (NSA) has said it is glad that the Scottish livestock sector’s “long wait for clarity” is over with the publication of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill.

Last week, the Scottish government tabled the new bill to change how farmers and rural communities receive support in Scotland.

The draft Agriculture and Rural Communities Bill would allow the Scottish government to form a new support framework and provide financial and other assistance.

The payments framework would incentivise low-carbon approaches to improve resilience, efficiency and probability in the sector.

NSA Scottish Region said it welcomes the Scottish government’s approach to enabling low carbon, efficient, productive, resilient farming businesses – but hopes that, as the detail of the bill becomes clearer, it is not the case that “policymakers have been blinded by low carbon only and failed to recognise that food production will never be emission-free”.

NSA Scottish Region coordinator, Grace Reid, said: “NSA Scottish Region is keen to see a farm approach that recognises that agricultural businesses plan years ahead.

“The direction of policy and future support schemes need to be transparent, so sheep farmers know what is coming in the long-term and feel appreciated for the critical work they carry out on a daily basis.

“Businesses have had to operate in the dark while we wait for this bill and we need transparency and a clear sense of direction as we proceed from here.”

Reid said the NSA has a duty to protect the “positive practices” in which its flocks already deliver for the wider environment.

“Keeping food and farming at the centre of all future policy decisions is imperative, ensuring the environment is prioritised through farming rather than replacing it,” she said.

“Our future generations will look back at this opportunity to change legislation and it is vital we do not compromise their ability to deliver sustainable food production, enhance the resilience of farming practices and meet environmental and climate change goals.”

A ‘practical approach’

The NSA Scottish Region said a key priority for the association is that the implemented powers and policy of the bill are fair, simplistic, easy to understand and have a “practical approach”.
 
“Following the two Scottish government consultations, which NSA Scottish Region responded to in full, we will now begin to look in detail at what is included within this bill and engage with our sheep farming members on its content,” Reid said.

“I urge all members to take part in the next phase of public participation, which has promised to provide a way to help design and develop the new framework included within the Agricultural Reform Programme.

“Topics such as changes to the 2025 Basic Payment Scheme, Whole Farm Plan, regions and measures are to be covered.”

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The sheep pox virus and the goat pox virus affect sheep and goats and, according to the Animal Plant and Health Agency (APHA), can cause severe illness and death in these animals.

Outbreaks of these viruses can cause trade and movement restrictions and, because of this, it is helpful to know how to spot it and report it.

Signs of sheep pox and goat pox include:

• Fever;
• One or more red spots or blisters on the skin, nose, mouth or body;
• Swollen lymph nodes, for example on the neck;
• Depression;
• Reluctance to eat;
• Lesions (skin damage) on the tongue;
• Discharge from the nose and eyes;
• Swollen eyelids;
• Breathing difficulties;
• Death.

Although there is quite an extensive list of symptoms, APHA has warned farmers that some infected animals may not show any signs of disease.

The viruses can be prevented by practicing good hygiene and biosecurity on site.

How to report the viruses

Sheep pox and goat pox are notifiable animal diseases.

This means that if a case of the virus is suspected, it must be reported immediately to APHA. Failure to do so is an offence.

In England, a suspected case should be reported via the rural services helpline of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on 03000 200 301.

In Wales, the number to call is 0300 303 8268.

If there is a suspected case of sheep or goat pox in Scotland, the local Field Services Office should be contacted.

How the virus spreads

Sheep pox and goat pox is spread by direct contact between infected animals, or indirect contact with contaminated objects.

These objects can include:

• Clothing;
• Footwear;
• Farm equipment;
• Bedding;
• Feed.

The virus can also be spread by aerosols and biting insects.

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Livestock medicine producer Zoetis is urging sheep farmers to be on high alert for worm and fluke risks in their flocks this autumn.

Results from the farms involved in the company’s parasite watch scheme at the end of August revealed worm egg counts in lambs varying from 70 to over 700 eggs/gram, with an average of 380 eggs/gram.

Zoetis said these results highlight the importance of faecal egg counts (FEC) on an individual farm and at a group level.

Together with growth rates, they are a good indication of the need for treatment in lambs, the company said.

Zoetis vet Patricia van Veen said the extreme and variable weather is making predictions difficult and is likely contributing to localised spikes in FECs.

Zoetis said its parasite watch data from previous years shows the parasite challenge remains a real risk into the autumn.   

“Fluke is more challenging to monitor through FECs at this time of the year, as the time between infection and egg production, known as the pre-patent period, is 10-12 weeks,” van Veen said.

“During this period, the early immature migrating larvae do a lot of damage, causing the disease known as acute fluke in any age of sheep.

“Ewes and rams also need monitoring in the approach to tupping as fluke burdens could impact their condition and conception rates.”

Parasite risk

Sheep farmer John Yeomans, who farms near Newtown, Powys, and is one of the parasite watch monitor farms, said he treated his animals earlier this year due to the parasite risk and challenging summer.  

Yeomans tups 530-550, mostly Beulah ewes and 170 ewe lambs each year, bringing them back to the home farm in October and returning them to the hill in December until lambing.  

“Our farm is heavily stocked, with the ewes grazing high-up, so we demand a lot of them,” he said.

“Over the past decade, we have noticed that fluke can pose a real risk on our farm, sometimes resulting in dead sheep.

“We have done post mortems on them before and found them to be full of fluke.”

Yeomans said he not only monitors worms and fluke by regular testing but is also trying to do more targeted worming based on weight gains in lambs.

“We must use medicines responsibly to safeguard their use,” he said.

Van Veen said it is important that farmers work with their animal health provider to select the best product, particularly when there is a mixed parasite burden in their lambs.

“Carefully consider which product you are planning to use,” she said.

“Your animal health advisor will be able to give you the best advice on which products to choose.”

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Kernow Farm & Equine will host a discussion on the management of lameness in sheep flocks and the latest advice on vaccinating sheep against it.

The event will take place in Woods Browning Industrial Estate, Bodmin, Cornwall, on Thursday, October 12, 2023, from 7:00p.m until 9:00p.m.

Organised by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Kernow Farm & Equine will discuss the issues with Dr. Liz Nabb of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

Nabb recently completed her PhD looking into whether a flock-specific bivalent serogroup vaccine against footrot was more effective than Footvax at reducing new cases of lameness and antibiotic usage on farm.

Topics of discussion at the event will include:

• Various causes of lameness in sheep;
• Controlling and managing lameness in your flock with the five point plan;
• Research results: how the vaccines performed and their impact on antibiotic use;
• Latest advice from research on use of vaccines for lameness control.

Schedule

From 7.00p.m on the day, refreshments and a light supper will be provided for attendees on arrival.

At 7:30p.m, the meeting will begin and will run until 9:00p.m.

The event is the result of a collaboration between AHDB and Kernow Farm & Equine, and is sponsored by Provita Animal Health.

This event is free to attend and those interested in booking should contact Kernow Farm & Equine.

The post Cornwall event to discuss managing and vaccinating against lameness in sheep appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

The Scottish branch of the National Sheep Association (NSA) will hold the NSA Scotland Field Day on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.

The event will take place on Fearn Farm on the Easter Ross Peninsula and visitors will view real-time demonstrations of the Scott family’s flock of commercial sheep.

Attendees will have the chance to join industry workshops that offer the chance to learn and discuss issues with fellow sheep producers.

The event is sponsored by Elanco and will address and demonstrate best practice concerning the issue of flock health and welfare from efficient stock handling and data collection to parasite management and disease prevention.

NSA Scotland chair, Peter Myles, said: “NSA Scotland is very much looking forward to welcoming new and old faces to the region’s first field day.

“This will be a fantastic opportunity for sheep producers to gain up to date advice from incredibly knowledgeable and experienced sessions in what is a fantastic location with highly respected farm hosts.”

NSA Scotland field day

The NSA Scotland Field Day is open to both NSA members and non members and will be free to attend.

The following workshops will feature at the event:

• ‘Butchery Demonstration’, led by Gordon Newlands, QMS brand development manager;
• ‘Looking after your business’, led by Virgin Money, Stephen Buchan, Shearwell Data and John Scott, FarmStrong Scotland;
• ‘Maximising Available Resources’, led by Ieuan Davis and Megan Pedley, Agrimin;
• ‘Positive Health and Welfare Planning’, led by Lucy Rogers BVMS MRCVS, Foundry Vets;
• ‘Best Practice on Farm’, led by Elanco and Techion UK Ltd;
• ‘Genetics and Marketing’, led by Neil and Debbie McGowan, Incheoch Farm.

“The varied programme of the day, we hope, will appeal to a wide range of sheep producers,” Myles said.

“And of course, it will be a great opportunity to meet up with farming friends before the winter arrives.”

The day will conclude with a live cookery demonstration and lamb BBQ and a chance to network with fellow attendees, NSA Scotland said.

The post NSA Scotland to host field day at the end of next month appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is set to hold a webinar on the ongoing impact of the UK livestock vaccine shortage next month.

The webinar, ‘Vaccines, why we can’t get them and how to manage the implications’, is free to join and will take place at 8:30a.m on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

Hosted by the NSA’s Breakfast Club, the webinar will explore the issues UK farmers are having related to sourcing vaccines and the knock-on effect that this is having on animal health and welfare.

It will also aim to give practical advice to farmers on what they can do if they are unable to access vaccines.

NSA chief executive, Phil Stocker, said: “NSA has endeavoured to keep its members and other UK sheep farmers up to date on the ongoing difficulties felt in sourcing vaccines via its NSA publications and online engagement.

“This webinar will add to this providing a fuller update on the vaccine availability situation across the UK, giving a a chance to attendees to hear and ask questions over alternative strategies to reduce disease risk.”

Vaccine access

The NSA said problems with supply have existed across many vaccines for more than a year, including those preventing clostridial and pasteurella disease, abortion, lameness and orf, with some more acutely affected than others.

The association for UK sheep farmers said it has been in “regular contact” with manufacturing companies to try to help resolve the issues seen across the country.

Stocker said the NSA webinar will dissect these issues as well as providing guest speakers to talk about different aspects of vaccine shortage and its impacts.

“In this NSA Breakfast Club we will hear from Jonathon Statham – chair of the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England Committee – who will discuss the reasons why we are seeing a shortage across supply chains, how it might be rectified and how long this might take to resolve as well as the wider long term impacts this shortage might have across the livestock industry,” Stocker said.

“We will also hear from Dr Joe Henry – specialist beef and sheep vet (Black Sheep Vets) on management practices, how to mitigate long term impacts and what to do if you can’t access vaccines along with what should be classed as priority stock and how you can move towards overcoming some impacts of a vaccine shortage across industry.”

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has scrapped a proposal to tax meat as part of the government’s new plan to meet net zero.

In a speech this afternoon, the Prime Minister confirmed: “I’m also scrapping the proposal to make you change your diet – and harm British farmers – by taxing meat.”

However, this was never put forward as an official proposal.

This is one of many changes to the government’s approach to meeting net zero announced today (Wednesday, September 20).

Other measures that have been scrapped include taxes to discourage flying; sorting rubbish into several different bins; expensive installation upgrades; and compulsory car sharing.

The government has also extended deadlines to transition to clean energy.

“That means you’ll still be able to buy new petrol and diesel cars and vans until 2035, in line with countries like Germany and France,” Sunak said today.

“It also means we’ll never force anyone to rip out their old boiler for an expensive heat pump, which for a family living in a terraced house in Darlington, could cost up to £10,000.”

Sunak said these reversals are possible because the UK has already “overdelivered” on previous targets to date.

“Given this progress, reaching our targets does not need to come unnecessarily at the expense of people facing higher costs – and that’s why today we can ease the burden on working families,” he said.

“We will continue to meet our international agreements,” the Prime Minister added.

Good for rural homes?

Country Land and Business Association (CLA) president Mark Tufnell has welcomed the U-turn on mandatory installation upgrades.

“We strongly support efforts to improve the environment, but some of these proposals were simply unachievable and counterproductive,” he said.

“Due to the nature of their construction, many rural properties cannot be suitably upgraded. 

“Forcing many landlords to spend at least £10,000 on works with no guarantee such investment would actually improve carbon emissions risked damaging the supply of rural housing during a cost-of-living crisis – we know many good, responsible landlords have already sold up.

“The proposed 2026 ban on off-grid oil boilers would have affected one million – largely rural – households, targetting the highest-hanging fruit first as it would have come nearly a decade before a similar ban on new gas boilers. While heat pumps are an option for some, they are not feasible or cost-effective for all.”

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A webinar hosted by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) will provide advice for red meat businesses on exporting to Canada.

The webinar will take place on October 19, 2023, and will provide an overview of the key points for the businesses to consider, including tips for route to market, compliance and customs clearances.

AHDB said participants will also be given access to information about imports, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, labelling requirements, documentation, and checklists to help ensure they are in the strongest possible position to maximise the export opportunities that Canada presents for UK pork, beef and lamb.

The webinar will feature a presentation from Ontario-based consultancy MCS Associates Inc. which provides advice to companies on regulatory and quality compliance of their products.

Market access manager, Ouafa Doxon, said: “It is imperative for our exporters to continuously meet import requirements to maintain and protect our market access to Canada.

“The aim of our webinar is to equip them with the most up-to-date insight and information to help them achieve their export ambitions in this market.”

Exports to Canada

AHDB said its Prospects for UK agri-food exports: North America report has highlighted that Canada is a net importer of lamb, with low levels of tariff protection for imports. 

The value of beef shipments from the UK to Canada in 2022 were worth £13.1 million – up 77% on the previous year.

The value of sheep meat shipped to Canada increased 160%, up from almost £1.9 million the previous year to almost £5 million, while pork export value remained stable at £7.7 million.

“Our analysis has highlighted that Canada is likely to offer improved opportunities for UK red meat exports over the next decade,” Doxon said.

“In particular it will present further opportunities for premium red meat products that are differentiated from conventional domestic production.”

Levy payers have said they value AHDB’s work on export development and wish to see more of it, she said.

“This webinar forms part of our wider international market development work to help our levy payers benefit from the opportunities the Canadian market presents.

“I would therefore urge any UK red meat exporters with an interest in trading with Canada to register for the webinar.”

Those interested in attending the webinar should register via the AHDB website.

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The event took place at Gill Hall Estate in Co. Down over four days last week.

Organised by the International Sheep Dog Society, Petter went head-to-head with 16 of the world’s best sheepdogs and handlers over the first three days of qualifiers and emerged victorious, with an impressive score.

Meanwhile 17-year-old Tyler McKinlay, from Lanark, Scotland and her dog, Heatherstane Squiggle, were named Young Handler World Champions at the event.

This is the first year that the trials have had an all-female final in the junior competition.

The team event first prize went to the Irish grouping of: Martin O’Malley; Eamonn Connell; Allistair Lyttle; James McCloskey; and Paddy Fanning.

John McCullough, chairman of the World Trial Committee congratulated Petter and Tyler on their respective achievements.

“The standards shown at the trials this week have been exceptional so to walk away with world titles is certainly no mean feat. It was an absolute joy to watch Petter and Tyler in action in the competition field over the past few days,” he said.

“Hosting the World Sheepdog Trials at Gill Hall Estate in Dromore has been a privilege. We have welcomed approximately 30,000 spectators alongside 240 handlers from over 30 different countries over the past four days which has hugely boosted many local businesses and the wider economy.

“Northern Ireland has a rich farming history and we’re so proud to have contributed to this by bringing a once-in-a-lifetime event to our shores.

“We hope that everyone who attended throughout the week enjoyed witnessing the incredible partnership between sheepdogs and their handlers,” McCullough added.

Isabel Branch, CEO of the International Sheep Dog Society added: 

“The 2023 World Sheepdog Trials have been a huge success and on behalf of the committee, we are delighted.

“We have seen lots of tough competition and it’s a testament to farmers around the world who remain committed to preserving more traditional methods of farming and to promoting the very best in terms of breeding.

“Congratulations to Petter and Tyler on your world titles. Being crowned the best in the world at what’s known as the ‘Olympics’ of the sheepdog community, is a remarkable achievement.”

Allistair Lyttle from Kesh in Co. Fermanagh was a member of the successful Irish team. He is also a member of the committee that organised the entire Gill Hall event.

“It was a tremendous honour for Northern Ireland to host the 2023 World Championships. And Gill Hall was the perfect venue,” Lyttle said.

According to Lyttle, it took a tremendous, cooperative effort to get the entire competition over the line.

A case in point was the sourcing of 800 ewes from sheep producers across Northern Ireland.

Lyttle also confirmed that sheep dog trialling is extremely popular across the island of Ireland.

“Events are taking place around the country every week of the year,” he said.

“Up to 70 dogs could be taking part in each of these competitions, all of which will attract large crowds of spectators.”

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By Barbara Collins

Alan and Wendy Dempster breed sheep on their 50ac farm near Ballymoney in Co. Antrim. It is a fourth-generation, family-owned farm where they rear and breed 120 sheep.

The breeds are Suffolk and Texel crosses which they say make a good carcass. They are “hoping to work with Dutch Spotted lamb; it is very trendy at the moment, and we are interested to see what kind of meat they will produce”, Wendy said.

“My husband is a part-time sheep farmer. The sheep were housed for lambing in March, but they have now swapped to lambing outside in April because they think it is healthier. The dream is for him to go full-time.”

Wendy herself is a fairly recent recruit to farming. “My introduction to farming really happened during [the Covid-19] lockdown,” she explained.

“I had lived on the farm for about eight years with my husband and daughter but was really only ever involved at the weekends as I commuted to my accountancy job in Belfast all week.

“During the pandemic I was furloughed and started getting more hands on. It gave me a real appreciation for the work and dedication that goes into producing the high standard of lamb.”

Wendy started her own flock from orphaned lambs during the pandemic lockdown, bottle feeding six times a day to begin with.

“I was determined to learn the process from start to finish. Naively I named them: Snow White; Princess Fiona; Darcy; Missy; Harriett… you get the idea. These are some of the mothers to the Farm Quality Assured, grass-fed lambs which we now rear.

“The first lamb being born into my flock was extremely special to me and I love having the opportunity to be innovative in a hugely male dominated sector.

“It is small milestones that make my job in agri worth it. E.g., when I had an aged farmer from down the road tell me he had heard about my concoction for bloated lambs and could I make him up some?”

Diversifying from the sheep enterprise

Prices at the mart or the factory rarely pass £5.00/kg, with the average being £4.50/kg, so Alan and Wendy decided to diversify.

“After having the costs involved highlighted, we realised we needed to increase the value of our lambs to make sheep farming viable and the way to do so was to showcase the great quality of the product in a way to appeal to a larger market,” Wendy continued.

“We wanted to add value to our meat. I was interested in looking at different remedies. I love a wee bit of charcuterie and cheeseboard and that’s where the idea for lamb ham came from. There was nothing out there.

“I was on everything you could read or watch on how to cure lamb. It took a few months and a few mistakes but three months, takes about two weeks to cure. I use wet rather than dry cure because it’s quicker.”

She says some of her market research involved making dinner. 

“I held a few shepherdess suppers and got people to try it and the feedback was great. They were the first people ever to get to taste it. We had review cards and all but one said the lamb ham was the highlight of the evening for them,” Wendy said.

They converted a horsebox into a mobile kitchen and worked with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) in Cookstown, Co.Tyrone to develop recipes. Since then, their business plan has evolved.

“The initial plan was to take our lamb to events and sell from our upcycled horsebox called the ‘Lamb Van’ at farmers’ markets and events. but we have since organically expanded into retail.

Lamb ham

So, is lamb a hard sell?

“It is seen as a special occasion meat, so the challenge was to get people to see its health benefits. People have this mistaken idea that lamb meat is very fatty, but it is actually a good type of fat,” Wendy explained.

She said that making and selling hand-held snacks is working for them.

“We hook them in with our lamb sausage rolls and burgers and then they come back for more,” she added.

“On the second day at an event, a young boy came to buy a lamb burger with the money his dad had gave him because he had loved the one he got the day before. That melted my heart. I sent him home with a few for his freezer.

“A few weeks later at an agricultural show he came back with his dad and brothers so they all could have burgers. Things like that make all the hard work worth it.

“Adding extra value to our lambs will hopefully make it possible for Alan to farm full-time. This is a driving factor for us,” Wendy said.

“I served my time as an electrician,” Alan added. “I always kept a few sheep. I knew from an early age where my passion lay. Sheep farming was in my blood.

“It is extremely hard to make sheep farming viable, especially with the ever-increasing costs involved.

“By increasing the value of the end product from the farm, I hope to make the transition to full-time. Time will tell,” Alan concluded.

The post Focus: Adding value to a sheep enterprise with ‘lamb ham’ appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

British Wool has been awarded the contract to handle wool produced on the Isle of man by the island’s government.

The farming organisation that works on behalf of wool producers said the Isle of Man produces approximately 120t of wool each year and, over the last couple of years, the farmers have experienced challenges in selling their wool at a fair price.

Chief executive of British Wool, Andrew Hogley, said the organisation is delighted that the Isle of Man government has awarded it this contract.

“We look forward to delivering the same high level of service to sheep farmers on the island that we provide to our members here in the UK,” he said.

“We are aware of the challenges they have faced in recent years and look forward to welcoming the Manx farmers to the collective marketing scheme.

“This partnership will provide benefits to farmers both on the island and in the UK.  Sheep farmers on the island will have access to British Wool’s grading system, shearing training and auction helping them to maximise the value of their wool.”

Hogley said UK farmers will also benefit from more wool being put through the British Wool infrastructure.

“The more wool British Wool can handle the more cost effective and efficient an organisation we become thus helping us to maximise returns for our members,” he said.

A ‘really positive move’

The Isle of Man’s Minister for environment, food and agriculture, Clare Barber, said awarding British Wool the contract was a “really positive move” for Manx farmers and the wool produced on the island each year.

“We are delighted to work with British Wool to ensure our farmers have an efficient route to market and receive a fair price for their hard work,” she said.

“I hope this will help rectify some of the frustrations and concerns that some farmers have experienced in recent years.”

General secretary from the Isle of Man branch of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Sarah Comish, said: “The Manx NFU challenged the Isle of Man government over the failure of the 2021 wool contract causing loss to farms.

“It is good news that our DEFA Minister agreed to address the situation, and that British Wool has now accepted the contract to manage Wool Control on the Isle of Man.

“British Wool as a co-operative are well established and have an excellent reputation, and we hope that their association with the Isle of Man will bring better recognition for the value of Manx wool as a high quality, environmentally sustainable product.”

Comish said the addition of training opportunities is an investment in skills that are needed to ensure futureproofing in the wool industry.

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The event will continue through until Saturday afternoon (September 16) when the World Singles Champion dog and handler will be crowned. Up for grabs is a first prize of £3,000.

This week’s activities at Gill Hall constitute the Olympic Games of the trialling world. The event is held every three years. However, the Covid-19 pandemic forced a major realignment of the championship’s schedule.

Sheepdog handlers from around the world last came together, in a competitive sense, back in 2017. The year in question saw the Netherlands hosting the World Championships.

Thereafter Covid-19 kicked in 2020 and again the following year, when the event should have been held in England.

Brian Kelly, secretary of the committee organising the Gill Hall event said: “We were asked to come on board and host the 2023 World Championships 16 months ago.

“The approach was made on the back of Gill Hall Estate hosting an International Sheepdog Trial back in 2018.

“There has been a 25-strong committee of people working on the event since the request came through from the International Sheepdog Society. We were delighted to get on board from the outset.”

A total of 240 dogs and their handlers, representing 30 different countries, will be taking part in the competitions planned for Gill Hall Estate this week.

“Day One sees 120 dogs competing, spread across three fields. The same format is followed on Day Two when the remaining 120 dogs compete,” Kelly continued.

“The top seven dogs from each field over the two days, go forward to the semi-finals on the Friday. That makes a total of 42 animals.

“A total of 16 dogs take part in the final class, scheduled for Saturday.”

According to Kelly, the standard of challenge confronting the dogs increases significantly as they move through the competition.

Sheepdog trials

Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales are each represented by 21 handlers and their dogs. Each competitor is allowed to compete with two dogs.

National competition trials competitions are held to allow for the selection of the handlers that take part in the world event. 

“One Irish handler has won the World Championship crown up to this point – James McGee, from Ballybofey in Co. Donegal, back in 2011,” Kelly explained.

Co. Offaly hosted the World Sheepdog Trials back in 2005. The organisers are anticipating crowds of up to 15,000 at Gill Hall over the coming days.

Gill Hall Estate – the perfect location

Allistair Lyttle, from Kesh in Co. Fermanagh is a member of the committee organising the events planned for Gill Hall Estate this week. He is also taking part in the competition in his own right.

“It’s a tremendous honour for Northern Ireland to be hosting the 2023 World Championships. And Gill Hall is the perfect venue,” Lyttle explained.

“The estate has tremendous facilities. What’s more, all the trials locations are in tip-top condition.”

According to Lyttle, it has taken a tremendous, cooperative effort to get this week’s event over the line.

A case in point has been the sourcing of 800 ewes from sheep producers across Northern Ireland.

“We have been able to source the sheep form a number of flock owners. These include, O’Kane Brothers, from Ballymena; Robin McNinch, from Larne and Frankie McCullough, from Dromara in Co. Down,” Lyttle said.

“Ewes are chosen for the championships because there is more of them to select from at this time of the year.”

Lyttle is quick to confirm that sheepdog trialling is an extremely popular sport in Ireland.

“Events are taking place around the country every week of the year,” he said.

“Up to 70 dogs could be taking part in each of these competitions, all of which wil attract large crowds of spectators.”

Lyttle went on to point out that trialling competitions are open to border collies only.

“A good dog could sell for up to £25,000,” he continued.

Young handlers

15-year-old Peter Óg Morgan, from Castlewellan in Co. Down will be pitting his wits against 14 other competitors from around the world in the Under-18 International Young Handlers Championship at Gill Hall on Friday.

He has been working with dogs at home for as far back as he can remember. Previously his father – also Peter – had won the Irish National Championships back in 2021. He went on to take the reserve at the International Sheepdog Trials, held in Wales later that same year.

Peter Óg will be competing with the eight-year-old collie, Tip.

The Morgans run 550 Lanark Blackface sheep on their home farm.

Peter Óg believes that a champion dog brings a combination of ‘brains’ and breeding to the table.

“A young dog will quickly confirm whether it has the interest and the ability to work with sheep,” Peter Óg explained.

“By the time it is 18-months-old, it will be well settled. A dog will really come into its own at around four-years-of-age.

“Border collies are very intelligent dogs and are continuously learning.”

The training process starts by putting a young dog into a circular pen with a group of sheep. By using this type of enclosure, the sheep cannot bunch into a corner; they will always be facing the dog.

Young dogs are first taught to ‘stop’ on command.

Some dogs will lie down on hearing this command; others will remain standing. After that, a range of verbal commands are given to the dogs. These include ‘come-bye (move off to the left) and ‘away’ (move off to the right).

Peter Óg continued: “Handlers will use a combination of whistles and verbal commands to dogs. Whistles are used when dogs are at a distance from their handlers.”

Sheepdog handling in Poland

Toamasz Nowakowski is the sole representative from Poland taking part in the competition classes at Gill Hall this week.

He lives close to the city of Warsaw.

“Initially, I got involved in dog obedience classes and graduated from there to sheepdog handling,” he explained to Agriland.

“There are approximately 30 handlers who take part in open handling classes that are held at locations across Poland.

“Rather than hold one-day events, as would be commonplace in Ireland, sheepdog handling competitions held in Poland take place over an entire weekend.”

Most of Poland’s native sheep breeds were killed out during World War II. Those left were cross bred with sheep from other parts of Europe in the years that followed.

The Wrzosowkas is the oldest native, ovine breed in Poland. According to Toamasz, they are a very “primitive” type of sheep.

He arrived in Ireland with his four-year-old dog last Thursday, Pete. Bred in Wales, the collie was brought to Poland as a pup.

The last few days have given the handler and his dog an opportunity to get acclimatised to Irish sheep trialling conditions.

“When we left Poland the weather was very warm relative to the conditions here in Ireland. This should not present a problem to the dogs. Had they been travelling from a cool climate to hot conditions, the change in weather would impact on their performance.

“Sheep in Poland tend to be heavier than the sheep here in Ireland. Irish sheep also tend to be more responsive to the dog.

“So, we will just have to wait and see how we get on over the coming days,” Toamasz concluded.

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Haemonchosis is a gastrointestinal worm infection of sheep and goats in regions where conditions of high humidity coincide with high temperature.

The parasitology section at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) has published a report that predicts global warming could mean the incidence of haemonchosis might increase in Ireland and the UK.

The life-cycle of the worm consists of the larvae of haemonchus contortus, also called ‘Barber’s pole worm’, hatching and maturing in faeces on the ground before migrating to fresh grass for intake by grazing animals.

This migration requires warm, moist conditions, and the larvae are quite susceptible to dryness and low temperatures.

In countries where a suitable climate occurs seasonally rather than year-round, arrested (‘hypobiotic’) larvae survive in the stomach lining of infected animals, maturing to egg-producing adults when conditions again become suitable for transmission of infection.

While cases have not been widespread across Ireland and the UK, outbreaks of haemonchosis may occur in the summer months if rainfall is sufficient to enable the larvae to survive on pasture.

This year, following the particularly wet conditions of mid-summer, an unusual increase in the number of cases of haemonchosis diagnosed has been noted by staff at AFBI.

Signs of haemonchosis

The veterinary sciences division at the AFBI said that clinical diagnosis of haemonchosis in the field relies on the observation of very pale mucous membranes, including the conjunctivae of the eyes.

Dead lambs submitted to the AFBI for post-mortem examination showed signs of severe scour, often with flystrike, and severe anaemia, with large amounts of clear fluid in the abdomen and chest.

Anaemia due to blood loss is the usual cause of death in these cases.

It has been determined by the AFBI that each worm removes about 0.05ml of blood daily from its host, so a burden of 2,000 worms would result in a daily blood loss of 100ml.

Faecal egg counts on samples submitted to the laboratory from flocks where haemonchosis is suspected usually show high levels of strongyle-type eggs.

Low counts may be encountered if the majority of the intestinal worms are immature or if anthelmintic was administered recently, according to the findings of the report.

Treatment of intestinal worms

The AFBI report suggests that if worms persist in lambs, particularly after dosing with benzimidazole (white drench), anthelmintic resistance may be an issue and administration of moxidectin, together with an iron-containing tonic, may be advisable.

Anthelmintic resistance, the AFBI concluded, is less problematic in areas where infection is encountered only sporadically, compared to the situation in warmer countries where haemonchus infection is highly endemic.

The source of haemonchus infection in flocks is often bought-in sheep from an area where infection is more common.

Due to the high reproductive potential of the worm, the AFBI said it is likely that the pasture will rapidly become contaminated with haemonchus eggs.

However, the AFBI added that the main risk for lambs in the next grazing season is from hypobiotic larvae that may remain in the replacement stock reared this year.

The report suggested that early-season anthelmintic dosing of replacement stock can help to reduce the risk of pasture contamination for naive lambs, while careful attention to quarantine and dosing of bought-in stock is essential.

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A Nuffield Farming report has highlighted the current problems faced by the UK sheep industry due to anthelmintics over usage and has outlined sustainable steps for addressing resistance.

Carried out by Welsh farm veterinarian Miranda Timmerman, the report ‘Worming like a winner: A guide to a sustainable UK sheep flock‘, was jointly sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Farmers with Savills and The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society.

As part of her research, Timmerman travelled throughout the Netherlands, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, UK, Norway, Australia and New Zealand.

“Endoparasites have co-evolved with sheep but modern, intensive management techniques have increased their negative impact on productivity,” she said.

“Anthelmintics have been historically over-used, resulting in our current problems.

“The situation is concerning because anthelmintic resistance has the potential to stop sheep farming in the UK; however there are management changes that can be made to not only prevent anthelmintic resistance, but even reverse it.”

Sheep parasites

Nuffield said Timmerman embarked on her travels with the objective of understanding how sheep farmers could manage parasites without the use of anthelmintics, how these products could be used to prevent and reverse resistance, as well as developing practical steps farmers can take to future-proof their farms and stock.

In her report, Timmerman makes recommendations for both sheep farmers, vets and industry to address the issue of resistance.

These include the use of genetics, understanding and amending grazing practises, use of parasite monitoring technologies, and improved dissemination of relevant information to the sector.

Her study objectives included:

1. Managing parasites without the use of anthelmintics;
2. Developing practical steps farmers can take to future-proof their farms and stock;
3. Using anthelmintics to prevent resistance occurring and to reverse the current incidence.

The main message of her report was that anthelmintic resistance is a direct threat to the UK sheep industry’s future survival.

Timmerman also outlined targeted selective treatment as a crucial method to slowing resistance and refugia as a key management strategy to reverse resistance.

Timmerman will present her findings at the 2023 Nuffield Farming ‘super’ conference, held at Sandy Park near Exeter from 14-16 November.

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With heatwave conditions set in across the UK it is important that farmers keep an eye on their livestock for signs of heat stress.

Heat stress occurs when an animal’s heat load is greater than its capacity to lose heat.

This is seen prominently in heavy cattle, which cannot handle heat stress compared to lighter weight cattle.

Also at a higher risk of heat stress are pregnant animals, animals recovering from illness, pigs and high-producing dairy cows.

The most visible signs in farm animals tend to be elevated breathing rates, however, increased water intake and sweating, along with decreased feed intake, are other symptoms.

To help prevent heat stress occurring, farmers must pay particular attention to water, feed, shade and management.

Consumption of water is the quickest method for animals to reduce their core body temperature.

For detecting signs of heat stress in your dairy herd, further symptoms include decreased milk production and a change in milk composition (milk fat and protein percentages drop).

Farmers should also pay attention to their livestock crowding, breathing heavily, and standing next to a water trough.

On a hot day, cows can drink anywhere up to 110L/day and they can typically drink at a rate of 14L/minute from a trough.

With this in mind, farmers are encouraged to carefully consider trough location, as cattle don’t like to walk more than 250m to get a drink.

Offering feed with a high fibre content can increase the heat of fermentation in the rumen, thus increasing the heat load of livestock.

Cattle should be given preferential access to paddocks with shade from trees and tall hedges during periods of hot weather.

This may mean having to graze more shaded parts of the farm during the day and more open areas during the evening/night.

If moving or handling cattle, farmers should minimise the time cattle are in holding yards and to reduce handling stress.

Where cattle do become affected by heat stress, it’s advisable to isolate the most severely affected animals and provide shade and cooling.

Farmers should avoid handling sheep where possible during hot weather, and where necessary, delay handling or moving sheep until late evening when temperatures cool.

For farmers transporting sheep in trailers, they should ensure there is adequate ventilation and that they are stocked appropriately.

They should check stock regularly during longer journeys and delay movements until late evening/night time where possible.

Farmers with sheepdogs should also be aware that the dogs are susceptible to heat stress, and should delay work until late evening, where possible, provide sufficient rest periods and have access to water.

For outdoor pigs, they will require access to a wallow to cool down, especially if the temperature is above 25°, as these animals are particularly vulnerable to heat stress.

For indoor pigs and poultry the temperature in the animal accommodation must be monitored closely and ventilation adjusted accordingly. 

It is also recommended to reduce stocking densities where necessary to increase air space and flow and to reduce the heat generated by the animals themselves.  

It is also important that farmers look after themselves in the hot weather, by staying hydrated and protecting their skin from the sun with sunscreen and protective clothing.

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It is now necessary for all transporters of livestock animals to have a valid transporter authorisation in order to transport animals over any distance greater than 65km in connection with any economic activity, e.g. trade.

It is also a requirement when transporting animals between member states (including moves to and from Northern Ireland, to register the premises of departure and premises of destination on TRACES in advance of the movement.

This update is in line with the EU animal health law.

TRACES is the online platform for certification required for the importation of animals, animal products, food and feed of non-animal origin and plants into the EU, and the intra-EU trade and EU exports of animals and certain animal products.

Details of this authorisation to transport animals over 65km, in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005, must be registered on TRACES in order for the health certificate to be generated.

Action required for transport

To ensure that no delays are encountered in north-south trade, or in trade between EU member states, the parties to the trade should ensure in advance that the premises of origin and destination have been registered on TRACES.

Once a premises has been correctly registered as an establishment of origin or destination, this will allow them to be selected on the certificate for each movement and they will not need to re-register.

Registration of farms in the Republic of Ireland can be completed by contacting a local regional veterinary office of DAFM.

To register a premises in Northern Ireland, a local Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) regional office should be contacted.

If this process is not completed prior to the sale of animals, it may result in export delays as it will not be possible to create a health certificate on the TRACES system.

If the journey is to be more than 65km, the parties should ensure that the authorisation of the transporter of the animals is registered on TRACES.

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The red meat sector is now worth £2.8 billion to the Scottish economy, up 16% from £2.4 billion from the last time its worth was assessed 2016, according to a new report by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

Of this £2.8 billion, 46% was generated on-farm, 32% by meat processing, and the remaining by ‘core’ and ‘other’ supplies.

The Scottish Red Meat Sector Economic Impact Report 2023 adds that red meat output accounts for approximately 36% of national farming output, with on-farm output now up by more than £100 million, from £1.16 billion in 2016, to £1.27 billion now. 

The wider supply chain also generates important revenues with £885 million from meat processing, £361 million from core supply trading (veterinary, machinery, fertiliser, feed and repairs/buildings) and a further £225 million in output from other farm supplies it said.

The report also looked at employment within the red meat chain, which it said currently sustains 39,000 jobs. The majority of these jobs are on farm with 31,200 people, 3,880 in meat processing, 2,000 in the core supplies industry – such as feed and veterinary services – and 2,200 employed in other supplies to the sector.

Red meat sector in Scotland

Sarah Millar, QMS’ chief executive, believes this report is “vital to understanding the red meat supply chain in Scotland’s total as well as its rural economy”.

“Livestock farming is so important to the fabric of our rural economies, supporting both hired and family labour, in full-time and in part-time roles, and in-turn other local businesses in rural and remote places,” she said.

“What’s also important to note is that, when you add in the further processing of red meat into cooked foods and food service, for example, the total employment contribution of the red meat sector is even greater.”

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon also echoed Millar’s sentiment: “This report highlights the continued importance of the red meat supply chain both to Scotland’s economy as well as our rural communities.

“Improvements in on-farm efficiency as well as work to further build the brand and reputation of our nation’s iconic meats have led to a marked increase in value of the sector.

“This is down to the diligence and hard work of farmers, crofters and all those who work in the wider supply chain.”

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The gimmer trade at the Texel Sheep Society’s Scottish National Sale saw the top price of 9,000 guineas last Thursday (August 24).

Held in Lanark, the strong demand and trade at the sale saw the gimmer that received the price of 9,000gns come from the flock of breeders James and Ellie Amphlett of Herefordshire.

They sold the gimmer, AOS2200208, a Rhaeadr Cracker daughter out of a Clarks-bred dam by Procters Chumba Whumba, to Jed Sharp of Worcestershire.

Second best of the Texel Sheep Society’s Scottish National Sale was a purchase of a gimmer from the Sportsmans pen of the Boden and Davies partnership for 6,000gns.

BGS2205984 achieved this price, who is by Seaforde Empire King and is out of a dam by Castlecairn Doodlebug, selling with an index in the top 25% of the breed. Buying this gimmer was Ben Ditchfield, for the Cabin Knoll flock of Staffordshire.

Following her at 4,000gns was the day’s female champion from Ryan Bradley. This was BYK2200448 from the Bradleys flock.

She’s a Hilltop Escobar daughter out of a dam by Auldhouseburn Bolt and she has joined the Strathbogie flock of James Innes.

Making 3400gns was a gimmer from Gordon Gray’s Ettrick flock, GGH2214417. She is a daughter of Procters Chumba Wumba and is out of a dam by Ettrick Yager Bomb and has a top 1% index.

She was selected to be brought into A and R Dickson and Son’s Lonicera flock of Omagh. Co. Tyrone.

The Amphletts received 3,000gns for their second gimmer, AOS2200206. This was a Garngour Destiny II daughter, out of a Rhaeadr-bred dam by Rhaeadr Ace and was sold to Messrs Blackwood of Castlehill.

The Texel Sheep Society saw a gimmer average of £1604.86 for each of the 32 gimmers at the auction conducted by Lawrie and Symington.

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A record ram lamb sale average was recorded at the recent Scottish National Texel Sale in Lanark

The breed’s flagship sale saw 20 Texel ram lambs make 10,000gns or more, with a record sale average of £5,311.25 and a 79% clearance of the lambs on offer at the auction conducted by Lawrie and Symington.

The top call of the day was for Knap Grumpy, who fetched 170,000gns, coming from Robert Cockburn’s Knap flock of Crieff.

This flock enjoyed an excellent trade at the sale, as Knap General Lee was bought for 100,000gns, while Cockburn netted an average of £60,060 for five lambs sold.

Both rams were bought for the Sportsmans flock, Cheshire, by Charlie Boden, with Grumpy being a son of the 9,000gns Haddo Falcon out of Robert’s noted ewe, Knap Daisy Duke.

A second 100,000gns call came early in the day for the champion from the pre-sale show, Strathbogie Gypsy King from Jim Innes, Aberdeenshire and was the reserve overall champion at this year’s Royal Highland Show.

He sold to Northern Ireland breeder, Johnny Cubitt of Ballymena, with equal shares also taken by the pre-sale judge Richard Henderson for the Ballynahone flock, Alistair Gault, Forkins and Roger Strawbridge, Tamnamoney.

Cockburn also paid 65,000gns for Teiglum Goliath from Andrew Clark.

This son of the 7,500gns Forkins Fancy is out of a dam by Wydden Ding Dong, selling with a top 25% terminal index.

Further ram lamb prices

Further ram lamb prices at the Scottish National Texel Sale included:

• 42,000gns for Auldhouseburn Ghost from Alan Blackwood’s Auldhouseburn pen;
• 42,000gns for Ettrick Grey Goose from Gordon Gray, Selkirk;
• 36,000gns for Auldhousenburn Gazza from Alan Blackwood;
• 30,000gns for Clarks Gray Goose from Dye and Elizabeth Clark;
• 30,000gns for Hilltop Golden Eye from Kenny Pratt;
• 30,000gns for Clanfield Golden from James Theyer;
• 24,000gns for Hexel Geronimo from Donald and Sarah MacPherson;
• 22,000gns for Garngour Geezer from Alan Clark and family of Garngour;
• 20,000gns for Sportsmans Grand Slam from Charlie Boden;
• 16,000gns for Scholars Governor from Neil and Matthew Ellis;
• 15,000gns for Midlock Grizzly from the Wight family;
• 15,000gns for Mullan Game Changer from Brian Hanthorn;
• 15,000gns for Auldhouseburn Godfather from Alan Blackwood.

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The National Sheep Association (NSA) has warned farmers of the risk of disease transmission when buying in replacement stock.

The chief executive of the trade association for UK sheep farmers, Phil Stocker, said the warning follows a number of farmers reporting that they have “unsuspectedly bought in diseases to their flocks when purchasing replacements”.

With breeding sheep sales in full swing, the NSA said farmers must be aware of what they can do to prevent disease spread. 

“I have lost count of the number of farmers who I have spoken to that have unsuspectedly bought in diseases to their flocks when purchasing replacements,” Stocker said.

“Having experienced the serious consequences of this these farmers are urging NSA to do more to highlight the risk to others and encourage more responsible and trustworthy trade.”

The NSA said awareness of some of the risks of bought-in stock, like foot disease and anthelmintic resistance of certain parasites, is well known with “plentiful advice” available on methods to reduce these risks.

However, it said, while those risks are “widely considered”, the risk of introducing “iceberg diseases” such as maedi visna (MV), ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA) and Border Disease are frequently still ignored by many.

“This is all about reducing the risks rather than any guarantees of ‘disease free’ status,” Stocker said.

“It will surely be a matter of time before more suppliers of breeding stock are providing some indication of the disease status of the stock they are selling.”

Good practice

The NSA said the sheep sector will see more rapid progress if buyers begin to ask more questions, and then back these up with reasonable quarantine procedures when stock arrives home following purchase. 

To buy from the same trusted farms repeatedly is “a good place to start”, it said, if there is confidence that previous stock has been trouble free and has held body condition well. 

If the seller isn’t part of a health scheme or has not done any screening, then it is advisable for the purchaser to do random blood tests when the sheep arrive home and whilst still in isolation.

Buying ewe lambs and running them on in isolation also gives breathing space to identify problems before mixing with the main flock, the NSA said.

“Considering the risks and taking a few reasonable steps to protect the home flock, and your investment, is a good place to start, and quarantining and testing both females and males is advisable,” Stocker said.

“I realise some breeding sheep producers might find these comments challenging, but I can definitely foresee a time when it becomes the norm to give some indication of health status.

“I also realise how hard it is as a producer of breeding stock to test and receive some unwelcome results -this can be costly and damage reputations, but taking responsible action is surely better to protect reputations and business in the longer term.”

Stocker said, for buyers and sellers, this is without doubt an area where “a good conversation with your sheep vet can pay dividends”.

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Love Lamb Week 2023 will include the promoting of the product of some of the UK’s native and lesser-known breeds.

Love Lamb Week is an annual celebration of UK lamb. The weeklong campaign starts this week from Friday, September 1, 2023.

Love Lamb Week encourages UK consumers to enjoy the “varied and delicious eating qualities” of native breed sheep meat.

Chief executive of the National Sheep Association (NSA), Phil Stocker, said: “Love Lamb Week is a great opportunity to champion the UK sheep sector and that includes promoting the delicious product of some of the UK’s native and lesser-known breeds, and the special eating qualities they can offer consumers.

“This Love Lamb week NSA and the British Heritage Sheep scheme would like to see the UK’s native breeds identified and celebrated.”

Across the UK, local farm shops, butchers and farms offering direct sales can be a good option for consumers looking to source meat from native breeds, the NSA said.

One of the directors of the British Heritage Sheep scheme, Bob Kennard, said: “Not all sheep meat tastes the same, the difference in flavour is very much evident between some breeds such as the iconic Herdwick that grazes the famous Lake District fells and the historic Ryeland of Herefordshire, one of the oldest of the established native breeds.

“The main factors affecting the flavour are the age of the animal, its breed and to some extent what the animal eats.

“These factors give the meat of different breeds distinctive eating experiences, highly prized in past generations.”

Despite more than 80 native and other sheep breeds being recognised in the UK the varied flavours that these can deliver to consumers are rarely acknowledged, the NSA said.

“Sheep meat is one of the last undifferentiated foods,” Kennard said.

“We all know about the many types of cheese, apples, breeds of beef and so on, but retailers rarely inform consumers about the breed of sheep meat, nor do they explain where and how it was reared, nor offer meat of differing ages.”

The British Heritage Sheep initiative aims to change this by working to increase the awareness and promotion of the ABC of sheep meat – A for the age of sheep from which the meat comes; B for the sheep breed; and C, for the countryside/region it has been farmed.

Through this work, it aims to offer consumers a wider range of sheep meat and new flavour experiences, strengthen the unique roles of

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The National Sheep Association (NSA) has said it is concerned about “slippages in the planned progress” of the proposed Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS).

The trade association for UK sheep farmers voiced its concerns following the Royal Assent of the Agriculture (Wales) Act last week.

The main source of future government support for Welsh farmers is underpinned by the act and is to be delivered through the SFS – which is to be in place for 2025.

However, the NSA said a clear scheme outline and “significant, meaningful information” regarding the financial implications of the scheme are yet to be seen.

NSA chief executive Phil Stoker said: “NSA has consistently highlighted that a period of just over 12 months is not sufficient time for farming businesses to plan for the future.

“The Agriculture Act has the potential to reinvigorate progress to support the farming sectors, placing due value on sustaining rural communities, environmental deliverables, language, culture and heritage along with ensuring the nation has reliable access to high quality, affordable food.”

The NSA said it is vital that the Welsh government does not let the opportunity to create a “workable and valued” scheme pass it by and must ensure industry collaboration on the design of the SFS.

NSA Cymru/Wales development officer, Helen Roberts said: “The opportunity is for government to commit to enhancing and supporting farming in Wales in the most meaningful ways possible, an opportunity to get it right for generations to come.

“NSA is pleased Welsh government is making strides towards these goals but is keen to ensure that a collaborative approach is maintained.

“NSA is looking forward to working constructively with Welsh government to continue to develop a scheme that delivers for Welsh agriculture, including for the environment.”

Roberts said, although the association welcomes the intention of new schemes, it wants future schemes to be “inclusive, fair and also recognise the value of farm diversity evident in Wales”.

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Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) has announced a series of ‘Meat the Market‘ workshops for beef and lamb farmers.

The events aim to guide beef and lamb producers and offer industry knowledge about target specifications for finished animals.

The first workshop will kick off at 9:30a.m on Tuesday, October 10, and will focus on cattle. The event will last around four and a half hours in total and it will be held at Highland Meats (Dunbia), Saltcoats, on the West Coast.

Attendees must be over 18 years of age and most have photo ID to prove this, QMS said.

QMS said processing plant tours will enable visiting farmers to visually grade cattle before slaughter, before seeing the resulting carcass for later comparison.

Visitors will be given guidance on carcass grading of home finished cattle, to help with determining if they are ready for sale and to ensure maximised returns.  

The speakers at the events will be divisional manager with Meat and Livestock Commercial Services Ltd (MLCSL), George Allan, and industry specialist, Adrian Crowe.

They will discuss market specifications, customer requirements, presentation of animals and minimising risk of carcase downgrades.

Head of industry development at QMS, Bruce McConachie, said: “It is important to present clean animals that fit the required processor grade specification for conformation and fat cover, to ensure that returns can be maximised.

“Seeing livestock graded offers valuable insight and feedback from the abattoirs and may highlight any issues relating to your cattle or lamb health, that may cause downgrades or condemnations.” 

Farmer Lawrence Martin visited the Bridge of Allan abattoir during a Meat the Market workshop.

“Seeing carcasses on the line after grading the animals in lairage was insightful, as a result, we are now hand grading lambs before weighing those deemed fit, it has changed the order in which we do things, saving us time,” he said.

“Meeting other farmers at these workshops is as valuable as what we learn from the speakers, I will certainly be attending more of these events.” 

QMS said more workshops, including those focusing on lamb, are planned for later dates and will be announced soon.

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The agricultural research charity said summer 2023 has been “particularly challenging” for Northern Ireland’s dairy, beef and sheep farmers.

In partnership with the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), AgriSearch will hold its first webinar – ‘Autumn Options for Beef‘ – on Wednesday, August 30 at 8:00p.m.

The second webinar – ‘Autumn Options for Dairy‘ – will take place on Thursday, August 31 at 8:00p.m.

AgriSearch said topics to be addressed at the webinars include: forage planning and budgeting; options for dealing with poorer quality silage; proactive steps that can be taken to safeguard animal health; and what can be done to help farming businesses get through this “challenging period”.

“After a dry May and June, there has been almost incessant rain which has affected grass quality and hampered silage making,” it said.

“Ground conditions in many areas have been challenging with stock having to be housed at times.”

AgriSearch said these conditions have “not been conducive” to livestock health and performance, and said that it is likely that many of the silages being fed to livestock this winter will be “sub-optimal”.

“At the same time farmers are facing a cost/price squeeze with the cost of purchased feed remaining near historical highs and prices for milk, beef and lamb all under pressure.”

Those interested in attending the webinars can register via the AgriSearch website.

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The first UK sheep embryos have been shipped to the US, the Agriculture Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has said.

The shipment, valued at approximately £400,000, is the first of what is hoped to be a regular trade in ovine genetics, meeting strong demand from US customers to source directly from the UK.

It follows the enacting of US legislation in 2021 that lifted a 33-year US embargo on lamb and sheep embryos from countries previously affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

It was the culmination of a collaborative effort between the UK sheepmeat industry, the UK Export Certificate Partnership (UKECP), UK government, and the AHDB.

Using imported UK embryos will allow US producers to gain full pedigree status for a breed within one generation. It may take 10 to 15 years to reach the purebred level using imported pedigree semen.

UK embryo genetics will also benefit popular US commercial meat producing breeds like the Suffolk.

Food and Farming Minister Mark Spencer said: “We are backing British farmers and opening up new markets for British goods around the world. Those based on both our vast food heritage and also our cutting-edge science.

“British sheep producers are rightly celebrated as some of the best in the world and this shipment will give US producers access to our premium sheep genetics.

“I’m proud of our agri-food attachés who are working hard to explore new trade opportunities like this and fly the flag for UK farmers,” he said.

Dr. Phil Hadley, AHDB trade development director, said: “We are delighted that the first high-value sheep genetics exports have been shipped to the US in what is a major milestone for the sector.

“In addition to the export of sheep meat from the UK, we hope this will be the start of another valuable trading relationship for our sheep producers and the wider UK industry.

“This again illustrates the value of AHDB’s export work in supporting commercial trade and how working collaboratively with industry and UK government delivers tangible results.

“Our levy payers have highlighted how much they value the work of AHDB’s export team and we look forward to continuing developing overseas trade on their behalf,” he said.

Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association (NSA), said: “This is great news for the sheep industry, further enhancing our reputation on the global stage.

“It is the result of hard work put in by the industry, government and AHDB, building on the wider export deal with the US which is starting to pay dividends.”

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When searching for a way to diversify their farm, Tim and Tan Spittle found a unique, and seemingly untouched avenue to explore: Sheep’s milk vodka.

“We knew about the cow’s milk vodkas and obviously researched sheep’s milk and wondered why there weren’t many people doing that sort of thing,” Tanya said.

After three to four years of research and development, they launched Blacklion Vodka in 2021 – becoming the first sheep’s milk vodka in Europe. No less than one year later, they had won multiple international awards.

“You’re not going to think about milk when you’re drinking it,” Tim told Agriland. “It doesn’t have a milky taste at all.”

It’s a little creamy he said, with “slight” notes of vanilla and a long aftertaste. “It is a sipping vodka rather than a bottle of fire that’s just going down your throat. It’s a real quality drink,” he said.

The couple, which run a large sheep farm in the Cotswolds, don’t just use any old sheep’s milk for the drink – they have dedicated “vodka sheep”.

“We cross two breeds,” Tim explained. “We cross a Swiss breed which is a Valais and we cross it with a commercial milker.”

The farm in its entirety normally has about 600 sheep. The ‘vodka sheep’ are kept in small groups and are milked, producing about 1L/ewe/day.

“It’s a small batch, super premium product,” Tim reiterated.

Making sheep’s milk vodka

The curds from the milk go to a friend of the couple who makes cheese, leaving them with the whey that they turn into vodka.

“With cheese making, obviously the separation of whey occurs,” Tim explained.

“Curds going off to make a nice sheep’s cheese; the whey is redundant, typically a waste product, a byproduct of that process, and it seems such a shame to not use those wonderful, tangible sugars.

“That’s what you can use to ferment and distill just as you would do with potatoes or grain, making a mash or beer-type solution; that is what you use to distill and make a spirit.”

They chose to make a vodka because they believe the vodka market is “just about to evolve” and that the gin market is “pretty saturated”. They also wanted it to be an artisian, small batch, premium product.

“Just because we’re farming doesn’t mean to say that that we should be in any way rough and ready,” Tim said.

“There’s a lot of good farm products out there and we think we should sit it at the very best end of the market.”

Blacklion Vodka is available in 20cl and 70cl bottles, and can be purchased online, or at various small shops listed on the company’s website – including Clarkson’s Farm star Jeremy Clarkson’s well-known Diddly Squat farm shop.

Farm diversification

The vodka venture started out, as mentioned, as a way to diversify the farm – which is something that the Spittles believe is really important.

And it’s not their only diversification move; around ten years ago, they converted old cattle barns and now have an “urban-style gym” – Freestyle360 – on the farm with a few hundred members, Tanya, who has a background in marketing, said.

“That helps subsidise our farming really,” Tim added. 

He believes that what’s holding other farms back from diversifying is time and money, but also the “inclination and possibly some of the skills to do other things which they’d be very good at”.

“I think farmers should be supported more in the diversification,” he said.

“We found that when we diversify, it’s never supported as we hope we’d want to be from things like planning and other areas – they should be.”

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Nine young sheep farmers across the UK are set to benefit from access to “top-class genetics” through a National Sheep Association (NSA) Next Generation initiative.

The trade association for UK sheep farmers teamed up with the Dutch Spotted Sheep Society for its NSA Next GENE-eration giveaway for the first time this year, with the aim of increasing the number of farmers who could win.

The NSA initiative again offered young sheep farmers the chance to compete for the prize of a ram voucher for the Kaiapoi Romneys flock of Rob and Jo Hodgkins.

NSA communications manager, Katie James, said: “The NSA Next GENE-eration giveaway has been a great success again this year with the addition of the Dutch Spotted ram vouchers really complementing the existing offering.

“The two breeds offer sheep farmers from contrasting systems the opportunity to benefit from top-class genetics that will help them progress their systems.

“Some incredibly deserving young sheep farmers have been awarded these and we look forward to seeing the benefit the rams bring to their flocks over the next year and will share this journey with interested parties along the way.”

Ram recipients

Four vouchers were given to young sheep farmers who were selected as recipients of rams from the Kaiapoi Romney flock, as the NSA felt they would fit well into each of the farmers’ “extensive, forward-thinking systems”.

The winners will travel to Cambridgeshire to exchange their vouchers for the MV-accredited and performance-recorded rams who, the NSA said, are known to carry the Myomax double-muscling gene.

The winners are:

• Carys Jones of Carmarthenshire;
• Peter Sessford of Lincolnshire;
• Jenny and Richard Oglesby of Yorkshire;
• Dafydd Owen of Denbighshire.

Rob Hodgkins of Kaiapoi Romneys said: “As a farm we have had the benefit of a lot of people’s and business’s goodwill over the years.

“It’s important to Jo and myself that we are now in a position to give back to the industry that has given so much to us.

“We hope this giveaway will make some meaningful change to these deserving young farmers.”

Dutch spotted sales

Five vouchers for the pedigree Dutch Spotted sales have been given to young sheep farmers from the NSA genetics initiative.

The winners of this category are:

• Sam Lee of Northamptonshire;
• Eilidh Hortin of Cumbria;
• Lisa Lewis of Carmarthenshire;
• Kirsten Hardisty and Michael Houghton of Derbyshire;
• Fiona Wilshaw from Cheshire.

Edward Adamson of the Dutch Spotted Sheep Society said: “As a relatively new breed in the UK the Dutch Spotted Sheep Society understands the difficulties of getting started and is pleased to help some enthusiastic young sheep farmers establish their businesses and realise the qualities of the Dutch Spotted breed.” 

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This was the key take-home message delivered by Signet Breeding geneticist, Sam Boon, during his presentation to the recent EasyCare sheep open evening, hosted by Co. Antrim flock owner Campbell Tweed,

According to Boon, 2023 marks 50 years of the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) Signet programme in the UK, a period of time that has seen a revolution in the science associated with the performance recording of sheep.

“The good news is that the rate of genetic gain within the sheep sector is now increasing at an exponential rate. And this is tremendous news for commercial flock owners,” he explained.

“It is now possible to breed for so many traits that are performance recorded.

“These include ewe longevity and the ability of a ewe to rear her lambs. Lamb growth rates remain a critically important trait to assess within all sheep enterprises.”

Sheep recording

Boon went on to point out that the numbers of sheep being recorded does matter. The larger the population of sheep under assessment, the faster rate of genetic gain that can be achieved.

“Where sheep are concerned, the generational interval is quite small. Hence the potential to drive genetic progress that much faster,” he commented.

In the case of Campbell Tweed’s Ballycoose flock, 4,000 lambs are recorded courtesy of the Signet programme on an annual basis.

Campbell also utilises the recording facilities available through Sheep Ireland.

Parasite resistance

Specifically, where parasite resistance to wormers within sheep flocks is concerned, Boon stressed the important role that genetic evaluations can play into the future.

But is the challenge one that centres solely on genetic resistance or should flock owners be breeding for flock resilience, where these matters are concerned?

Research has identified genetic differences between sheep in the strength of their acquired resistance to internal worm parasites.

If these differences can be identified by measurements in sheep, this trait can be incorporated into genetic evaluations and improved through selective breeding.

But selection for resistance alone comes at a cost, which can result in a reduction in overall performance.

In the opinion of Sam Boon, flock owners should select for resistance in conjunction with other performance traits, such as growth rate, carcase quality and maternal ability.

Carbon footprint

According to the Signet breeding specialist, ongoing genetic assessment will also allow farmers to identify sheep with a low carbon footprint.

July of this year saw the sheep sector in England awarded £2.9 million by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) in order to specifically identify animals with a low carbon footprint.

This work will constitute a three-year initiative. The project has been titled ‘Breed for CH4nge’.

It will measure methane emissions from a total of 13,500 sheep in 45 flocks, collect the necessary data and build and develop the tools required to genetically reduce methane emissions and improve the efficiency of the national flock.

The initiative will eventually demonstrate the impact of low-carbon sheep on whole farm carbon footprints.

Signet is one of a number of organisations delivering scientific expertise to the project.

“AHDB is delighted to share news of our involvement in ‘Breed for CH4nge’, an industry collaboration that will help to breed sheep with a naturally low carbon footprint,” Boon continued.

“There are a number of exciting elements to the project that align closely to AHDB’s research interests, and the genetic services delivered by Signet.

“The project will enhance our knowledge of genomics, breeding for parasite resistance and CT scanning, whilst assessing the benefits of using Portable Accumulation Chambers to predict methane emissions in grazing sheep.”

The Ballycoose flock

Ballycoose farm is home to 3,000 EasyCare ewes.

The entire operation is managed by three full-time staff. This, in itself, is a very powerful illustration of what ‘EasyCare’ sheep management is all about.

Campbell took the decision of going down the self-shedding route after the wool price crash of 1999.

His initial investment centred on the acquisition of Wiltshire Horn rams, which he purchased in Northern Ireland. Up to that point, the Ballycoose flock comprised a mix of Newton Stewart Blackface and Colbred ewes.

Within a relatively short period of years, he fully committed to the EasyCare breed, the first of which he imported from Iolo Owen in Wales.

The EasyCare is a composite breed of sheep comprising mostly Welsh Mountain and Wiltshire Horn bloodlines. It was developed almost 60 years ago with breed members specifically selected for their wool-shedding and polled traits.

10 years prior to his switch to self-shedding sheep, Campbell had committed to complete animal recording within the flock.

“There is no splitting of the flock into groups. Each lamb is tagged at birth and, thereafter, electronically recorded on a regular basis throughout the period of its stay on the farm,” he explained.

“From a breeding point of view, we cull on a consistent basis.

“Obviously, we will assist any ewe that has a problem lambing. However, that female and her lambs will not be retained for further breeding purposes. Nor will we sell these animals on to other breeders; they are all sent for slaughter at the appropriate time.

“We take a similar approach, where lameness is concerned. Obviously, any animal can succumb to a problem of this kind. However, if the issue arises again, after the initial treatment, it will not be retained for breeding.”

EasyCare sheep

Campbell believes that EasyCare sheep have a key role to play on sheep farms of all types.

“They are particularly suited to flock owners who work from 9:00a.m to 5:00p.m between Monday and Friday. To a large extent, the sheep can manage themselves,” Tweed said.

Campbell is currently selling both breeding EasyCare ewes and lambs to flock owners throughout Ireland and the UK.

“We are offering fully recorded stock that can add significantly to any sheep enterprise. Demand for EasyCare bloodlines is on the up and this trend shows no sign of diminishing,” he said.

He is quick to confirm that the self-shedding ability of the breed is a big selling point.

“Back when Blackface sheep were our main focus, we would have sold up to 7t of wool on an annual basis,” Campbell further explained.

“Last year that figure dropped to around 600kg.”

On the back of the commitment to comprehensive sheep recording, demand for Ballycoose bloodlines is increasing on an international basis.

In 2020 EasyCare rams were selected by Shrewsbury based Farmgene Ltd. from the Ballycoose flock.

Progeny from this selection were sold very successfully in two sales in New Zealand earlier this year.

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The National Sheep Association (NSA) has said farmers may have a “mountain to climb” this winter due to continued “extreme volatility” in supply chains, input costs and the marketplace.

Ahead of this, the trade association for UK sheep farmers has urged the public to buy British produce to support their farmers.

NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said this summer is proving to be another challenging one for the farming world, with unusually high rainfall in July and August following a prolonged dry spell in June.

“There are regional differences but for many the harvest of grains and forage is a tense ordeal and the impact across the country could be felt with the availability and quality of forage, bedding and catch crops starting to creep into the minds of livestock producers,” he said.

Stocker said the ongoing war in Ukraine, global economic conditions, access to vaccines and continued inflation in input prices is “making its mark” across industry.

At the same time, he said, there is “continued pressure” from retailers to try to limit food inflation.

“There is a crunch point here that could affect long term food security and sustainability, and NSA wishes to encourage members to start planning for what could be a long winter – and the wider supply chain to support our farmers.”

British food

Stocker said it is extremely important that consumers are able to access British food as it benefits local farming communities.

“Sheep and goat meat imports from New Zealand to the EU jumped by 18% year-on-year in the first four months of 2023, according to new figures,” he said.

“NSA is keen to see retailers across the board, along with government, champion British food.

“British lamb needs the support of our government and supply chains in ensuring our product maintains domestic market share in light of recent free trade agreements.”

Stocker said the agricultural industry is combating a period of unprecedented volatility in all areas, so now is the time to “champion British”.

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The Saintfield, Co. Down breeder, Tommy Jackson’s ram lamb, Milltown Golden Balls, sold for £20,000, with the deal arranging for a 50% share for the purchaser.

The 50% share was negotiated by Moira, Co. Down breeder James Johnston for his recently formed Broadwater flock, who first saw the lamb at the Balmoral Show in May.

At the Balmoral Show, Milltown Golden Balls was awarded male champion, finishing first out of 18 categories in the ram lamb class.

Jackson said: “We rarely sell at home when we have an animal entered for a sale.

“However, the opportunity to retain a 50% share was too good to miss, as we believe this is a special lamb that will breed well in both of our flocks.

“We wish the Johnston family all the best with their new stock ram.”

Dutch Spotted sheep

Dutch Spotted sheep hail from the Netherlands, and are a naturally polled (hornless) breed and consistently colour-mark their progeny, even in crossbreeding scenarios.  

They are multi-purpose animals, being of equal value in both hill and lowland situations.

When used with a terminal sire, they produce lambs with an exceptionally high kill-out percentage. The quality of the meat is also excellent.  

Dutch Spotted sheep have been recognised as a breed in their own right for the past 50 years. While most are located in the Netherlands, they can be seen in many flocks across Europe.

The sheep are noted for their ability to thrive on grass and to produce carcasses with exceptional meat yields.

In addition, they are easy lambing with ewes able to produce large volumes of milk. Mature females will weigh up to 95kg with rams getting up to 135kg.

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Moredun Research Institute has announced that it will lead a multi-institutional partnership to develop a vaccine for on-farm worm control in sheep.

The partnership includes the University of Glasgow, the University of New England, Australia, and the James Hutton Institute.

This project will be co-funded by each of the partners with matched funding from the Australian government to a total value of just over £6 million over five years.

Project lead from Moredun Research Institute, Dr. Alasdair Nisbet, said: “We are delighted to be able to lead this international team to develop our nematode vaccine technology further and push towards a commercial product to help control this major issue in the sheep industry in the UK and beyond.”

Sheep parasites

Parasitism by worms that live in the gut of animals has a major impact on animal production worldwide, Moredun Research Institute said.

These infections affect the health and welfare of sheep, and the cost of parasitism in the UK is estimated at approximately £4/lamb through reduced weight gain and treatment costs.

“This inefficiency in production also impacts greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, affecting our ability to reach net zero targets unless we intervene,” Moredun said.

Resistance to chemical treatments in parasite control programs undermines control options on-farm, it said.

“To allow a sustainable future for sheep farming, vaccines need to be developed.

“Although much progress is being achieved in this area, much of it funded by significant investment from the Scottish government, UKRI and others, development of a commercial worm vaccine is a long-term project.

“However, by combining their expertise in parasitology, immunology, and vaccine formulation, along with recent technological advances, the work of the partnership will significantly increase the chances of success.”

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A Southdown ram, Windrush Lancelot, has sold for £4,000 in a private deal, in what is a new record for the sheep breed.

Southdown breeder Harry Wood of Usk, Wales, sold his two-shear ram Windrush Lancelot to the Goodwood flock of the Goodwood Estate, Chichester.

Windrush Lancelot was the champion at this year’s Southdown national show, held at the Lincolnshire Show.

The Southdown ram had also been first-prize shearling and reserve male champion at the 2022 national show.

“He has always been an exceptional ram, right from birth and while reluctant to sell him, he has been used at home for the last two years, so his genetics will remain within the flock for some time to come,” Woods said.

Windrush Lancelot, which was bred by way of artificial insemination (AI), is by imported sire Percheron, with the semen having been purchased from the Long family’s Chaileybrook flock following Percheron’s own National Show championship win in 2018.

Windrush Lancelot is out of an east Dean-bred dam and originates from New Zealand breeding through the Southern Cross flock.

Goodwood Estate flock manager Nick Page said he had been keen to purchase Windrush Lancelot for some time for both his combination of breeding, size and carcass.

Page said: “He’s a great, modern Southdown ram and the genetics he carries will be an excellent match for those already within the Goodwood flock.”

Southdown breed

The Southdown is the oldest of the terminal sire breeds in the UK and has been responsible for the development of many of the native terminal sire breeds, including the Suffolk, the Hampshire Down, and the Charollais.

Today the breed can be found in the UK, France, Australia, New Zealand and America and many other countries across the globe where its ability to produce high quality lamb has led to it being recognised as a quality breed.

In the UK, the breed is currently undergoing a significant revival as a new generation of breeders are focusing on maximising the breed’s commercial attributes to develop the breed into a modern terminal sire.

The breed’s easy lambing, docility and ease of finishing make it a suitable sire for a range of sheep farming systems in all corners of the UK.

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This is according to Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) chief executive, Ian Stevenson.

“The current state of uncertainty within that market is being reflected on an international basis,” Stevenson explained.

“China is slowly responding to the decision to move away from a zero tolerance Covid-19 policy.

“The country’s economy is currently in a state of stasis. This is reflected in the fact that almost 30% of its 2023 university graduates cannot find employment.

“In addition, consumers across China are now putting a very strong focus on the paying back of debt.”

The LMC chief said that as as a consequence, beef and lamb retail prices have softened and that cheaper pork is also impacting negatively on the country’s red meat market.

“But currency is also coming into play within China’s beef and import scenario. Recent months have been marked by a weakening of the Chinese Yuan,” he added.

In theory, this should make China less attractive as an export destination.

The most recent figures confirm that beef and lamb imports into the country actually increased during the first months of 2023 by a factor of 8%. However, the actual value of these imports fell by 11%.

China and global meat markets

Australia and Brazil remain key suppliers of beef to the Chinese market.

Similar trends can be identified within China’s sheepmeat market.

The ending of Covid-19 restrictions has boosted consumption levels; sheepmeat is very much a driver of social occasion in China.

However, imports have risen by 33% over the first half of 2023, leading to a 20% fall in prices during the same period.

“We are also seeing signs of a grey market for beef resurfacing in China. This entails the likes of frozen buffalo meat from India coming into the country through Hong Kong,” Stevenson continued.

“In addition, steps taken to boost levels of indigenous food production in China are now bearing fruit. The end result is a lowering in demand for imported beef and lamb coming into the country.

“Widespread inflation is squeezing margins across international beef and lamb sectors. There will be difficulties in passing on costs to consumers during the current cost of living crisis,” he added.

According to the LMC, retail meat prices have probably peaked; consumer spending is under significant pressure.

The commission said that there has been some relief for farmers reently on the back of falling feed costs.

“But threatening socio-political developments taking place around the world add cost and complexity along the entire food chain,” Stevenson said.

“Chronic labour shortages in economies around the world is adding significantly to food production costs.”

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The events will be held on farms across Northern Ireland featuring speakers and overviews from the sheep farmers involved.

The farmers, locations and dates of the events are:

• Crosby Cleland, 21 Greens Road, Saintfield, Ballynahinch – Tuesday, August 22, 2023;
• David and Alexander Boyd, 15 Slievetrue, Knockagh, Newtownabbey – Thursday, August 24, 2023;
• Steven Thompson, 16 Gortnaglush Road, Dungannon – Tuesday, September 5, 2023;
• Andrew Wilson, 3 Station Road, Ballycanal, Moira – Thursday, September 7, 2023;
• Aubrey Baothwell, Derryvree House, 200 Belfast Road, Maguirebridge – Tuesday, September 12, 2023;
• Stephen Sproule, 30 Edenreagh Road, Killen, Castlederg – Thursday, September 14, 2023.

Senior CAFRE beef and sheep advisor, Stephen Flanagan, said the events will focus on key autumn flock management decisions.

“Many of these are more complicated and challenging this year given the very difficult weather conditions farmers have faced over the past two months,” he said.

Flanagan said lameness is a common and persistent problem in sheep flocks which has a negative impact on lamb growth rates, ewe fertility and longevity. 

“It has been estimated that the cost of lameness can range anywhere between £4/ewe up to £14/ewe depending on the severity of the problem,” he said.

“It is also a serious health and welfare issue causing pain and discomfort.”

Speakers at the events will include:

• Host farmers, who will provide an overview of their flock performance and management, steps taken to control and reduce ewe and lamb lameness and the steps that they are currently taking to maintain stock performance during challenging weather conditions;
• Dr. Jason Barley from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), who will cover the diagnosis, treatment and control of lameness in the sheep flock;
• CAFRE beef and sheep advisors, who will cover costs associated with lameness and discuss key flock management decisions that need to be taken during the autumn period.

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The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has highlighted red meat and dairy export opportunities in Central/South America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The board said new analysis outlined in its Prospects for UK agri-food exports series revealed potential prospects for further exports, particularly for offal, in Central Amercia.

It also highlighted the benefits of the UK expanding the amount of commodity level red meat to Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa, as well as more premium cuts to the latter.

Longer-term opportunities for dairy also exist in South Africa as a larger cheese importer than other Sub-Saharan countries, AHDB said.

AHDB’s senior economist, Dr. Amandeep Kaur Purewal, said the latest analysis offers a “comprehensive insight” into where UK exporters can can maximise opportunities for red meat and dairy products over the next decade.

“The ultimate aim of our analysis is to provide insight and analysis for our producers and exporters to understand the opportunities and challenges of trading in different parts of the world,” she said.

“Cultivating these opportunities adds value back into the supply chain on behalf of our levy payers while supporting the UK Government’s ambition to become a ‘Great Trading Nation’.”

This latest analysis concludes AHDB’s series of Prospects for UK agri-food exports analyses launched in January this year.

The report researched opportunities for red meat, dairy and cereals exports on a region-by-region basis which includes Europe, Asia, North America and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

AHDB’s international trade development director, Dr. Phil Hadley, said: “We know there is interest across the world for British products and we need to fully understand the market dynamics and demands to make the most of the opportunities if producers are to continue to maximise returns.”

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Auctioneer John Doyle described the overall trade on the day as “very strong, with exceptional demand from commercial breeders”. Breeding rams, he added, were of “excellent quality”.

Judging was in the hands of Alastair Barclay of the Blackbrae Flock in Northern Ireland, while commercial breeders Michael and Ger Murphy were on hand to judge the Gigot Ram class.

It was in a championship of exceptional quality that Barclay tapped out a ram lamb from the Annakisha flock of Arthur and Patrick O’Keefe from near Mallow, Co. Cork.

The January 2023-born ram lamb was sired by the Reserve Champion from the NI Premier in 2022 Blackbrae AB President out of an Annakisha ewe.

This stylish lamb had previously won the Open Ram Class and the Male Championship before claiming the title of Supreme Champion.

2023 has proved to be a very successful year for this lamb as he had previously won the Champion Ram Lamb spot at the National Suffolk Championships in Gurteen in June.

The quality of this lamb came to the fore when he was eventually knocked down under Doyle’s hammer for €20,000 and sold to the Cairness Flock of Jimmy Douglas in Scotland.

Other top prices

Taking Reserve Champion on the day was Andrew and Jonathan Lucas’ lamb from the Finnvale Flock.

Their lamb Finnvale BFG had been sired by last year’s Champion, Finnvale Am the Man, who they had retained.

The ram had won the Best Lamb sired by a South of Ireland ram earlier in the day before claiming Reserve Male and Reserve Champion of the Show.

He went on to sell in the ring to the Burnview Flock of William and Stephanie Tait, Northern Ireland for €2,600, while the Finnvale pen overall averaged €1,695, with Am the Man lambs selling to an average of €2,067/head.

A Cairnton Chaos-sired lamb out of a Solwaybank Ewe, owned by Alan Kilpatrick of the Convoy flock in Donegal, claimed the second-highest price of the day for a strong, stylish lamb which also found a home in Northern Ireland.

Other top prices on the day included a Crewelands Dancing Brave ET lamb from the pen of JJ and Martin Doherty, Malinhead, Co. Donegal.

This was a Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) eligible lamb which sold to a fellow South of Ireland Breeder for €2,300. Also selling well on the day was another of the Doherty’s lambs which had placed first in the Pen of Three Class and was knocked down at €2,100.

The winner of the novice class was a very correct lamb from the Cronebane pen of local man, Gus Doyle.

He had beaten off stiff competition from PJ McMonagle’s Forkins Masterplan lamb which sold at €2,200. This novice winner, sired by Donbraid Assassin, went on to sell to a Donegal pedigree breeder, also for €2,200.

There was a number of other lambs sold at the €2,200 mark which included a Kells T-rex sired lamb from the Ballygarris pen of Michael and Marie Jennings in Mayo, and two rams from the Finnvale pen sired by Salopian Pure Gold and Finnvale Am the Man.

The Shearling Ram Class was won by Philip Byrne of the Limepark Flock with his Muirton One Direction Ram which later went on to sell to a commercial buyer for €900.

Female Suffolk classes

The female classes commenced with the Shearling Ewe Class, which saw local breeder John and Esther Gahan claim the top spot with a stylish Lakeview Del Boy-sired Gimmer.

She had fought off stiff competition from two Cairness Our Bucks sired gimmers from the Lismurtagh and Loughrynn Flocks who had been placed second and third respectively.

While these two females remained unsold, the Champion Shearling was knocked down at €1,150 in the ring.

The Suffolk ewe lamb class was a very stylish affair and was tightly contended. Taking top honours from the judge was the Mountford flock of Oliver and Adrienne Deane’s January-born lamb, sired by Ballinatone Al Capone from a Mountford ewe.

This lamb was eventually sold to a pedigree breeder in the west of Ireland. Placed second in her class, Philip Lynch’s Clyda Awesome-bred lamb sold for €820 while the third-placed, January-born lamb from the Milldam Flock of Shane Brady and sired by Cairnton Chaos also sold for €820.

In the final lineup in the Female Championship, it was the Mountford ewe lamb that proved to be the judge’s favourite as she claimed the top honours as Female Champion with Philip Lynch’s Glyde Ewe Lamb claiming the Reserve Female Champion spot.

Suffolk show and sale

With a clearance rate of 85% – well increased from the 2022 rate – it was clear to see that the excellent quality of stock on offer, encouraged buyers to purchase.

The pedigree average price at the sale came in at €2,628 with the commercial average price hitting €804 – up 16% on the previous year’s trade.

While there were no exports to Europe from the sale, there were a significant number of animals exported to Northern Ireland directly from the sale.

Despite the huge demand , there were prices to suit all pockets, with SIS-eligible Suffolk rams being purchased from €500, which made for an extremely brisk trade at the Blessington sale.

The clearance rate was 85% on ram lambs with 70% of the lambs sold headed into the commercial sector – up 20% on 2022.

The Young Handler Class was well supported with first place going to Isabella Taylor, Ballynacannon Flock, second place going to Paddy McMonagle with his own Beltanyview flock, recently founded with his brother Tommy, and third place to Millie Donald from Donbraid Suffolks.

The remaining Society Sales for 2023 will take place in Cahir on September 1; Carnew on September 6; Ballina on October 3; and Raphoe on October 6.

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This is despite the fact that the same markets held up well during the first half of 2023, in relative terms.  

According to market analysts, one of the key factors contributing to the relatively strong market conditions to-date this year, was the decision taken by governments around the world to subsidise energy prices.

In addition, the winter of 2022/2023 was milder than had been predicted. As a consequence, one of the key contributors of consumers’ regular household outlays was kept very much in check.

However, this scenario is now fast-changing. Governments are stepping away from the energy supports previously made available.

As a consequence, consumers have no option but to face-up to the full cost of expensive energy bills.

And the knock-on impact of this and the other factors that contribute to the continuing cost-of-living crisis, will factor into their food-buying decisions during the second half of 2023. 

Beef and sheep prices

“Volatility across many international beef and lamb markets may well be the major factor coming into play over the next few months,” Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) chief executive Ian Stevenson confirmed.

“This was certainly the view expressed by representatives of the international beef and lamb sectors, who participated in a recent global meat market outlook presentation, delivered by the GIRA Meat Club.”

Based in Switzerland, Gira is an international consultancy and forecasting agency, operating at every level of the food supply chain. LMC is a member of the organisation.

“There are a number of factors now coming into play that will impact on both the production and demand side of the redmeat market equation,” Stevenson continued.

“These include the cost-of-living crisis, impacting at consumer level, and the continuing developments in Ukraine.

“The reality is that inflation is now impacting significantly on buying habits. Consumer pressure will, almost certainly, start to come on market prices.”

The LMC chief explained that from a production point of view, there has been some cost reductions, from a feed and fertiliser perspective.

“However, political uncertainty remains a major issue with the ongoing war involving Russia and Ukraine being the most obvious example of this,” he said.

“Instabilities of this nature serve only to add production costs, from a farming and food perspective. It all adds up to growing levels of volatility and uncertainty impacting on global meat markets.”

Labour

According to the LMC, labour availability is now a key factor impacting negatively across many farming and food economise around the world.

“Having to pay more for labour adds to the cost of producing beef and lamb,” Ian Stevenson explained.

“Meeting the sustainability challenge that now confronts the international livestock sector will also come at a substantial cost.

“Farmers know that they will have to invest in more efficient production systems if they want to meet their climate change targets.

“But all of this commitment comes at a substantial cost, one which they will want markets to fully reimburse them for,” he concluded.

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A top price of 3,800gns with good averages reflected a “solid trade” at the National Sheep Association (NSA) of Wales and Border’s early ram sale.

The sale, which took place Monday (August 7), was held at the Royal Welsh Showground and is traditionally thought to be a “trailblazer” for the season, according to the NSA.

The highest price went to a February-born Charollais shearling, sold to Hywel and Avril Rees, from Charles Marwood, CW Marwood & Son.

Speaking on the sale, Marwood said: “It’s a much better sale than last year, the whole tone is different. The shearling was by our senior stock ram, Lowerye Vulcan.

“He is very well balanced and was indexed in the top 2/3% of the breed and was the second prize performance recorded ram in the show. We have retained his twin brother as a stock ram.”

The buyer, Hywel Rees, said his purchase would be going on his pedigree Llynfi flock of 68 Charollais ewes. He also runs a commercial flock of 300 ewes at Somerset Farm in the Vale of Glamorgan.

“It has good muscling and is well fleshed, with good bone, good on its feet and a good all rounder,” he said.

Sales

A Charollais shearling from NSA Wales and Border ram sale committee member Gareth Jones’ Roblestone flock made 2,000gns.

The ram, from Jones’ Pembrokeshire-based flock, was described as a “good strong shearling” by the NSA and was third in its class in the Royal Welsh Show this year.

Arwyn and Jane Davies’ Charollais breed champion, a December-born shearling, was sold for 1100gns to RJ and J Towers, Ingleton, Yorkshire.

The NSA said the sale continues a good year for the Arbryn flock of 60 pedigree ewes, which also took the Interbreed group of three title at the Royal Welsh Show.

Tim Prichard sold the highest-priced Beltex cross ram at 1020gns. Adrian Davies sold three Beltex cross shearlings at 1,000gns and one at 900gns.

The champion Texel was from the Chave family’s Peacehay flock based in Somerset. The shearling made 900gns with the pen topping at 1,000gns.

Paul Quick, a regular at NSA Wales and Border sales, had his yearling ram make the Texel breed top price of 1150gns and his family had an average of 800gns at the sale.

“It was a good sale, but quite selective. Anything with a bit more quality and there was definitely a premium. It was a better sale than last year,” he said.

The sale’s organisers said they were delighted with the day’s trading and chair Graham Jones said the sale had a nice atmosphere.

“The best sheep were selling well and there was quite a good bottom in the market,” he said.

“There was some money flying about for the best rams. The cross bred rams had a buoyant trade.”

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The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has reiterated and republished prevention advice and legal information regarding livestock worrying.

The union said livestock worrying remains a “serious cause for concern for many farmers” as it has a devastating impact on those affected.

As a result, the NFU has compiled a “guide on action” for farmers to take if an incident occurs and steps to help prevent against the crime of livestock worrying.

Livestock worrying

The union has declared the definition of livestock worrying as when a dog or dogs attack or chase livestock on agricultural land.

The union’s insurance branch, NFU Mutual, published its rural crime report for 2023 yesterday (Tuesday, August 1) which revealed that UK farm animals worth an estimated £1.8 million were killed or injured by dogs in 2022.

Rural business policy advisor at NFU Scotland, Rhianna Montgomery, said spring of this year saw a “constant stream of reports of cattle and sheep being attacked by dogs”.

In the event of an incident of livestock worrying, the NFU has advised farmers to document evidence by either getting somebody to film or taking photographs themselves of what is happening and taking note of identifying details.

These can include checking to see in the person responsible gets into a car and then taking notes of the vehicle’s details.

The union said those affected should then speak to their insurer to see if it is able to offer additional help or advice.

Prevention measures

The NFU said there are simple steps that farmers can take to help prevent dog attacks happening on their land.

These include:

• Putting up signs to encourage dog walkers to keep their dog on a lead around livestock;
• Reporting any incident of worrying to the police, even if the animals are not directly attacked or killed;
• Helping to educate the local community by engaging with relevant groups like local dog training classes;
• Using social media and taking part in events to spread awareness and encourage responsible dog ownership in the area to help prevent livestock worrying.

Legal information

The union has encouraged farmers to be aware of the laws regarding livestock worrying.

It is currently an offence to allow a dog to worry livestock and the offence carries a maximum fine of £1,000 to those found guilty.

The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill introduced to parliament on June 8, 2021, included new measures aimed at cracking down on dog attacks on livestock.

“Improved police powers should enable them to respond to livestock worrying incidents more effectively,” the NFU said.

“This can make it easier for them to collect evidence and in the most serious cases seize and detain dogs to reduce the risk of further incidents.”

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National Sheep Association (NSA) chief executive Phil Stocker has said that the time for UK exporters is “now”.

These comments come following a recently launched ‘Beyond Borders’ Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) report highlighted existing and future export opportunities for the UK market.

AHDB has identified the Middle-East and North Africa as providing significant opportunity for the UK, specifically the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – a regional trading bloc made up of Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Stocker said the work was exciting and highlights “just how valuable our product is to the rest of the world”.

“Now is the time for UK exporters to capitalise on the high-quality food produced in the UK and realise the demand across the globe,” he said.

The association for UK sheep farmers said it is also supportive of activity aimed at helping exporters to capitalise on opportunity, specifically from the AHDB, which has organised a trade mission to Kuwait next month.

“NSA is pleased to see AHDB delivering on its strategic objectives and working collaboratively across industry and governments on a worldwide level to cultivate the opportunities that ensure a thriving, robust sector with longevity for generations to come,” Stocker added.

Trade opportunities

AHDB’s trade mission to Kuwait will explore export opportunities for red meat and dairy in the Middle Eastern market.

AHDB said five exporters will join it in Kuwait from September 25-27, 2023, to highlight sustainable UK meat production and to examine potential new business opportunities with local buyers.

Halal sector senior manager Dr. Awal Fuseini said the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) market is a key target for UK exporters.

“MENA offers significant opportunities for UK exporters, especially for the lamb and dairy sectors, due to the region’s strong population growth with a high disposable income, together with limited production capacity, driving food imports higher over the next decade,” he said.

The post Now is the time for UK exporters – NSA chief exec appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

Experienced shearer Steve Rowberry will attempt to beat the current world record when he undertakes an eight-hour lamb shearing competition this week.

The 34-year-old competitor from Herefordshire will attempt to shear more than 754 lambs in the eight-hour interval this Friday (August 4), at The Dorelands, Abbey Dore, Herefordshire.

Fundraising and support from the event will go towards the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Rowberry, who has been a shearer since he was 20 years old, will seek to beat the world record currently held by Jack Fagan.

Head of member engagement at British Wool, Gareth Jones, said: “Record attempts are an excellent opportunity to showcase the highly skilled individuals driving the industry forward while also helping to promote the quality of British wool to wider audiences.”

Rowberry said that he has always enjoyed shearing because of the opportunities it gives, enabling him to travel the world whilst working.

Shearer

Rowberry runs his own farm based in Chapel Lawn in Shropshire and said that his days “start early as the shearing run is nearer home and is about an hour’s drive”.

“I meet the other shearers and woolhandler and drive to the farm or depending on sheep quantities at the farm, it may include a few farms during a normal day,” he said.

“Once finished, I head home to prepare for the following day and also check on livestock and do any farm jobs that need doing.”

Rowberry said that attempting the British record has always been a personal target of his, but that he decided to upgrade this and attempt the world record in memory of his younger brother Fred who died last September.

Away from the farm and its commitments, Rowberry said his other hobbies include competitive shearing in shows and spending time with this two children and friends.

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The PSNI has appealed to the public for any information in connection with the theft which was reported to have occurred in the area of Tullynincrin Road or Ferney Road Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh.

The theft is understood to have happened between the hours of 2:00p.m on Friday afternoon (July 28) and 11:00a.m on Saturday morning (July, 29).

The PSNI has asked anyone who was in the area and may have seen sheep being moved or anything suspicious to get in with information about this incident and quote the reference CC1224 30/07/23.

Meanwhile, the PSNI in Fermanagh and Omagh are also continuing their investigation into a theft in the vicinity of Nutfield Road, Brookeborough earlier this month.

The items taken included a Green John Deere 6620 bonnet, two red Honda Petrol generators, a larger Honda generator on wheels, JCB brackets and a battery powered fuel pump.

The police have asked any witnesses or anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident to get in contact.

The Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) has also urged farmers to be “extra vigilant” when it comes to the threat of rural thefts after reports of GPS equipment stolen on four different Northern Ireland farms recently.

The thefts happened on farms in Ballymoney and Glenavy in Co. Antrim and Loughgall and Tandragee in Co. Armagh.

Farm theft

One black Limousin cow, two Charolais heifers and one black heifer have also been reported stolen from a farm in Cargaghoge, Co. Monaghan recently.

Farmer, Peter McNally, first noticed the cattle were missing from his land on Tuesday (July 11) at 8:00p.m.

McNally told Agriland that he tried to look for the cattle himself, and then reported the incident to gardaí on the Thursday (July 13).

The location of the field is approximately half a mile from McNally’s home.

He believes that the cattle were stolen due to markings left behind. The field next to where the cattle were located was mowed and McNally said this made the markings easier to identify.

A post was broken near that silage field and two calves, a cow, a bull, and a springer were left behind in that spot.

McNally said there is usually a gate, which has “grass growing over it and hasn’t been touched for two years”, but was moved during the same period.

From markings, he said it then looks like the cattle were then taken out on to the road.

The post PSNI investigate theft of 12 sheep in Fermanagh appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

Kelly told Agriland that wool is a victim of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

He said: “Wool is an internationally traded commodity and it’s hard to get around this fact. Our continuing aim is to market the wool produced in Northern Ireland as a high-value product with a unique heritage and quality.

“We know that end-users of wool want full traceability when it comes to sourcing the products they want to work with.

“We can meet this requirement in full and this is the future - in terms of delivering sustainable wool prices for sheep farmers in Northern Ireland.”

He also stressed the desire of British Wool to work closely with bespoke licensees and also companies and organisations that have a commitment to promoting the heritage and quality of locally produced wool.

Kelly was keen to highlight the potential role, which he believes exists, for companies within the carpet manufacturing sector.

Meanwhile, Ulster Wool has confirmed that payment is now being made for wool delivered to the co-operative in 2022 - on receipt of this year’s clip from individual flock owners.

Wool prices

Prices for good quality samples are in the region of 30p/kg with Blackface wool coming in at 19p/kg.

Ulster Wool is also guaranteeing full traceability of all of the wool it handles, from farm to final user.

This is being achieved thanks to a wool trace ‘QR’ attached to every fleece delivered to the organisation’s depot at Muckamore in Co. Antrim.

Brendan Kelly believes that the role of the new ‘Irish Grown Wool Council’ is important as a vehicle to develop new marketing opportunities for wool across the island of Ireland.

It was officially formed in April as an independent stakeholder-led council.

The Irish government has made €30,000 to fund the establishment of the new all-island body.

Members of the council come from a wide range of interests from within the wool sector, and include farmers; wool merchants; sheep shearers; educators; designers; crafters; as well as industry representatives and farming organisations. 

The group aims to promote wool as a natural, sustainable and versatile material and improve the quality of Irish-farmed wool and facilitate collaboration in product and market research.

It is envisaged that the formation of the new body will lead to the creation of an all-Ireland wool brand.

Kelly said: “These are still early days we are making progress.

"But there are a number of fundamental issues that have yet to be resolved."

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The National Sheep Association (NSA) is demanding strategic “government-level action” to secure a “reliable” vaccine supply.

The association said it has written to the Veterinary Medicine Directorate (VMD), Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and vaccine manufacturers and distributors, calling on them to take action to secure reliable vaccine supplies.

Over the past three years, the availability of vital vaccines for sheep, and beef, has become scarce it said.

It said it is “especially concerned” that the lack of available vaccines will have adverse effects on animal health and welfare.

“We know that improved health leads to reduction in waste, productivity gains, and lower carbon footprints, as well as more responsible use of antibiotics,” NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said.

“However, as vaccine availability has become a serious issue it is negatively impacting the health and welfare of animals, at the time when we need vaccines most.

“NSA is worried that after all the efforts made to encourage vaccine use, many farmers will have no choice but to stop vaccinating and if they see few immediate problems getting them to start again will be difficult.”

A spokesperson for the department of agriculture said that while it appreciates the “importance” of maintaining supplies, there can be occasional disruption to availability as a consequence of “large global demand and manufacturing issues”.

“The VMD has well-established procedures to deal with supply issues that do arise and work with the veterinary pharmaceutical industry and those operating in the supply chain to understand and minimise risks where possible,” the spokesperson added.

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Love Lamb Week (LLW) will return for 2023 from September 1-7, to promote UK lamb by teaming up with popular farming influencers on social media to share ‘Shepherds and their Pies’.

The week aims to highlight to consumers the advantages of the UK climate, with its rainfall and lush grass, making it the ideal place to produce naturally delicious lamb.

Promoting UK lamb during LLW will be farmer influencers who will showcase the natural landscape and sustainability credentials of their own sheep farms as well as cooking up their favourite shepherd’s pie recipe.

Love Lamb Week

The ‘Shepherds and their Pies’ social campaign will feature modern, creative takes on the traditional shepherd’s pie, focusing on the value, versatility, and tastiness of lamb mince.

Major retailers will be promoting LLW on their websites and consumers will find on-pack stickers in-store on mince, lamb chops, shoulder joints, and meatballs.

The industry-wide initiative is supported by: Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB); Hybu Cig Cymru (Meat Promotion Wales); the Livestock and Meat Commission (LMC) in Northern Ireland; Quality Meat Scotland (QMS); National Sheep Association (NSA); National Farmers’ Union (NFU); NFU Scotland; Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU); and Red Tractor.

​Carrie McDermid, head of marketing, AHDB, said: “The ‘Shepherds and their Pies’ campaign aims to encourage producers, farmers, and butchers alike to sing the praises of UK lamb, and to reassure consumers, during a time when food prices are rising, that lamb mince can be a tasty, good value and easy-to-use ingredient in their family meals.”

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Katie Rose-Davies, a third-generation hill sheep farmer from Nantymoel, near Bridgen, has been named as the 25th winner of the Wales Woman Farmer of the Year Award.

She has been presented with a Welsh crystal engraved bowl and £500 prize money to mark her achievement.

Rose-Davies’ family has been farming in the Ogmore Valley for over 90 years, and she has been a partner in the business since 2015. She is also a mother of three and a Lecturer in Agriculture at Bridgend College.

She is also joint secretary of Glamorgan Farmers Club and is part of a Farm Photography Club which feeds into a PhD Project at Gloucester University looking at how the UK livestock industry is reacting to current climate change discourse. 

Rose-Davies has hosted a number of farm visits including the Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths and the Vice Premier of China, where she showcased Welsh beef and lamb.

Following this she was identified as a leader in environmental farming practices and met with the then Prince of Wales, to discuss sustainable farming practices.

She also recently hosted a farm visit for Nantymoel Primary School with nearly 200 pupils attending to learn about food, farming and the environment.

She has since arranged for the Cows on Tour group to visit the school and has agreed to make this an annual event, showing how passionate she is about the industry and educating young people.

Judge Lona Davies, representing award sponsors the National Farmers’ Union, said that while all entries were strong, the judges were in agreement that Katie was “the pick of the entries for this year’s award”.

“Her passion and dedication to the industry, not only in taking care of her stock and the environment, but also her attitude towards educating youngsters about where their food comes from, shone through during our visit to her farm.

“Along with working off-farm educating students about agriculture and running the farm with her husband Trystan and her parents, she also raises three young children and is a truly fantastic advocate for our industry,” she said.

An Agri-Academy Graduate from the Rural Leadership Programme, Rose-Davies was also a Young Ambassador for the Welsh Black Cattle Society in 2010, HCC Livestock Scholarship finalist in 2011, Wales Young Farmers’ Club (YFC) Stockperson of the Year in 2008 and was an Agriscop Leader for 2014 – 2015.

‘Worthy’ Wales Woman Farmer of the Year

NFU Cymru deputy president and judge of the award, Abi Reader added: “Katie is a strong advocate for safeguarding the future of Welsh agriculture, Welsh heritage and culture and believes education plays a key role in promoting the fantastic work farmers do in producing safe, healthy and sustainable food.

“She endeavours to look beyond the farmgate and embrace a new, and perhaps different, approach to her business and embodies everything we look for in a winner of this award.

“Katie believes that the industry needs the best people who are able to tackle the many challenges that face our industry, and after visiting her farm it was clear she is a very worthy winner of the Wales Woman Farmer of the Year award.”

Katie is responsible for devloping the home business and ensuring its viability, which she does though continuous professional development, benchmarking and attending various workshops.

As part of a new marketing strategy she developed the ‘Bwlch Mountain Lamb’ brand in 2019 and started marketing their products through box schemes.

She also works to ensure the farm operates in a sustainable way, by using techniques like hefting and the cutting of molinia to encourage ground nesting birds.

The farm participates in the Glastir scheme which has enabled it to invest in capital works such as rebuilding dry stone walls, sheepfolds and keeping South Wales Mountain ewes, which are indigenous to the area and play an intrinsic part in the heritage and culture of the South Wales Valleys.

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This annual event represents a unique opportunity to gauge directly the developments that are taking place at Ballycoose farm with regard to the use of wool shedding and easy care genetics in commercial setting.

Speakers taking part will include Sam Boone, manger of Signet Breeding Services from Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and Ann McLaren, an animal breeding and genetics specialist with the Scottish Rural College (SRUC)

EasyCare sheep

Campbell Tweed has said that increasing numbers of farmers are now actively seeking comprehensive performance figures when it comes to deciding which new bloodlines best suit their flock development needs.

The Ballycoose enterprise comprises 3,000 EasyCare breeding ewes. The flock is totally self- contained with all lambs not going for breeding brought through to finishing weights.

Every lamb born within the Tweed flock is performance recorded from birth.

The entire enterprise is managed by three full-time staff. This, in itself, is a very powerful illustration of what ‘easy care’ sheep management is all about.

Campbell took the decision of going down the self-shedding route after the wool price crash of 1999. So he has had almost 25 years’ experience of working with this particular type of sheep.

“Visitors will have the opportunity of seeing a selection of ewes and rams,” he said.

“EasyCare sheep have a key role to play on sheep farms of all types. They are particularly suited to flock owners who work out from 9:00a.m to 5:00p.m between Monday and Friday.

“To a large extent, the sheep can manage themselves.”

Tweed is currently selling both breeding EasyCare ewes and lambs to flock owners throughout Ireland and the UK.

“We are offering fully recorded stock that can add significantly to any sheep enterprise. Demand for EasyCare bloodlines is on the up and this trend shows no sign of diminishing,” he said.

The open evening event gets underway at 6:00p.m on August 1.

The post EasyCare sheep open evening to take place on Antrim farm appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

The Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP), which is co-funded by the Welsh Government, sets out in the report how Welsh farming can be supported “to unlock more rapid progress” towards the Welsh Government’s net zero ambitions.

One of the key messages in the report, commissioned by the Welsh government, is that reductions in livestock are “beneficial” to reduce agricultural emissions.

The WCPP report on “How could Wales feed itself in 2035?” also states that “it is a case of what we farm and not how we farm that will make the biggest difference”.

According to the WCPP agriculture is predicted to be the largest source of emissions in Wales in 2035, as “other sectors decarbonise more quickly”.

Farming in Wales predominantly consists of sheep and cattle grazing, with just 6% of farms devoted to crops and horticulture.

An estimated 95% of Welsh beef and lamb products are currently purchased and eaten in other countries, while the amount of fruit and vegetables grown locally annually amounts to just a quarter of a portion per person per day on average.

According to the WCPP report evidence suggests a mix of “land sharing and land sparing” approaches are the best path to reducing emissions.

Livestock emissions

The WCPP reported that: “Agricultural emissions in Wales have increased since 2016 due to livestock farming, with direct methane emissions from livestock alone making up 61% of agricultural emissions in Wales”.

“Agriculture is also a significant source of air, soil and water pollution, with a range of consequences for biodiversity and human health.”

The report added that: “Agriculture is the second biggest contributor of reported river pollution incidents in Wales (after the water industry) of which, almost half come from dairy farming”.

Agriculture is responsible for 81% of ammonia pollution, due to a reversal in the trend of reductions in fertiliser use, increased slurry spreading and an increase in emissions from cattle.

In order to reduce agricultural emissions, the WCPP recommends “a reduction in livestock farming as well as changes in farming practices to mitigate livestock emissions”.

Livestock and livestock products currently account for 86% of Wales’ agricultural output, with 76% of Wales’ utilised agricultural area being grassland for livestock grazing.

The findings of the report show that: “Changes to animal feed and interventions to increase livestock and pasture productivity indicate that these alone will not be sufficient to achieve significant cuts to agricultural emissions”.

“Overall it is what we farm more than how we farm that drives the climate consequences of Welsh agriculture.”

It has been forecast that Wales will see some climate related improvements in the first half of this century, followed by an overall deterioration of land-quality by 2080, mainly as a result of changes in rainfall.

Land use in Wales

The findings of the report have shown that as 86% of Welsh agricultural land is used for livestock grazing, enhancing land use to reduce emissions is of high importance.

“To be effective in driving absolute reductions in emissions, any reductions in the emissions intensity of livestock production must therefore be combined with measures to limit overall demand and or land use.”

The WCPP recommends that “releasing some of this land for other, more carbon efficient uses
(such as afforestation or agroforestry) could enable significant additional mitigation from
agricultural landscapes”.

“Reducing demand for livestock not only combines with supply-side options to reduce absolute agricultural emissions, but also creates new opportunities for the use of finite land resources in the context of net zero.”

“Every credible model for achieving emissions neutrality requires agricultural land to be relinquished, so that it can be used in ways that enhance our natural carbon sinks (largely woodlands and peat bogs) and compensate for residual emissions elsewhere in the economy.”

The report also stated that: “Freeing up the additional land that will be required without compromising food security, will only be possible through shifts in demand towards not only less emissions-intensive, but also less land-intensive food production systems”.

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The National Sheep Association (NSA) is urging all sheep owners to be alert to a heightened risk of sheep worrying attacks during the summer holidays.

It is also issuing a reminder to holidaymakers of the risk their pet dogs pose to any sheep they may meet on their countryside breaks.

It is every dog’s instinct to chase it reminds, even if they are usually obedient, and the chasing of sheep by dogs can do serious damage through stress and injury. Many sheep fleeing from dogs are often killed or seriously injured by their panicked attempts to escape.

“Sheep farmers across the UK have suffered an increase in sheep worrying attacks by dogs over recent years as dog ownership has increased and walking in the countryside has become a more popular pastime

“It is crucially important that dog owners must be aware of the serious issue of sheep worrying by dogs and take action to be a responsible dog owner whilst enjoying their holidays this summer,” NSA chief executive Phil Stocker said.

NSA is urging dog walkers to keep their pets on leads during walks through the countryside, no matter how obedient they consider their pet to be.

“Please keep your dog on a lead whenever there is a chance sheep could be nearby and avoid walking closely to them if at all possible,” Stocker added.

“You may not consider your dog capable of causing physical injury to another animal but barking and chasing are instinctive responses that will cause great stress to sheep and unfortunately in many cases this also leads to physical attacks causing pain and suffering and in the worst incidents even death.”

NSA has produced a range of signage that sheep farmers can display in an effort to alert walkers to the presence of nearby livestock.

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Tom Perry, a professional sheep shearer and farmer from Strabane, Co. Tyrone, will attempt to break the ‘Irish 9-hour Solo Lamb Shearing Record’ on the farm of Norma Hoy, Rickamore Brae, Templepatrick, Co. Antrim on Saturday, July 29.

The Fermanagh native, Stanley Allingham currently holds the record, which was set in 2019, in Co. Cavan.

Stanley shore a total of 708 lambs in nine hours, breaking the previous record of 669 that was set in 2017 by Mark McGeown of Co. Louth.

Sheep shearing record attempt

In order to beat the record set by Stanley, Tom must shear a lamb every 45 seconds, across the gruelling nine hours.

Tom has been in training since last August, to ensure that he is in peak physical condition to endure the demands of the task.

The day begins at 5:00a.m and finishes at 5:00p.m and consists of five ‘runs’. The first of which is two hours in length, while the remaining runs last one hour and 45 minutes each. 

Tom has said that to even consider this aspirational achievement, a lot of planning and organising has taken place.

He said it would not have been possible without the generous donations of sponsors, the main ones being Heiniger, Ulster Wool and Jackson’s of Ballynure.

All proceeds will be donated to Rural Support, an agriculturally-minded charity, based in Northern Ireland.

They provide impartial guidance for farmers and farm families in support of their farm business and their personal wellbeing.

The record attempt will be live streamed, links for which will be shared on Facebook and Instagram platforms on the day; and the general public are also welcome to attend.

Agriland will also attend the event to witness if the sheep shearing record will be broken.

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Scottish sheep farms will be worst hit by the UK’s post-Brexit free trade agreements (FTAs), new research has shown.

The Scottish government has assessed the impact on Scottish agriculture of FTAs between the UK and Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Results showed that while the projected long-term impact of FTAs on Scottish output in relatively small in most cases, sheepmeat is an exception.

Scottish sheepmeat output with the FTAs is projected to fall by 10.5-11% under the two scenarios the government used for its assessment.

According to the report, the FTAs with Australia and New Zealand are the main drivers of declines in Scottish sheepmeat output.

Beef and wheat are also projected to fall (both by around 3% to 6% depending on the scenario), although the report added that a trade deal with Canada is likely to generate export opportunities for Scotch beef.

Liquid milk output is forecast to grow however, by 3-9% in value terms, indicating that the FTA will bring significant opportunities for dairy products.

The report also showed that the FTAs will result is “significant” farm business income declines, and price declines are the main drivers for this, with Brexit only playing a minor role. The impact of FTAs on wages is expected to be minimal.

Scottish Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said the report shows that the current UK government trade approach is “not working in the interest of Scottish agriculture”.

“The report also reaffirms that such FTAs will set important precedents to other prospective trade partners about where the UK is willing to cede in negotiations,” she said.

“These could weaken its bargaining position in future deals and lead to worse outcomes for those sectors already negatively affected – especially in terms of renowned brands like Scotch beef and lamb.

“We will use these findings to help identify future policy options to mitigate or address the differential impacts of trade, as part of delivering Scotland’s Vision for Trade.”

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A number of hand-picked females will accompany one ram to establish a brand new flock in A Coruña, Galicia.

The Carsons have enjoyed tremendous success with their Badgerface Texels since the flock was formed in 2019 with the importation of foundation stock from the Netherlands.

These are run beside the couple’s Blue Texel flock, both using the Little Whisker prefix. 

Badgerface Texels

The Badgerface flock has gone from strength to strength with meticulous attention to detail, a successful breeding programme and occasional additions from reputable flocks both on the mainland and from Dutch breeders.

The Little Whisker flock has earned a solid reputation for producing top-notch sheep achieving many high prices to date in the sales ring. 

The popularity of Badgerface Texels continues to escalate among both pedigree and commercial sheep producers as their attributes of tremendous carcase, fine bone and wonderful temperament impress farmers.

Their ability to produce quality, easily born lambs, with the majority mainly white when used in commercial flocks, is establishing them as a firm favourite.

In addition to strong terminal traits, the Carsons say the breed also excels as a maternal producer, with milky females having the ability to produce top-grading lambs and rearing them well.

The first export society sale of Badgerface Texels is set to take place at Dungannon Farmers’ Mart on Monday, August 28.

The post Tyrone breeders secure export deal for Badgerface Texels appeared first on Agriland.co.uk.

It was a point confirmed by Peter and Caroline Foss, who own and manage a 500-strong flock of pedigree Wiltshire Horn sheep on their farm, which is located close to the village of Aria on New Zealand’s north island.

Their ‘Ipurua’ prefix is also synonymous with a high quality herd of South Devon cattle.

The other enterprise on the Foss farm is a 1,500-strong flock of Romney ewes, which are crossed to a selection of wool shedding rams.

The enterprise comprises 1,400ac, rising from 100ft above sea level to an altitude of 400ft.

EasyCare sheep

Peter and Caroline recently visited Ballycoose farm, close to Carncastle in east Co. Antrim. Owned by Campbell and Isobel Tweed, Ballycoose is home to a flock of 3,000 EasyCare ewes.

The reason for the Foss visit centred on the renowned performance of the EasyCare bloodlines at Ballycoose plus the opportunity it offered to assess the potential suitability of the bloodlines within the flock to perform under the management conditions that prevail in New Zealand.

“We are committed to the development of a high quality, EasyCare production system within our overall farming operation,” Peter explained.

“And it all comes down to one very simple fact. It costs NZ$5 to shear one animal, which will yield a fleece valued at around NZ$3. Wool production is a loss-making operation for us. Under such circumstances, self shedding makes total sense.

“When we get back home, one of our first jobs will be that of getting a contractor engaged to shear 1,000 sheep. It’s an operation that will leave us with a net deficit of around NZ$2,000.”

Recording performance

All the sheep within the Ballycoose flock are performance recorded on a continuous basis.

“The flock has been recorded for the past 20 years. This represents a unique source of information, which can be used to make the best possible breeding decisions,” Caroline commented.

“It is this resource that we want to tap into.”

Another reason for the Foss visit is the fact that 30 EasyCare embryos, a number of which feature Ballycoose genetics, are due to be born on their farm over the coming weeks.

A mix of embryos and semen has been imported from the UK by Peter and Caroline over the past two years. 

Ballycoose bloodlines were included in the specification agreed by the couple at the outset.

“The EasyCare lambs will be on the ground with the next few weeks. We are very keen to see how they perform for us,” Peter explained.

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Firefighters have urged farmers to think about fire safety following a call out to a field fire in Essex last night (Monday, July 17).

Crews from Essex Fire and Rescue Service were called to Ludgores Lane in Danbury at around 9:20p.m last night after a combine harvester caught fire.

When the crews arrived, the fire has spread to approximately 10ac of crops. Crews from Chelmsford (two), Maldon (two), Rayleigh Weir and Witham, and off-road vehicles from Billericay and Burnham helped tackle the fire.

Group manager Craig McLellan said: “Crews did a fantastic job of surrounding the fire so quickly and stopping it from spreading.

“The fire affected about 10ac of crops so they had to work incredibly hard to extinguish it. I’d like to thank the farmer for assistance too.

“Due to the rural location, crews have set up a water relay to extinguish the fire affecting the combine harvester.” 

It is believed that the cause of the fire was accidental.

Fire safety

Following last night’s incident Essex Fire and Rescue Service have urged farmers to think about fire safety, during harvest season in particular, “to reduce the risk of devastating and dangerous fires”.

It has said that farm machinery is one of the top causes of rural/farm fires.

To reduce the risk of a fire it advised farmers to keep machinery and vehicles well maintained and serviced regularly, and to clean machinery regularly to keep it free from hay, straw, oil and grease.

This messages comes at an apt time as the 11th annual Farm Safety Week is underway – the theme of which is ‘Farm Safety Starts with Me’.

A drive-home message of this theme is for farmers to take the time to review the safety measures on their farm.

Echoing this message, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is this week running a campaign encouraging farmers to “take five to stay alive”.

The idea behind this message is that taking five minutes before a tasks allows time to evaluate the task at hand and implement ways to make the task safer.

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Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) president William Irvine is encouraging farmers to review safety measures on their farm and work out what can be done to improve it this Farm Safety Week.

“For example, signage regarding slurry pits, high-powered equipment and livestock can make a huge difference and can help to keep you and farm workers safe all year round,” he said.

“By doing this, you are not only actively working to keep yourself safe, but you are also protecting the farm business and most importantly your family, from the devastating experience of losing a loved one.”

The 11th annual Farm Safety Week, an initiative by the Farm Safety Foundation involving organisations across the UK and Ireland, kicks off today (Monday, July 17) with the theme ‘Farm Safety Starts with Me’.

Common excuses like ‘I’ve always done it that way’ and ‘I’m in a hurry’ are “not good enough reasons for risk-taking, poor maintenance of equipment or unsafe working”, Stephanie Berkeley from the Farm Safety Foundation, said.

“While we are seeing more people calling out poor practices and sharing their experiences there seems to be a broad acceptance that this is just how it is in farming?” she added.

Berkeley reminds that the agriculture mortality rates remain “stubbornly high”; 21 people were killed in work-related incidents in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry in Great Britain last year.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), this is “markedly higher than the average across all industries”.

Camilla Mackey, HSE Northern Ireland’s principal inspector of the agri-food team, added: “I am appealing to the farming community to consider the risks they face, and, put proper precautions in place to ensure tasks are carried out safely. It could just save your life.”

Farm Safety Week

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) over the week this year is encouraging farmers to “take five to stay alive”, with the idea that taking five minutes before a tasks allows time to evaluate the task at hand and implement ways to make the task safer.

It also encourages regular breaks to prevent physical or mental burnout. NFU is encouraging farmers to share the ways that they stay safe on the farm on social media using the hashtag #Take5StayAlive.

The “heartbreaking thing” about most farm accidents, UFU president Irvine said, “is that they could have been prevented”.

“Working on a farm creates risk every day and we need to be constantly aware and reminded of that to create a safer working environment and habits,” William Irvine said.

“All of us are guilty of thinking ‘it will never happen to me’. But, as Farm Safety Week has shown in the past, and will do again this year, a farm accident can happen to anyone in a spilt second, changing lives forever.”

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The organisation, in a recent position paper adopted by its General Assembly, underlines the significance of sustainable agriculture and raises concerns regarding the potential impact of lab-grown food on global food security, food safety and human health, cultural heritage, and the livelihoods of farming communities.

Lab-grown food, substances produced in laboratories for human consumption, are created using tissues or cells and are not naturally occurring on a large scale, according to the WFO.

It claimed that they are supported by marketing campaigns that enhance the myth of greater sustainability compared to agriculture.

The WFO said that farmers “firmly reject this narrative that lacks scientific evidence”.

Lab-grown food

According to the WFO, the recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), titled ‘Food Safety Aspects of Cell Based Food’, makes it clear that there is no reliable evidence to compare cell-based food to farmer-produced food

The WFO stated: “There is still much to consider about its nutritional value and how it could affect human health in the long-term.

“In addition, any claims regarding less land and water use, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, animal welfare and reduced risk of zoonotic diseases have yet to be proved.

“The role of farmers is essential in shaping resilient and sustainable food systems.”

The organisation added that achieving sustainability involves embracing diverse agricultural systems, ensuring inclusiveness and transparency, and promoting research and innovation while preserving tradition.

“The WFO values innovation and embraces an approach that is bottom-up, science-based, and
result-oriented,” the organisation’s statement continued.

It has called for collaboration among farmers, researchers, and stakeholders in the value chain to address the challenges ahead, develop innovative practices, and deliver sustainable solutions to produce, process, distribute and consume food in a sustainable manner.

The WFO is also urging stronger connections between consumers, policymakers, and the agricultural and rural communities to promote a better understanding of the benefits of agriculture, including livestock farming.

“On these assumptions, the WFO strongly opposes replacing farmer-grown food with lab-made foodstuff,” the organisation stated.

“Such substitutes dismiss the work and contribution of farmers to sustainability and push consumers towards a homogenous dietary model that undermines the tradition, diversity, richness, quality, and uniqueness of regional food systems across the planet.”

World Farmers’ Organisation

The World Farmers’ Organisation, is a member-based organisation, representing a community of geographically balanced entrepreneurial farmers.

Regardless of their size (small-, medium- and large-scale), gender, and age, the WFO wants farmers’ role as food producers and economic actors, globally recognised.

The WFO said its mission is to advocate for the global farming community in international processes impacting the present and the future of the agricultural sector.

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A forum will discuss the future of sheep farming in relation to the climate crisis at this year’s Llandovery Sheep Festival taking place on September 16-17.

The Sheep and Climate Crisis Forum will be held in the Castle Hotel on the Saturday (September 16), kicking off at 11:00a.m.

It will see panellists and guests discuss whether sheep farming can be part of the solution to climate change.

Alan New, a member of the Llandovery Climate Action Group and organiser of the event, believes the festival is a prime event to discuss a hot topic.

“Sheep farming is seen to be in trouble,” he said.

“Markets for sheep products are more difficult to access, food habits are changing to a plant-based diet, wool has little commercial value and sheep are seen as detrimental to the environment.

“Welsh sheep farmers have reported problems rearing livestock thanks to the recent extreme summer weather. Experts have suggested that climate change could potentially wreck traditional sheep farming in Wales.

“The Llandovery Sheep Festival is the perfect event to start this open and honest discussion about whether sheep could be a sustainable part of the solution to the climate crisis.”

Llandovery Sheep festival

While Llandovery Sheep festival will also celebrate old drovers’ trails, sheep farming and the wool industry, it brands itself as being “more than just sheep”.

The two-day event will also feature rural crafts, workshops, food and entertainment, held in the town centre.

“This year’s packed programme will certainly not disappoint and will have something for everyone,” Rachel Everett, chair of the Llandovery Sheep Festival, said.

“Events such as this are important to the agricultural community, not only in terms of bringing people together, but also in terms of showcasing the best of local produce, goods and services,” she added.

“The concept behind this community-led festival is to showcase the best of Llandovery, to share its cultural identity and historical past through the promotion of the wool industry and the local farming economy.”

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“Global demand for sheepmeat continues to grow, particularly in regions such as Asia,” he said.

“Exports currently account for 40% of total UK lamb and sheepmeat output. The potential to build on this figure is significant. It is an opportunity that the sheep sector can, and will avail of.

“Exports to countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, confirm the demand that already exists for sheepmeat produced in the UK. Our flock owners produce a food product that is of the highest quality.”

Stocker made these comments while attending the recent Sheep Northern Ireland 2023 event, held at Tynan Abbey Estate in Co. Armagh.

While recognising that Brexit had created some challenges for the UK’s sheep industry, Stocker confirmed that exports of British lamb to the EU-27 remained buoyant.

“And, again, we can continue to develop these market opportunities,” he said.

“But we still sell 60% of our lamb at home. The British market remains crucially important for the UK sheep sector.

“Effective marketing and communication with British consumers is critically important in this regard.”

Stocker specifically highlighted the need for the sheep industry to liaise with Britain’s Muslim community as a means of driving lamb and sheepmeat sales.

Sheep farmers and global warming

The NSA representative also believes that the sheep industry can play a key role in determining agriculture’s overall response to the challenge of global warming.

“The sheep sector is already achieving very high levels of sustainability. Flock owners are producing meat of the highest quality using two of the world’s most natural inputs: grazed grass and water.

“Fertiliser and concentrate feed are used at extremely low levels within the sheep industry. Wool is also the world’s most renewable fibre. It all adds up to a very sustainable production process.

Stocker referred to NSA as the glue that keeps the UK’s sheep industry together.

“Attending the Tynan Abbey event has given me a tremendous opportunity to meet an entire cross section of people working with Northern Ireland’s sheep industry, from flock owners through to farming leaders and the commercial sector,” he said.

Sheep Northern Ireland 2023

Approximately 1,500 visitors attended Sheep Northern Ireland 2023. The man responsible for co-ordinating the event was Edward Adamson, the NSA’s regional representative in Northern Ireland.

Speaking at Tynan Abbey, he said: “A number of new technologies are on display, designed to meet the future needs of the sheep sectors

“We are seeing the greater use of electronic identification across the industry. This is extremely encouraging.

“Where sheep handling is concerned, a number of new systems are coming on to market at the present time.

“Labour availability is not that big of an issue on sheep farms for the most part. But there are occasions when flock owners can do with extra help.

“If new handling systems can serve to reduce this requirement at a time when additional labour is very hard to find, the benefits that will be accrued by sheep farmers are obvious.”

Adamson hailed the decision to take Sheep Northern Ireland to a farm location as a tremendous success.

“The plan was to come to Tynan Abbey back in 2021. But our plans were put on hold at that stage because of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

“This is a tremendous location. The farm buildings are perfectly suited for the hosting of seminars and indoor trade exhibits.

“And, of course there is plenty of outdoor space to allow the hosting of all the other activities that take place on the day.”   

Hampshire Down numbers on the up

Hampshire Down sheep breeders had a strong presence at the Sheep Northern Ireland event.

According to Co. Down pedigree flockowner, Kevin McCarthy, demand for Hampshire Down bloodlines has never been stronger.

“Hampshire Down crossbred ewes are extremely fertile and can make tremendous use of grazed grass,” he said.

“Lambs can be finished very early in the season. They also achieve very high growth rates. Hampshire Down lambs can achieve liveweights of 40kg at around 14 weeks of age.”

“Commercial sheep farmers in Northern Ireland are recognising the potential of including Hampshire Down genetics within their flocks. As a result, the demand for pedigree rams and females is very strong at the present time.”

McCarthy farms close to the town of Comber. His Ballycreelly flock comprises 100 pedigree Hampshire Down ewes. 

He has been Signet recording his sheep for the past 30 years. On the back of this commitment McCarthy has successfully exported breeding stock to a number of EU countries.

Hampshire Down ram semen has also been shipped regularly to customers in Brazil, Argentina and Canada.

“Improved genetics is the future,” McCarthy stressed.

“We will soon be able to breed for a number of specific traits including disease resistance, reduced carbon footprint and improved production efficiency.

“But sheep recording is critical to making all of this happen.”

Sheep sector NI

Recent weeks have seen stakeholder groups within the sheep sector highlight what they regard as the lack of recognition given to the industry, courtesy of the future farm support packages that have been agreed for Northern Ireland.

A case in point is the recently introduced Sustainable Ruminant Genetics programme. Its initial focus will be on the dairy and beef sectors only.

“The sheep industry must be placed on a equal footing, relative to all the other farming sectors,” McCarthy said.

“Sheep have a tremendous amount to offer the farming and food sectors as a whole. And this must be fully recognised in terms of the support measures made available to flock owners.”

Stakeholder organisations, representing all aspects of the sheep sector in Northern Ireland, have recently met with representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) on these matters.

During the period ahead, a clear focus will be placed on encouraging greater numbers of young people into the sheep sector.

The need for a sheep welfare payment – in the region of £12/ewe has also been identified.  

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Researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)  found that under laboratory conditions, using an artificial cow’s stomach, emissions could potentially be reduced by in real cows by 30% when this extract is added to their feed.

Commercial trials, involving the SRUC, are now underway.

Daffodil

This work will be completed over a four-year period. If successful, it is envisaged that the daffodil extract should act to reduce methane production levels by 30% under commercial farming conditions.

The farm trials involving the new feed additive will be carried out on a number of commercial cattle farms, located throughout the UK.

Meanwhile, SRUC scientists are also lending their expertise to a major new project, designed to breed sheep with a naturally low carbon footprint.

The English sheep sector has been awarded £2.9 million by the Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) to carry out an industry-wide project called: ‘Breed for CH4nge – Breeding Low Methane Sheep’.

This three-year initiative will measure methane emissions from a total of 13,500 sheep in 45 flocks, collect the necessary data and build and develop the tools required to genetically reduce methane emissions and improve the overall efficiency of sheep production systems.

The project will eventually demonstrate the impact of low-carbon sheep on whole-farm carbon footprints and will help English farmers to make a positive contribution to UK agriculture’s journey towards net zero.

The required scientific input, technology and additional genetics expertise will be provided by SRUC and Harper Adams University

SRUC’s Dr. Nicola Lambe said: “This will build on international research on breeding to reduce methane emissions from sheep, to the point of industry implementation in UK flocks.”

The project will initially develop on-farm protocols and use portable accumulation chambers (PAC) to predict methane emissions from grazing sheep alongside measures of health, production and efficiency traits at the individual animal level.

Further measurements, including rumen size and microbiota, will improve understanding of the underlying biology and ensure that reductions in methane emissions positively contribute to sustainable genetic improvement of ewe productivity on UK grass and forage.

This comprehensive set of information will enable understanding of the genetic control of these characteristics and DNA sampling will allow relationships with the underlying genome of the sheep to be investigated.

The end result will be the development of tools to compare the breeding value of sheep in flocks, identifying breeding stock that will contribute to improving farm carbon footprint.

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From December 13, 2023, non-assured UK livestock farmers will be required to provide a declaration signed by a vet for their products to be eligible for export to the EU.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said this requirement is due to an EU animal health regulation change mandating farms producing animals or products of animal origin for export to have regular veterinary visits.

The previous temporary requirement, which involved a farmer declaration, will be replaced by this new procedure.

To obtain this declaration, farmers must undergo regular animal health checks conducted by qualified veterinarians.

During these visits, the vet will carry out a visual assessment of the farm to confirm it is free of notifiable diseases, with no sampling or laboratory testing needed.

This does not need to be the sole purpose of the visit and can be combined with other visits, providing that all animals present at the farm are considered.

The visit from the vet should occur at least once during a 12-month period, but if the vet considers a need for a subsequent visit before the 12-month mark, this will be communicated to the livestock owner and clearly stated in the declaration.

Farmers that are part of an approved farm assurance scheme already meet the requirement for a veterinary visit so no additional veterinary declaration is required.

Schemes currently approved are:

• Red Tractor;
• Quality Meat Scotland (QMS);
• Farm Assured Welsh Livestock Beef and Lamb Scheme (FAWL);
• Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers Ltd. (WLBP).

If your farm has had an annual health and welfare review as part of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, then this will also fulfil the requirements.

You will need to retain the receipt from your visit as evidence as official veterinarians certifying goods for export do not have any access to the AHWP database.  

These regulatory changes were due to take effect on December 13, 2022, but the government agreed to delay the implementation of the new rule by a year, allowing farmers more time to prepare for the change and arrange the necessary vet visits.

Dr. Phil Hadley of the AHDB said: “The UK ships approximately 72% of all its meat exports to the EU.

“It is particularly significant for the sheep meat sector, with 94% of sheep meat exports destined for the EU with a value of £475 million in 2022.

“In addition to this, £274 million worth of pig products and £347 million worth of beef meat was exported from the UK to the EU in 2022.”

“The organisation’s (AHDB) role includes supporting farmers with their export health certification, and with UK meat exports continuing to climb, we’re focusing on the future to identify new markets for our exporters, ensuring UK meat is enjoyed in more countries around the world.”

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21 people were killed in work-related incidents in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry in Great Britain last year, according to figures published today (Thursday, July 6) by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

This is just below the sector’s five-year age of 26 and the majority of deaths (64%) were to the self-employed.

While there were more deaths in the construction industry last year (45), the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry has the highest rate of fatal injury per 100,000 workers of all the main industrial sectors.

The HSE said that the rate of fatal injury in the sector remains “markedly higher than the average across all industries”.

Fatal work-related incidents

Overall, 135 workers were killed in work-related incidents in Great Britain last year (period April 2022 to March 23). 26 of these were in Scotland, 15 in Wales and the remainder (94) in England.

This number is higher than the previous year (123), but in line with pre-pandemic levels. The figure for 2021/2021 was 145. Over the long-term however, the rate of fatal injury to workers shows a downward trend.

The three most common causes of fatal injuries are falls from height (40), being struck by a moving object (29), and being struck by a moving vehicle (20).

Commenting on the figures released as part of the ‘Work-related fatal injuries in Great Britain’ report today, HSE chief executive Sarah Albon said: “Any loss of life in the workplace is a tragedy.

“While these figures show Great Britain is one of the safest countries in the world to work, safety must continue to be at the top of everyone’s agenda.

“Our mission is to protect people and places and we remain committed to maintaining safe workplaces and holding employers to account for their actions.”

A further 68 members of the public were killed following a work-related incident in 2022/23. This is a decrease of 20 from last year.

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That is according to Co. Laois dairy farmer Bruce Thompson.

He believes this is because the beetles act to prevent L3 nematode larvae to move from dung pats out onto grass swards, where they can infect cattle and sheep.

Thompson took part in a parasite-control farm walk hosted recently by Co. Down sheep farmer John Martin.

Thompson said that dung beetles will act to “reduce nematode burdens” – but he also highlighted a problem.

Insecticides

Thompson warned: “Insecticides used to keep flies away from cattle and sheep will also pass into animals’ dung, where they will subsequently act to reduce beetle numbers. The chemical residues of wormers will also act to reduce beetle numbers.

“As a result, there is a strong link between insecticide usage and dung beetles’ potential to control nematode burdens.”

According to Thompson, less is more in this instance.

“My clear advice to farmers with breeding and other livestock is to use insecticides only when absolutely required,” he added.

Dung beetles

A key focus of the recent farm walk was to highlight new thinking on anthelmintic resistance (AR) and this is where dung beetles come in as they can act to bring numerous benefits to grass-based production systems.

In the first instance, they dry out and remove dung pats as they consume them. This process helps speed up the rate of decay of the pat as well as making it more appealing to earthworms.

In addition, when dung-burying beetles take the pat and bury it directly into the soil, they take it right at the roots of the grass plant, distributing natural fertiliser just where the plant needs it.

Dung pats are also a hatchery for parasitic worms ejected from livestock. These worms are in a very fragile state in pats, so any disturbance of them will disrupt their lifecycle.

Overall, dung beetles are a great tool to help naturally reduce parasite loading at pasture because there are several ways in which they can achieve this.

Beetles actually ‘drink’ dung pats, feeding on the bacteria-laden juices from animals’ stomachs. This drying effect has multiple benefits.

For example, lungworms often uses a fungus called Pilobolus to transport themselves from the pat to the leaf of the grass, ready for ingestion.

Drying hampers the fungus from growing and prevents the hatched parasite from moving their way to grass plants.

In addition, it is believed that fragile parasite eggs get damaged by the beetles as they source the bacteria which they feed on.

The burying effect of tunnelling beetles removes the parasites from the pasture and buries them into the soil.

Also, dung beetles are often used as a taxi for phoretic mites. These insects are unable to travel from pat to pat themselves due to their small size.

These mites have an important role to play as they consume fly eggs and, very probably, the larvae of gastrointestinal nematodes.

Bruce Thompson first developed an interest in dung beetles in 2020 when he started a Nuffield Scholarship.

On his own farm he has a particular interest in reducing animal remedies through prevention, with a focus on animal wormers.

He said he has made dramatic reductions in his wormer usage by making use of his farm microscope for diagnosis and pioneering new grazing strategies.

Thompson has also started a European Innovation Partnership (EIP) scheme, focusing on a targeted and selective approach to animal wormers in order to protect and increase dung beetle populations on the land.

He also breeds dung beetles on his farm.

Other nature actions taken on the Thompson farm include the management of hedgerows for biodiversity, planting additional hedgerows and incorporating multi-species swards into his grassland.

The Co. Laois farmer believes more focus must be paid to the integration of ecology and agriculture.

Thompson is confident that food production and environmental protection can, and must happen simultaneously.

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The US lifted its ban on UK beef and lamb imports in September 2021. It had been in place since 1989 over concerns regarding an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and extended not only to meat, but to semen and embryos too.

Two top Scottish breeders – Roderick Runciman of the famous Allanshaws flock, and Andrew Polson of the Smerlie flock – were both selected to export the semen.

Andrew had been contacted by farmers stateside directly.

“I was contacted directly by a breeder in the states whose grandfather was from Caithness,” he said.

“He had studied agriculture at university in Scotland, too, and visited sales in Caithness, so he knew what he was looking for.

“They had seen some of my sheep and Roderick’s sheep go into the sale ring and because of that we were asked to supply semen.”

Both breeders put four rams forward which were rigorously tested before being allowed to provide semen. This process, which took almost a year, was managed by AB Europe. It involved each ram being placed into isolation and undergoing a range of tests.

Roderick said his rams – Sebay Excitable, Pengreos Xcalibre, Allanshaws XR3, and Allanshaw ACDC – were all proven sires and passed the tests with flying colours.

His 750 North Country Cheviot ewes scan between 190-200% and are capable of raising two lambs – even at heights of up to 1,400ft on his farm in the Scottish borders.

Commenting on his ideal type, Roderick said: “I like them to be eye-catching and I try to look after their bodies, too. That’s the basics.

“A lot of folk buy a tup to breed a tup. But I buy a tup to breed females. Females will breed a tup. Always keep the females right as they’re the foundation of every flock.”

Andrew runs 200 purebred ewes and sells shearling rams and gimmers at Caithness and Lockerbie.

The rams he put forward to donate semen are Smerlie Ambassador, Smerlie Admiral, Smerlie Whisky and Cairnside Brightspark.

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That’s according to Texel Sheep Society chief executive John Yates, who cited a 2022 study commissioned by the society and AbacusBio, a genetics consultancy.

Speaking ahead of the National Sheep Association (NSA) event, Yates said: “No other single breed has as much influence on the industry as Texel does.”

Texel breed

According to Yates, Texel-cross lambs are in high demand “no matter what ewe breed they are out of”.

“Texel lambs regularly earn premium prices in Northern Irish prime stock sales, being at the top or near the top of the trade week in, week out,” he said.

“The recent introduction of economic selection indexes for both terminal and replacement traits within the Texel breed offers Northern Irish farmers the potential to further increase their returns.

“Using performance data as part of your ram selection criteria has huge potential to add extra value to a business,” he added.

“High ranking rams deliver almost £5/lamb more than lower-ranking rams. Over a ram’s working lifetime, this is easily worth an extra £1,000/ram; generated through shorter finish times and improved carcass quality.”

Sheep Northern Ireland

The NSA’s 2023 Sheep Northern Ireland event takes place on Tuesday, July 4, at Tynan Estate in Co. Armagh.

The farm participated in the Northern Ireland sheep programme and, as part of this, developed a three- and five-year farm plan, reviewing the farm’s objectives and setting key performance targets to identify areas for change.

This included soil fertility, grassland management, breeding and genetics, and performance recording, all of which will be discussed at the NSA event.

NSA regional representative in Northern Ireland, Edward Adamson said: “The sheep sector has a tremendous amount to offer Northern Ireland’s economy as a whole.

“But given the scale of rising costs, flock owners need every penny they can get right now.”

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What the agents are calling a “first-class arable and livestock farm” in Northumberland is on the market guiding at £6.75 million as a whole, or in three lots.

Branton East Side Farm in Powburn, Alnwick comprises approximately 565ac in total and comes with a five-bedroom house, one-bedroom annex and four cottages.

It lies around 11 miles northwest of Alnwick and the A1 and under a mile from the A697 at Powburn. Alnmouth train station is on the East Coast Main Line providing regular services to Edinburgh, Newcastle and London.

The majority of the farm (350ac) is designated to arable farming, with 175ac as pasture and 33ac of woodland. The land is predominantly assessed as Grade 3 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

It is also currently entered into a Higher Level Countryside Stewardship Scheme, due to run until 2028.

The farm’s buildings have the capacity to house 500 cattle, 1,000 ewes, silage clamps holding 1,800t and storage for 700t of grain. There is also a range of machinery and general storage facilities.

John Coleman, head of farm sales at GSC Grays, which has brought the property to market, said: “This is an exceptional commercial farm in a most attractive location and is already attracting strong interest from buyers across the UK.”

The current owners are retiring, having had the farm in their family for the last two generations.

Northumberland farm

Also for sale in Northumberland is Birdhope Farm, in Northumberland National Park. This approximately 364ac farm is on the market for offers of over £1.2 million.

It comes with a two-storey farmhouse, woodland, permanent pasture, upland grazing and wildlife habitats.

The farm buildings comprise mainly traditional buildings which have been restored, including a range of stables, a distinctive timber hay-barn with slate roof, a workshop and a separate former byre.

Alistair Cochrane said selling agent Galbraith expects a “great deal of interest” in the property.

“The sale of Birdhope Farm offers an outstanding opportunity to acquire a delightful mixed landholding in the heart of the National Park, amidst some of the most striking scenery in England,” Cochrane said.

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The World Meat Congress 2023, a global meeting of representatives from the meat industry and related sectors, will take place in the Netherlands in October, its organisers have announced.

The International Meat Secretariat (IMS) and the Dutch Meat Industry Association (COV) have announced that the event will take place from October 11 to 13 in the city of Maastricht.

It is expected that several hundred people from the global meat industry will attend, along with representatives of other sectors.

The theme of this year’s congress is ‘Meeting Society and Consumer’.

According to the organisers, key topics on the agenda include the role of meat in the “global climate ambition”, society’s expectations on animal welfare, the labour market, and the impact of geopolitical developments on meat trade and production.

The event will hear from speakers on these issues from the academic world, international organisations and representatives of the meat value chain.

The organisers also said that the congress is attractive for stakeholders not directly working in the international meat business, such as representatives of government, trade organisations, retailers, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Commenting on the World Meat Congress 2023, Laurens Hoedemaker, president of the COV, said: “The world is on the verge of several major changes and transitions. Social and environmental developments lead to a critical view on the production of meat and meat products.

“At the same time, the sector – helped by technological innovation – is making big strides towards more sustainable production,” Hoedemaker added.

This will be the first World Meat Congress in five years. The organisers say that their focus is on challenges facing the industry and to help meat industry professionals understand the current the future expectations of consumers as well as society.

The opening address of the event will be ‘Healthiness of Meat in our Contemporary Diets’, and will be delivered by Dr. Luc van Loon, professor of the Physiology of Exercise at the Department of Human Biology and Movement Sciences at Maastricht University.

The congress will also feature a plenary debate, to which ministers from some European countries have been invited.

The topic of this debate is ‘The political landscape for the production and consumption of meat’.

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The alert comes after a break in the weather that is expected to cause a “dramatic rise” in the risk of worm larvae on pastures.

Fiona Lovatt, independent sheep vet said the risk is usually a week or two following rain after a dry spell, with current warm and wet conditions creating perfect conditions for worms to ‘get going’.  

Worms warning

Lovatt warned sheep farmers that following rain, the risk to lambs can “rise dramatically”, but she added it may take longer for the faecal egg counts (FECs) to catch up. 

She said: “If you saw high FECs earlier in the spring, there will have been contamination. The FECs may have gone low in the dry, but the chance is high they will suddenly spike again after rain. 

“When it’s been incredibly dry, faeces remain compact when they fall and are not dispersed by rain, so the risk to lambs from worms is relatively low as the larvae are hardly able to escape onto the pasture.

“However, as soon as the rain arrives and it breaks up the faeces, it provides the perfect conditions for infective larvae to emerge from the dung and complete their life-cycle.”   

According to Lovatt, there isn’t always time for farmers to see a rise in faecal egg counts before there is a clinical problem as it can happen so suddenly, “especially if they just took a count as the rain arrived”.

The independent vet explained this is because there will be a lot of infective larvae but not yet adult worms laying eggs.

“It’s essential to be alert after rain and to take good advice, as the challenge could be sudden and devastating,” she warned.

Parasite watch

Zoetis Parasite Watch scheme has reported low worm egg counts on most of the farms in dry regions involved, although Zoetis pointed out there are regional differences.

However, it is a situation that Zoetis vet, Patricia van Veen expects will “change suddenly”. The Zoetis Parasite Watch scheme monitors worms and fluke every couple of weeks throughout the “risk period” on a network of 26 farms.

Lovatt advised that due to the sudden change in weather making it “optimum conditions” for flies and maggots, that people should speak with healthcare professionals about the most appropriate parasite control for both worms and flies.

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The vaccine has reportedly “transformed herd and flock health for farmers across the world over the last 25 years” and has turned out to be one of the most “significant global advances” in livestock vaccination.

Ian Duncan Millar, RHASS Presidents’ Initiative honorary president, said: “Willie and the Pasteurella team are often unsung heroes, but they’ve contributed enormously to global livestock high health, and exemplified how collaborative science and farming both carve out a legacy and define the future.

“This extraordinary step in science, and its ongoing impact 25 years on, is a testament to the importance of continuous scientific research and development to support optimal farming and food production.”

The vaccine

The Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica vaccine was developed at the Moredun Institute by Prof. Donachie and his research team.

The vaccine “owes its success” to the discovery that to survive, the bacteria needed to be able to access iron.

From this, Prof. Donachie developed a new technique that significantly reduced the occurrence of pneumonia in lambs and calves.

Prof. Donachie explained that it was a really “exciting time” using new technologies to make “new” discoveries.

He said it was “strange as well because we were working on something game changing, but we couldn’t talk about it to anyone while the development was ongoing”.

“Vaccinations are prevention rather than cure, and it was important to get a vaccine that could cover all strains of P.haemolytica in one.

“We were fortunate, it was the right people and the right time, and, like all my research and work over 37 years at Moredun, it was the fantastic opportunity to work collaboratively with farmers and scientists to create necessary solutions for real issues.”

The vaccine created at Moredon was the first vaccine able to immunise against all 15 strains of Pasteurella.

The success

Andrew Houstoun, a hill livestock farmer who farms 1,100 breeding ewes and 160 Angus cattle, as well as deer in Highland Pertshire, said the vaccine is “vital” for the way he farms and ensuring consistent flock and herd health.

Houstoun said: “This is essential for our system as we have sheep out on the hill and across a number of other farms and farming extensively like this, we can’t keep a close eye on all the sheep all the time and may miss signs of declining health.

“We’d be lost without it – it’s easier management for us; it keeps treatment costs and losses down, and productivity up.

“There are a lot of challenges in sheep farming at the moment between rising feed costs, lack of labour and profitability, but one thing we are lucky with is health.”

Prof. Donachie, who went on to be deputy director of Moredun Research Institute and managing director of Moredun Scientific, was awarded an OBE in 2016 for services to animal and veterinary biosciences.

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The National Sheep Association (NSA) has said it supports the proposal for an increase to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s (AHDB’s) levies.

The AHDB said today (Wednesday, June 14) that discussions to do just this have been started by its four sector councils.

The NSA acknowledged that costs have risen, “including those of the AHDB”, and that the levy needs to reflect that.

“No one welcomes costs increasing, but if we want a body to promote red meat products, to open new export markets, and to work to protect the reputation and ability of our industry then we must accept that it needs funding,” NSA chief executive, Phil Stocker commented.

However, he said that this increase mustn’t allow for “complacency”.

“AHDB needs to demonstrate a tight ship using levy money wisely and to maximum effect,” he said.

“Opening up global markets for our lamb, and promoting it where we already have access, including our domestic markets has to be a key priority. But then underpinning this with evidence and information to protect and enhance our reputation and our performance follows on seamlessly.”

He added: ““There must be clear value and communication of the value to levy payers on the areas of development and research that any potential increase would be used for.”

The AHDB has said that conversations will be held with key industry stakeholders and levy payers during the coming months.

Once levy payers and stakeholders have had the opportunity to share their views, sector councils will decide on a recommendation to share with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which is responsible for making a final decision on changing levy rates.

If approved, the board said that new rates could be implemented from April 2024.

At present, the levy rate for the beef and lamb sector has not changed for more than 10 years. It is currently £0.60/head for a sheep producer and £0.20/head for slaughterers/exporters of live sheep.

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The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s (AHDB’s) four sector councils have begun discussions over increasing levy rates to address the impact of rising costs on the board’s spending power.

Conversations will be held with key industry stakeholders and levy payers during the coming months.

Levy payers and stakeholders can give feedback to the AHDB in a number of ways, including: Attending AHDB meetings, talking to representatives in relevant sectors, and contacting AHDB directly.

Once levy payers and stakeholders have had the opportunity to share their views, sector councils will decide on a recommendation to share with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), which is responsible for making a final decision on changing levy rates.

If approved, new rates could be implemented from April 2024, the AHDB said.

AHDB levy rates

The levy rate for the beef and lamb and cereal and oilseeds sectors has not changed for more than 10 years, and for the dairy and pork sectors it hasn’t changed in over 20 years.

However, rising costs across agriculture and inflation have added pressure to sector budgets.

“[The] AHDB is having to adapt the work it’s delivering at a time when budgets are being impacted by inflation and a budget reduced by changes to our VAT status,” AHDB’s divisional director of engagement, Will Jackson said.

“There have been no increases for over a decade, inflation has eroded the value of the levy by around 40% in this time and there needs to be a significant step taken to close this gap

“There is never a right time to be recommending a levy increase, but we believe the current economic climate makes the case more urgent with clear, tangible benefits.

“Without a levy increase, we will lose the expertise and impact that the four sectors need.”

AHDB sector councils

AHDB sector councils represent the beef and lamb; cereals and oilseeds; dairy; and pork sectors. They decide what programmes of work are needed to support their sectors, and what recommended levy rate is needed to fund that work.

The council members are typically levy payers of the that sector. Appointments are made based on candidates’ skills, and are confirmed through a levy payer vote.

The AHDB is currently seeking new members for all four of its sector councils.

Interested parties have until Monday, June 26, to apply.

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Descriptive and informative menus may encourage diners in the out-of-home market to select meat-based dishes.

This is according to research from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), which also showed that out-of-home dining accounted for between six and 13% of total beef, lamb and pork volumes in the UK during 2022.

However, the board has said that its research has uncovered unused opportunities to elevate the red meat industry in the out-of-home market and, if implemented, could maximise sales and improve the reputation of the industry.

The new findings from AHDB’s consumer and retail insight team have highlighted that getting the menu and dish offering right is the key to ensuring that a consumer chooses a red meat dish when they eat out.

AHDB senior retail insight manager, Kim Heath, said: “The research provides restaurants and other eating-out establishments with insights to help them maximise sales of these dishes, benefiting the supply end of the market by improving the reputation of red meat among consumers and increasing demand.”

Out-of-home market

AHDB said the out-of-home market is driven by indulgence and enjoyment, which are both associated with perceived quality from consumers.

When presented with mock menus and asked to select which areas most signalled meat quality to them, consumers stated that standards and ‘Britishness’ combined were the most meaningful aspects to them.

The Union flag, Red Tractor and RSPCA Assured logos, for example, were identified as trusted, intuitive symbols according to AHDB’s research.

“Coupling this with appetising images and descriptions focused on preparation and cooking methods, flavour and eating experience, will bolster meat quality and taste perceptions further,” AHDB said.

“Descriptive words such as ‘tender, slow cooked belly of pork’ suggests a sensory experience, and ‘specially selected for flavour’ implies quality and care.

“Descriptors around freshness and outdoor bred and reared were also valued pieces of information to inform meal choice.”

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