FARMING
By Neale McQuistin
The National Sheep Association (NSA) is increasingly concerned that the UK sheep sector is going to be the “sacrificial lamb” for the benefit of other industries.
NSA has numerous reasons for concern, including the potential for increased imports of lamb produced using farming methods that would not be legal in the UK.
Chief executive Phil Stocker said: “We are on the verge of British farming and food being changed irreversibly with Cabinet making decisions without proper parliamentary scrutiny and without promises of a new Trade and Agriculture Commission being fulfilled. We have promise after promise that Government would not allow products to be imported to the UK that didn’t meet our increasingly high standards, and we know the direction of travel is to combat climate change and nature recovery as well as meet higher animal welfare standards.
“There is absolutely no benefit in UK farmers being led in this direction, creating premium markets for niche products in wealthy parts of the world, while increasingly feeding our people with products that couldn’t be produced here. Talking about ‘equivalence’ of standards is not good enough. If practices such as long transport journeys or the transportation of animals in hot or cold temperatures are not acceptable here then why are they acceptable in Australia?
“UK sheep farmers make efforts to deal with fallen stock correctly and ensure the most reliable traceability and environmental protection.
“NSA has said for a long time that it fears the UK sheep sector being the sacrificial lamb for benefit of other industries and that is exactly what looks likely to happen.”
Market round-up
Messrs Craig Wilson sold 495 prime and cast sheep at Newton Stewart yesterday. The 403 prime lambs followed the national trend and sold at reduced values on the week to average 289p/kg (-24p). Top prices were £150 for heavyweight Texels with another pen of Texels leading per kilo at 305p. Cast Sheep also came to less on the week topping at £102 for a Beluah ewe, while Mules peaked at £99. A small show of prime hoggs sold to £117.
C&D Auctions sold 50 cattle at its weekly sale in Dumfries yesterday where prime cattle sold to 264p/kg for a Limousin cross heifer. OTM beef cows averaged 175p and sold to 213p and £1,375, while dairy cows averaged 119p and sold to 154p and £1050. There were also 250 prime lambs that sold in keeping with the national trend to average 289p/kg.
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