NSA Sheep Event attracts a global crowd

25th July 2022

With just two days to go until gates open for NSA Sheep 2022 the National Sheep Association (NSA) is delighted to announce that it will be hosting visitors from well beyond the UK at this year’s event, with visitors from at least 10 countries around the world. NSA is thrilled to welcome the international guests given that global trade is a key part of the UK’s trade strategy following its departure from the EU.

NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker says: “NSA Sheep 2022 is going to be an outstanding event with a record breaking number of stands and activities. We are expecting a strong domestic attendance and I’m delighted to announce that we will also be hosting a good number of visitors from South American nations including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Paraguay and Uruguay, and also the United States, Turkey, and New Zealand. The event, as usual will also welcome back a number of sheep farming visitors from several EU nations.”  

While these are visitors seeking to enjoy an informative day at the NSA event, the delegates are also serious industry operators in their home countries and will visit also to investigate business opportunities in sheep meat and sheep breed genetics. The UK is a global leader in sheep farming and the fifth largest producer of sheepmeat. It is the third largest exporter of sheep meat even though some 65 – 70% of our product is consumed here in the UK. The UK also holds the reputation of being the ‘stockyard of the world’ in terms of breeds and quality of animals which is why there is such interest in British sheep genetics.   

Mr Stocker continues: “This year, due to a changing emphasis in the UK’s trade strategy, NSA has gone out of its way, working with many others who are leading export related work, including AHDB, UKTAG, Defra, the Department of International Trade, and farmers themselves to host and provide offers to industry players across the world and I hope this contributes to creating new business opportunities for our sheep industry.  

“Of course, trade is crucial but building general relationships with other sheep producing nations is equally important and NSA is already working in a number of areas to establish more of a ‘global sheep community’ to share technical and farm development information. In particular, NSA has recently hosted a number of exchange visits with European countries and has been central to creating the Global Sheep Producers Forum where we are working together on reputational and Next Generation initiatives”.