NSA Cymru/Wales Regional Report
26th March 2012
John Lloyd stepped down from the Chair of NSA Cymru/Wales he has been a great ambassador for NSA and although not in office I am sure he will keep up the good work. John is succeeded by David Pittendreigh who was born and brought up in Aberdeenshire and after attending Agricultural College went on to become a shepherd on the Black Isle with a flock of North Country Cheviots. He then went on to become a Farm Manager in the Borders on a mixed arable and sheep farm, from here he moved to Wales in 1971 and started a flock of Llanwenog sheep. Two years later he established a flock of North Country Cheviots, which came from the Black Isle. In the late seventies he started recording both flocks with the MLC. He still continues to record the cheviots through the Sheep and Beef Development programme run by the HYBU Cig Cymru.
In 1982 David was elected President of the Llanwenog Sheep Society and in 2009 was elected president of the North Country Cheviot Sheep Society.
It has been an honour and privilege to serve both societies and he looks forward to serving NSA Cymru over the next two years.
At the AGM we were delighted to welcome Deputy Minister Alun Davies and the new NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker as our guest speakers. A full report will be given in the next issue, although I can say that Members are not happy with the decision of no tolerance with regard to EID recording.
Your Development Officer has attended many meetings on the Regions behalf. The Scab Task and Finish Group have met with representatives from Scotland and will now meet to formulate an action plan to raise awareness and move the process forward. Dafydd Jones, one of the hosts of NSA Welsh sheep has joined this committee and will be a welcome addition. The Health and Welfare Group has discussed many issues including Schmallenberg virus. The Group is also looking forward to planning the 2014 Health and Welfare strategy for Wales.
NSA Cymru/Wales has welcomed the publication of the Working Smarter Review and look forward to gaining implementation of many of the 74 recommendations that are made with in it.
The Region had held a series of evening road shows in conjunction with the British Wool Marketing Board and we would like to thank all those that attended, chairman and speakers for their time.
