Increased lamb consumption considered at NSA Cymru/Wales Region AGM
19th February 2015
Getting more lamb onto the supermarket shelves emerged as the main thrust of the NSA Cymru/Wales AGM today (Thursday 19th February), which had taken ‘Taking the industry forward’, as its theme.
Chairman Paul Wozencraft of Rhayader, Powys, said it was vital to look after the customer. Sheep producers needed a fair return, but the price of lamb had to be affordable.
He said: “Lamb must not become a niche product and we need to continue to promote our produce and get people to eat it on a regular basis. The EU meat sector is currently battling falling consumption and it’s vital to keep finding new markets and, with the help of HCC, we will keep doing that.
“Something we need to be aware of is the fluctuating exchange rate and the strengthening pound. It could have a huge impact on farmgate prices this year. It’s not something in our control but we need to be aware of it. All we can do as sheep farmers is manage our costs and, more often than not, the weather will dictate our inputs.”
The low profile of lamb at an Asda store in Preston, Lancashire, forcibly struck NSA Next Generation Ambassador Rhydian Thomas. He told the AGM that he had visited the store as part of the NSA-organised professional development programme.
Rhydian, of Carmarthen-based Cothy Shears, said: “We visited an Asda store which Dunbia supplies with lamb. It was shocking to realise how little shelf space lamb had in the supermarket.
“We saw while we were there, a woman picking up some lamb chops, look at the price, and then place it back on the shelves. She then picked up some chicken, which was much cheaper and that was quite worrying.”
**Scroll down for more on Rhydian's experience as an NSA Next Generation Ambassador**
Dr Dai Morris, sheep farmer and recent John Gittins award winner, reflected on 50 years in sheep farming. Looking to the future, he stressed that good grassland management was the basis of all sheep work and he produced rams genuinely off grass so that they didn’t ‘melt away’ once put to work.
He said that, while recording was important and he had been the first to start the sire reference scheme with the Charollais and had also been involved with Lleyn recording, he never chose breeding stock on figures alone. He produced rams with high figures because many buy on figures, but he felt that where breeders relied on figures alone, the flocks went down.
Royal Welsh Agricultural Society Chief Executive, Steve Hughson, shared his vision for the future of the Society. He stressed that the Royal Welsh, worth more than £40 million a year to the Welsh rural economy is ‘more than a show, much more than four days’.
The summer show was the largest in Europe, possibly the world, with 8,000 head of livestock, of which 3,300 are sheep. It was the show of the people and brought all Wales together with a different featured county each year.
He added:”We’ve got a really fantastic platform here to market what is best in Welsh agriculture. We’ve got a site here we continue to invest in. We have a 10 year plan; a 10 year vision.”
The society promoted science, livestock, culture, the arts and heritage. He stressed the importance of linking with the future through the Young Peoples’ Forum and maintaining links with the YFC movement.
An inspirational year for NSA Next Generation Ambassador Rhydian Thomas
An eye-opening introduction to the opportunities in agriculture, along with inspirational mentoring, study seminars, and farm walks were among the highlights of the first NSA Next Generation Ambassador scheme, according to Welsh farmer Rhydian Thomas.
Rhydian was one of a group from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland selected for the programme in 2014, it’s inaugural year. It involved technical and personal development, market selection, food chain development, sheep husbandry, brand development and adding value, optimising genetics, time management, business planning, presentation skills, conflict resolution and promotion of the sheep sector.
He is a 25-year-old shepherd and shearing contractor and won the NSA Welsh Young Shepherd Competition and went on to take the European title in France, losing the world title by only a few points. Rhydian operates a shearing business with a run of just over 20,000 ewes from his home at Rhydycymerau, near Lampeter in West Wales, and his shearing also takes him to New Zealand for three months every year.
He told the NSA Cymru Wales AGM that the home farm extends to 400 acres, including woodland, and runs 700 Beulah Speckled Face ewes and 30 suckler cows. There is enough work but not enough income for him and his brother to work full-time at home.
He said he had been very excited to be chosen as an Ambassador, as he was keen to gain as much experience as possible. He and the other Ambassadors had all been very grateful, especially to NSA Communications Manager Joanne Briggs, for the work she had put in.
The first session taught him a lot about grassland management. He went on to implement rotational grazing on a block of land at home, very successfully.
He added: “Another thing we implemented at home after this session was condition scoring of ewes after weaning, then grouping the ewes accordingly to give better grass to the twins and ration the others. This worked well with a more consistent condition on the ewes going for tupping.
“This was maintained and noticed on scanning day. My father called me in New Zealand to say he was pleased with how consistent the condition of the ewes had proved to be!”
Other useful pointers had included the art of negotiation, managing change, teams, leadership and time management. The importance of setting personal goals was a particularly useful tip.
