Visitors to the flagship event of the National Sheep Association (NSA), NSA Sheep Event, will have the chance to take part in discussion on key topics affecting the sector during the event’s impressive line up of topical seminars.

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The four event seminars, to be held throughout the day on Wednesday 27th July at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire, will provide varied topics for discussion, including future market trends, the social importance of sheep farms, the positive role of grasslands in the climate change debate and embracing change for the future of the UK sheep sector.

It is hoped the varied line up of topics, as well as the opportunity to hear from industry experts, will, as in previous years, appeal to all sheep farming visitors, drawing the crowds to the seminar tent at the event.

NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker comments : "NSA's work places it at the centre of many key industry issues. NSA Sheep Event gives NSA an ideal platform to share some of this news and also to hear from other industry experts on topics that have direct influence on many UK sheep farmers. We look forward to welcoming visitors to the seminar tent at NSA Sheep Event and are confident those attending will take away some useful and timely information and advice.”

Opening the seminar programme will be a session asking: ‘Where is the balance between our diverse market opportunities?’ With the UK sheep sector being fortunate in its range of outlets for sheep meat where should we focus our future efforts? Volume sales of a commodity product, or added value markets? And what can be done at farm level to provide what people want? Joining this seminar to tackle these big questions and help individual businesses plan for the future will be Nicholas Jolly, Beef & Lamb New Zealand Senior Trade Policy Advisor, Dr Phil Hadley, AHDB Director of International Market and Mike Gooding, Director of RCMG. NSA Chairman, Dan Phipps will chair the session.

Following on from this, the lunchtime seminar will ask if ‘Grassland is our salvation for carbon capture and nature recovery?’ The session will look at future land use and whether carbon sequestration in sheep-grazed grassland can achieve as much as mass forestry and other suggested alternatives. What will the UK look like if policymakers continue to pursue tree planting targets and/or rewilding ambitions? Will there be space for sheep and, if not, what are the implications for climate change, nature recovery and rural communities? This seminar will consider sheep and grassland in the positive light they deserve. Chaired by NSA Policy and Technical Committee member John Lloyd, the discussion will also be joined by Professor Robin Pakeman of the James Hutton Institute, Sarah Wynn, Managing Director for Climate Change and Sustainability at ADAS and John Pawsey, a sheep and arable farmer from Suffolk, with experience in environmentally friendly farming. 

The day’s busy agenda will continue in the afternoon with a seminar ably chaired by TV presenter and Gloucestershire farmer Adam Henson. Being joined by a panel including many NSA Next Generation Ambassadors the session will be titled: ‘Sheep farmers – a force for social good.’ As the industry works hard to counteract the sometimes negative view of agriculture, it is time for sheep farmers to stand up and be counted for their multifaceted roles within their communities. This seminar will consider what it will take to gain much needed recognition for the incredible wealth of public goods provided by sheep farmers and their sheep. Also joining this undoubtedly popular session will be Dr Matt Lobley, Professor of Rural Resource Management at Exeter University.

Bringing the seminar tent to a close will be the final session of the day: Implementing radical change to meet future sheep farming challenges. We are increasingly told the world needs radical change to meet challenges around climate change, food security and animal welfare. If sheep farmers accept that extreme measures are needed, where could the most effective change(s) be made? This seminar will welcome sheep farmers Tim White from Wiltshire and Peter Williams from Anglesey, North Wales as well as independent sheep and beef adviser Liz Genever sharing their views about constructive disruption to flock management. The discussion, chaired by NSA Policy and Technical committee member Campbell Tweed, will challenge the audience on whether slow evolution is enough, or if a radical shake-up is needed.

In addition to seminars, NSA Sheep Event 2022 will for the first time in four years bring together more than 250 trade and breed society exhibitors, as well as numerous attractions including a sheepdog sale, competitions, workshops and demonstrations.

All information including competition entry forms for this year’s event can be found on the NSA Sheep Event website www.sheepevent.org.uk.

The website also details information on advanced tickets, that can now be purchased with a 20% online discount. 

NSA members can enter the event free of charge. Individuals can find out more about NSA membership online with lots of time to sign up to claim their free entry before the event this year. 

NSA Sheep 2022 is supported by Major sponsors Agri-Lloyd, AHDB Beef & Lamb, Barclays, Elanco, MSD Animal Health and Shearwell. For more information on these and other event sponsors visit go.nationalsheep.org.uk/eventsponsors.