Wales’ sheep industry should brace itself for very different times. That was the take home message from the Annual Regional Member’s meeting (ARMM) of the National Sheep Association’s Wales / Cymru Region this week.

Notable figures at the meeting including NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker, Welsh Government Chief Veterinary Officer Richard Irvine and HCC’s John Richards all spoke at Tuesday’s meeting and agreed uncertainty could lie ahead in terms of farm support, market demand and threats to the sector such as animal disease.

Mr Stocker told sheep producers and other professionals gathered at the meeting, held in its usual location of the Royal Welsh Showground that although record lamb prices prevailed, they were coupled with higher costs and uncertainty over farm support. He outlined the political challenges, explaining agriculture had previously been able to arrest or minimise political change through effective lobbying. However, Mr Stocker continued, warning attendees: “All the signs are now that this is very different. Although there is a lot we can do to try and make sure we can make our case really clear, I think the general direction is set.

“Of course, food production is wanted and needed, but farmers are going to be expected to stand on their own two feet and will be rewarded for providing things that can’t be recouped through the marketplace, such as landscape, wildlife, nature, carbon sequestration and those sorts of things.

“Food production as an enterprise is going to be without the cushions it has relied on for many, many decades. We have to ramp up what we’re doing, thinking about where we can reduce costs and where we can optimise our income.” Mr Stocker also outlined recent changes made at NSA Head Office spreading responsibility so that the organisation has capability, experience and resilience spread throughout its team of staff.

Wales’ Chief Vet Dr Richard Irvine outlined to the meeting that the Wales Animal Health and Welfare Framework is aiming to set the ambition for Wales to have healthy, productive, animals which have a good quality of life, supporting a thriving rural economy and environment. A core principle of the Framework is ‘Prevention is better than cure’.

He said the sheep industry in Wales is facing both opportunities and challenges, not least busy times to keep disease out of flocks and tackle diseases when they occur. He outlined a number of issues relating to sheep health and welfare, productivity and sustainability. These included sheep scab and sheep dip disposal, as well as the threat from other diseases present in different parts of the world. Closer to home this included Bluetongue.

Dr Irvine stressed: “Bluetongue is a clear and present threat to the health and welfare of our sheep and cattle, but it does not pose a risk to public health, nor to food safety. It is crucial that all keepers maintain high levels of biosecurity and vigilance to keep disease out and report any suspicion of notifiable disease to APHA immediately”.

Welsh Government is working in partnership with industry and stakeholders to ensure Wales has exemplar standards of animal health and welfare.

John Richards, of Welsh levy Board, HCC expressed that he felt the current preoccupation with the US and tariffs wasn’t a threat to Welsh lamb but that China could potentially pose problems on world markets as a big net importer of protein. Addressing the topic, securing a prosperous future for the sheep sector in Wales, he explained the importance of the very strong demand from the EU market that currently takes 95% of sheepmeat exports.

And he stressed: “That will continue to be there. We’ve got very loyal and very longstanding relationships with those markets. They want our product, they know our product, they respect our product and so it’s a good market.”

The meeting was also an opportunity to meet the new HCC Chief Executive José Peralta who has joined the levy board with more than 25 years of experience in the UK meat industry at managing director level. His most recent role was as Chief Operating Officer of Puffin Produce. He led the development of the Pembrokeshire Creamery milk bottling plant.

NSA Wales/ Cymru Regional Chair, Caryl Hughes, said NSA is working with the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society with regard to the development of a new sheep building on the showground. She confirmed it will be ‘business as usual’ for 2025.

Caryl also added that NSA Cymru would continue to represent farmers and especially sheep farmers across Wales on various committees, groups and at government level. Joining Wales delegates of the NSA Next Generation group at the Senedd during a recent NSA trip had been a great opportunity.

Formal business at the ARMM saw no change in the region’s officeholders. For details of these please visit the NSA website at About the National Sheep Association.