Sheep sector remains upbeat

Despite the late spring and lamb losses in the early March snow storms, sheep producers have reason to be optimistic about the market for new season lamb, according to the organisers of Scotland’s national sheep event.

Market trends are positive and sheep production offers the prospect of the best return of any livestock enterprise on the farm, George Allan, chairman of the organising committee for NSA Scotsheep, claimed yesterday.

He was speaking at Kings Arms Farm in Ballantrae, Ayrshire, which will host this year’s Scotsheep on Wednesday 30 May, hosted by Robert and Caroline Dalrymple and long-time farm manager, Andrew Maclean. The event is expected to attract thousands of sheep farmers from throughout Scotland, the north of England and Ireland.

Speaking at a press preview visit to the host farm yesterday, Allan said the booming trade for hoggets this spring augured well for new-season lamb when it starts hitting the market later this month.

“The trade for hoggets in recent weeks has been phenomenal,” he said. “With strong demand for Scotch lamb at both home and abroad, reduced imports from New Zealand, and possibly lower lamb numbers, the prospect for this year’s lamb trade is promising.”

But, he added, it was disappointing that flocks in some areas suffered heavy losses during the snow storms of early March. It was proving a slow season because of the cold, wet weather and grass has been slow to grow, so more feed was having to be bought in, adding to farmers’ costs. Allan said the longer-term prospects for the sheep industry were uncertain and it would be vital that the export trade to France and the rest of Europe was not sacrificed in the ongoing Brexit negotiations.