Since Ted was unanimously voted in as the new prime minister of our country he has made some significant changes. He has obviously taken a leaf out of Mr Trump’s book and decided to abolish inheritance tax and all associated costs, reinstate basic payments and encourage self-sufficiency in the UK. The feedback that we received from the last article convinced me that this was in essence the best way forward.
On a different note, Mr Starmer is still hell bent on destroying UK agriculture. He seems to believe that importing food is high on the government’s agenda. In fairness, the fact that UK lamb and beef prices continue to rise will make it inevitable that meat will be drawn in from overseas.
During 2024 total sheep meat imports into the UK grew by 37% to 76,500 tonnes, 45,500 tonnes from New Zealand and a further 19,000 tonnes from Australia. The principal reason for this increase is a shrinking domestic supply as our national sheep flock declines. In the past two years our sheep flock has seen a decline of 6% and the percentage within hill flocks may be considerably higher as many are removed through environmental schemes.
However, for those thinking that importing is a simple task, the New Zealand and Australian sheep flocks are also on the decline. In New Zealand in 1982 there were 70 million sheep and in 2023 there were only 24 million. In Australia it is projected that by June 2025 the national flock will have fallen by 7.5% in one year alone. And all the while the population rises and demand for red meat grows.
It makes absolutely no sense that we are witnessing the destruction of our valuable sheep industry, which is predicated around sustainable hill sheep production. Instead of getting rid of sheep and shepherds we should be investing in them and striving for better productivity while improving the natural environment as part of the job description. Yet the government seem intent on going down the route of sheep depopulation while the cargo ship numbers coming in keep increasing.
Some of the first-cut silage has been cut, baled and wrapped, with 10 April making this year the earliest start we have ever made. The yards have been cleaned out and, so far, the cows have been milking well.
As I write this, we are on imminent baby arrival, so fingers crossed he/she is well timed so that it won’t interfere with mowing. Fergus could be a busy chap.
The large differential in day/night temperatures have been playing havoc with the calves, but as we move closer to summer things can only improve. Before we know it half term and the summer holidays will be with us.
Until next time, stay safe.
