Northern Ireland excel at NSA Sheep event

By The Newsroom
Published 9th Aug 2016, 09:56 BST
Updated 9th Aug 2016, 11:00 BST
Iain Wilson and Russell Smyth proudly show off their achievementsIain Wilson and Russell Smyth proudly show off their achievements
Iain Wilson and Russell Smyth proudly show off their achievements
NSA Sheep 2016 held at The Three Counties Showground in Worcestershire, the premier technical event for the sheep sector, saw a busy day of strong crowds and trade stands reporting a huge amount of business conducted. NSA says the positive atmosphere surrounding the event reflects '˜cautious optimism' within the industry as a whole.

Farming Minister George Eustice attended the event, welcoming visitors at the opening ceremony and joining a discussion panel about the future of direct payments for farmers. He spoke about trade negotiations and the increasing likelihood of getting market access for British lamb into the USA, as well as ways for the Government and agriculture to work towards common post-Brexit goals.

Mr Phil Stocker, CEO for the NSA, said: “Mr Eustice made it clear the Government is working to create trade deals across the globe, including positive steps towards market access for lambs in the USA. Much of this work started before the EU referendum, but NSA Sheep 2016 gave us the opportunity to really stress the importance of continued access to the EU common market and just how crucial negotiations in this area will be.