With ongoing Covid-19 restrictions preventing face to face meetings, the National Sheep Association’s (NSA) Cymru/Wales region is looking forward to welcoming an interesting line up of industry leaders to speak at its Annual Regional Members Meeting (ARMM) online later this month.

Appealing to sheep farmers across Wales and further afield, the ARMM will be spread across the afternoon on Wednesday, February 24 allowing interested parties to join when convenient from the comfort and safety of their own homes.

NSA Cymru/Wales chair Kate Hovers is looking forward to an interesting afternoon of discussion and commented:

We have all had a difficult 12 months and the future is still uncertain with both Covid-19 and the structure of farm support. However, I am confident for the future of sheep in Wales and looking forward to an informative, interesting and positive afternoon.

Kicking off the meeting at 3:00pm, NSA chief executive Phil Stocker will update attendees on the recent work carried out by the NSA to influence the many changing policy decisions affecting the UK sheep sector.

This will be followed by Steve Hughson, chief executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS).

Show cancellation

With the UK’s largest agricultural show, the Royal Welsh Show, the flagship event of the RWAS, unfortunately, cancelled again in 2021 due to the pandemic, Steve will present openly on how the society is working to ensure it can survive Covid-19.

The afternoon will continue with James Owen, Deputy Director of Land Management Reform, Welsh Government, who will discuss with attendees the Welsh government’s Agricultural White Paper consultation before final speaker Jamie Heinrich will show the advantage of an online meeting by joining the meeting all the way from Australia.

Jamie will cover the subject of how to retain young people in the sheep industry, a topic strongly supported by the NSA and its NSA Next Generation project.

NSA Cymru/Wales development officer Helen Roberts said:

“NSA Cymru looks to welcoming you to our annual meeting which is open to both NSA members and non-members to listen to our diverse line up of speakers and to find out more of what NSA is doing in these unprecedented times.”