‘Sheep Farmers Can Earn A Living And Have A Lifestyle’, Says SAC Sheep Expert, John Vipond

With the market for quality sheep currently strong, the prospects are good for the

industry. However production costs are high and farmers should be looking to simplify

the way they manage their flocks to minimise costs and improve their margins.

This is the message that farmers attending SAC's Newcastle conference on 7

November will hear from SAC Sheep Specialist, Dr John Vipond, one of a number of

leading farming experts who are scheduled to speak.

Speaking prior to the event, Dr Vipond said,

"We know that sheep are profitable but the work involved with them is too high. Sheep

farmers need to look at their systems and see where there are opportunities to

minimise costs. Although many farmers already have easy care systems in place, such

as lambing outside on grass, they could make their year-round labour effectiveness

even better through selective animal breeding and by cutting out futile tasks.

"Changes to management systems such as using more low cost grazed forages with

minimum supplementation, reducing human intervention (particularly at lambing),

selecting sheep for performance and easy care traits, and using labour saving

mechanical aids are among the ways that sheep farmers can help minimise their costs.

"It is important to remember though that easy care systems are not no care systems; in

fact they are extremely caring and can produce both high margins per worker and high

welfare."

The other speakers at this FREE North East England Conference are Dr Keith Dawson

(Principal Crop Consultant, SAC), and Iain Riddell (Senior Beef and Sheep Consultant,

SAC), Sir Donald Curry (Chair, Sustainable Farming & Food Implementation Group)

and Simon Henderson (North East Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy).

The "Strategies for Success" conference will take place at Newcastle Racecourse, High

Gosforth Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, 7 November 2006, 9.45am – 3.00pm.