No quick solution – NFU chair

THE big issue for breeding stock sales this year will be the lack of confidence in the market, the NFU's livestock board chairman Thomas Binns told Cumbrian farmers at a meeting last week.

He was in Cumbria on Thursday night after meeting environment secretary Hilary Benn at his Lancashire farm in the morning before accompanying him to Skipton livestock mart.

They saw store lambs sell for 30 to 40 per cent less than before foot and mouth and breeding stock fall in value by about half.

Mr Binns said supermarkets were doing their bit to promote British meat – Sainsbury's was taking an extra 10,000 lambs a week and planned to promote the less popular cuts of lamb while Morrisons has put British lamb on promotion.