NSA Sheep Event's Big Debate announced

BBC Countryfile’s Tom Heap will be leading this year’s ‘Big Debate’ at the sheep industry’s national event, NSA Sheep 2014. The environment and rural affairs broadcaster will chair the panel and debate on ‘Balancing red meat supply with environmental impact’.

A highly topical and divisive subject, it will examine how to promote the importance of producing red meat, particularly in the uplands, rather than seeing sheep as the enemy to the environment.

Chaired by Tom Heap, the panel consists of NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker; Alan Alderson, Cumbrian farmer and chairman of Swaledale Sheep Breeders’ Association; Philip Walling, author of Counting Sheep; Andrew Walker of Yorkshire Water; and Dr Pat Thompson of the RSPB.

Phil Stocker says, “With a panel representing all angles of the debate and plenty of time for questions and discussion, I see this session as a unique opportunity for NSA Sheep Event visitors.

“It is a chance for producers and those involved in the industry to have their say and to promote the value of sheep in the uplands in providing high quality meat, working in tandem with the environment, maintaining the landscape and sustaining rural communities,” he notes.

Philip Walling believes that discussions like this are essential for the industry: “Farmers are all too often portrayed as being in league with the devil, and their crucial work in producing food and maintaining the natural world misunderstood. This kind of topical debate is important to encourage people to consider what the land is really for, and to appreciate the skill, hard work and intelligence behind its management,” he says.

Securing a future for the sheep industry is the overarching theme of NSA Sheep 2014, which is to be held on Wednesday, 30 July 2014 at The Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire. Along with the ‘Big Debate’ (12:30pm), there are numerous other highlights in the seminar and workshop programme. For more information on the event and an early-bird tickets offer go to www.sheepevent.org.uk.

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Notes to Editors:

The NSA Sheep Event is a biennial event organised by The National Sheep Association and will be held at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern on Wednesday 30th July 2014.

Issued by: Hannah Lloyd, Pinstone Communications, T: 01568 617 627 E: [email protected]

Further information: W: http://www.sheepevent.org.uk or contact Hannah at Pinstone Communications. If you are interested to be informed about press attendance nearer the event, please get in touch with Pinstone.