Royal Show organisers
Royal Show organisers
adamant on sheep ban
By FWreporters
ORGANISERS of the Royal Show – Britains annual farming showcase – insist they will not change their minds despite widespread criticism after they banned sheep from the July event.
The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) cancelled competitive classes of sheep, goats and alpacas because of foot-and-mouth fears. Exhibitions director David Storrar said: "After constructive discussions with DEFRA and our own vets, and in the light of recent published guidance, we decided that the risks are just too high."
Sheep farmers, industry leaders and government officials condemned the ban. Many learned of the ban only after it was reported on the Farmers Weekly Interactive website late last Thursday (May 2). And DEFRA rejected outright Mr Storrars suggestion that the department was partly to blame for the decision.
A DEFRA spokesman told FARMERS WEEKLY: "We are taking this implication very seriously. Other events are following our guidelines and are still holding sheep classes. Our advice to the Royal was the same as it was for any other show. The decision to cancel is something that RASE arrived at and we were not involved."
Industry leaders were stunned – not least because the government is relaxing rules governing sheep movements (see Business page 21). National Sheep Association chief executive John Thorley said: "There was no consultation either with NSA or the NFU. We were merely informed of the decision once it had been taken."
Mr Thorley said the Royal was sending out a confusing message. The World Organisation for Animal Health, the European Union and other trading partners all accepted that the UK had been F&M-free since January. "The RASE decision should be urgently reviewed with a view to reinstating sheep for the 2002 show," he added.
Oxford Down Sheep Society Secretary John Brigg said he first heard the news from the Farmers Weekly Interactive web-site – despite being a member of a joint RASE/exhibitor committee. "I have written to them saying it is incomprehensible – the result of muddled thinking leading to a snap decision," he said.
But a RASE spokesman insisted that show organisers would stand by their decision. "The appearance of foot-and-mouth symptoms which are hard to differentiate in sheep could ruin the entire show." Nevertheless, Scotlands Royal Highland Show and the Royal Welsh Show both plan to press ahead with sheep classes.
A ban on moving sheep from England to Scotland means the Highland is open to animals from Scottish farms. Peter Guthrie, secretary of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society said: "The RASE decision sends out the wrong signal to exhibitors who cannot wait for showing to restart." *