More than 8,000 visitors flocked to NSA North Sheep, the National Sheep Association northern region’s one day bi-ennial event, hosted by the Skidmore family and supported by major sponsor, George F. White, at North Hanging Wells, Eastgate in Weardale, Bishop Auckland, County Durham on Wednesday 6 June.

The crowd featured over 100 overseas visitors, including official inward missions from Romania, Poland, and Lithuania, keen to discuss business among the 197 trade stands, including 38 breed societies and associations.

“NSA North Sheep continues to build on its previous successes confirming it to be the sector’s leading business to business regional event,” commented NSA northern region and event chairman, Hans Pörksen.

“Trade stands reported good sized orders placed, the practical working demonstrations proved popular, almost 3,000 visitors joined the farm tour, and each of the seminars attracted packed attendance demonstrating producers’ enthusiasm to learn more about a wide issues affecting their business from genetic progress and environmental schemes to marketing arrangements. The event offered the best place to catch up on all matters to do with sheep farming. Furthermore, it demonstrated farmers successfully working together – NSA North Sheep had a dedicated committee of 30 sheep producers, plus a further 20 volunteers.”

George F. White’s managing partner, Hugh Fell also gave a very firm thumbs up: “The event proved to be an excellent platform to meet informally with many of our clients. It also gave us the opportunity to stress to farmers and landowners the importance of flexibility and how they must have the ability to rapidly respond to change in markets and climate, as it may well be the difference between economic success and failure.”

NSA North Sheep 2009 will be staged on Wed 1 June at a venue in the north west shortly to be confirmed.

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