The seasons move on and this year’s April showers are so cold. These frosts have slowed the early growth which the crops were showing. The grass was starting to grow in front of some of our sheep, but now they are making a real mark in it.

Why a person or persons unknown should have been motivated to remove a heavy concrete well cover at a farm near Much Wenlock, we shall not know until the culprits are caught.

A farmer who lost almost 50 lambs after they plunged to their death down a well on a farm in Shropshire today hit out at the culprits who caused the accident by removing a concrete cover.

A new animal disease originating in continental Europe which can cause birth deformities and miscarriages in sheep and cattle has now been found on 74 farms in England.

Current euro exchange rate uncertainties make it more important than ever for English sheep producers to finish store lambs at the right specification for the market to ensure the best returns.

Well, we’ve moved from the hectic festive season with oven-ready geese, turkey, sausages, lamb and beef joints on the market, to the calm after the storm that is January and the New Year.

We all take for granted modern communications technology. Instant contact is now the norm until something goes wrong, like the early January storms dropping a tree through the telephone line in the middle of a field about a mile from us.

The UK beef and sheep sector will continue to see strong export growth for the foreseeable future, as economic forces and access to new markets create significant opportunities for the industry.