Farming on show at its best

Crowds flocked to enjoy the best of agriculture in Mid Wales today.Though the fun of the 17th Royal Welsh Winter Fair was tempered by the crisis facing farmers in the region, it gave visitors a chance to meet friends and see the positive side of their industry at what is widely regarded as the finest prime stock show in the UK.

A record entry in the cattle classes and the best of exhibits in the sheep and horse competitions were on show and scores of stallholders were selling goods in the fair's "travelling souk".

But the over-riding talk was about the current massive agricultural crisis with farmers banned from moving animals across the Welsh/English border.

Livestock markets and thousands of individual farmers are being hit by the bluetongue restrictions, which mean while farms can move cattle and sheep inside Wales and over to England, live animals can not be moved from England into Wales.

Shropshire's livestock markets are being affected as Welsh dealers are unable to buy livestock and Mid Wales farmers who graze animals in England cannot take their animals home. The cross border nightmare was highlighted today at the Royal Welsh showground near Builth Wells.

Bosses from the County Landowners' Association (CLA) said farmers were breaking the law daily if their farms straddled the border. Julian Salmon, from the CLA, said: "How can anyone run a business like this."