Sheep are disappearing from our hills - and our dinner pl...

What’s Happening

Alright so Have we have passed “peak sheep” in the UK?

Sheep are disappearing from our hills - and our dinner plates 36 minutes ago Save NJ Convery Save BBC Listen to NJ read this article For four generations, Neil Heseltines family have worked on Hill Top Farm, perched on the hillside of Malhamdale amid the dramatic landscape of the Yorkshire Dales. And for most of that time, sheep were the mainstay of the business. (plot twist fr)

But, Neil says, over the past 20 years there has been “a complete turnaround” and he has shifted away from sheep farming to stay afloat.

The Details

In that time the 1,500-acre farm has gone from a peak of over 800 lambing sheep to just 45 this spring. “I dread to think where the farm would have been financially had we not kicked off to make those changes,” he tells me.

“I either continued along the sheep-farming route because of sentimentality or made bold decisions. ” While most upland farmers still keep sheep on their land, the changes here have been mirrored across not just the Dales but the entire British farming industry.

Why This Matters

The shepherds life has never been an easy one, but for many its getting tougher and more difficult than ever to make a profit. Gail Caddy Neil Heseltines family have worked on Hill Top Farm for four generations The average British farmer is 60 years old, according to the National Farmers Union (NFU), and prices for everything from fuel to fodder have risen hugely for them in recent years. Meanwhile, many farmers are facing majorly reduced income from subsidies and there are worries that recent trade deals will mean increased competition from overseas.

This could have implications for future research in this area.

The Bottom Line

The UKs recent trade deals with New Zealand and Australia, struck since Brexit, eliminate tariffs and give producers in both countries large quotas on the amount of lamb they can export into the UK. 7 million breeding ewes in the UK - the lowest figure in living memory according to Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association.

Sound off in the comments.