Schmallenberg virus (SBV) has been discovered in four new counties as the number cases has risen dramatically over the past few days.

Figures released on Monday showed the virus has now been identified on 121 farms, including 113 holding with sheep and eight with cattle. This represents a marked increase from the 92 cases identified by Friday (March 2) afternoon.

The four new counties to have reported disease are Devon, Dorset, Cambridgeshire and Somerset.

Kent remains the worst affected with 21 cases followed by East Sussex, Norfolk, Suffolk and West Sussex.

The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) said infection has only been identified in areas at risk of midge incursion from Northern Europe during summer/autumn 2011.

So far, none of the affected farms have reported importing animals during 2011 from the affected areas in mainland Europe.

See below for image of our stand

LAMMA 2012
Wednesday & Thursday 18th – 19th January 2012
Newark and Nottinghamshire Showground, Winthorpe Newark. Nottinghamshire

So thanks to everyone for their part in the job.

Yours Sincerely

Alan & Ron (Steel Services)

Officers investigating the theft of a flock of sheep from Stenigot have released further information about the number of animals taken during the incident.

The lambs and adult sheep were stolen from a 40 acre field adjacent to Welles Dale Road at Stenigot between 6pm on Saturday, September 10, and the following morning.

DC Nick Jones, from Louth CID, said: “It now transpires that there were acutally 579 ewes and 901 lambs in the field when the theft took place. This is clearly a very organised crime that would have involved a number of people and the use of two three-tier articulated transporters.

“One line of enquiry is that the sheep may have been stolen to be processed through unlicensed abbatoirs and the meat sold via non-legitimate outlets. Clearly, there are health implications should this be the case and all efforts are being made to trace the sheep as quickly as possible”.

THE Royal Show could be revived in 2013 under plans being drawn up by the company in charge of events at Stoneleigh Park.

The Royal Show apparently closed its doors for the last time in 2009, ending a 160-year tradition.

The Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE) made the decision to close it after a period of declining popularity and financial losses, exacerbated by a run of bad luck in the form of bad weather and animal disease restrictions.

The show may yet go on, however, according to Ian Pegler, the former Little Chef chief executive, who recently took the helm at the rebranded Stoneleigh Events.

Mission

He is on a mission to revive the flagging Stoneleigh Park showground in Warwickshire and said this could include bringing the Royal Show back from the dead.

“We are looking at the possibility. The premise is that we own the brand, which is a brand everybody knows,” he told Farmers Guardian.

“As we are turning around Stoneleigh Events, we would be mad not to try and resurrect that brand, but obviously not as it was because that format failed.

“It needs to be smaller, slicker and brought up-to-date, but still with those core bits that are synonymous with the Royal Show.”

He said this would mean retaining livestock competitions at the event, albeit possibly on a smaller scale.

“The Royal Show without livestock would not be the Royal Show at all,” he said.

He wants to add a new dimension about food provenance and quality which covers the journey ‘from producer to end user’.

Mr Pegler, who has worked with chef Heston-Blumenthal before, said he would be interested in working with celebrity chefs to help get the positive messages about food across to people attending the show.

He has already sounded out possible sponsors and has had positive feedback from at least one industry trade body, which is keen to get involved. “There are an awful lot of people saying we should bring it back,” said Mr Pegler.

The earliest possible date for its return would be August 2013, he added.

Stoneleigh Events was formed recently after the decision was made to ‘divorce’ RASE’s trading arm from the charity. It is still a wholly-owned subsidiary of RASE but now has autonomy to run the commercial side of the events business.