There has been a great deal of discussion recently around food security – a topic we all recognise as increasingly important. I was reminded of this at the 2012 RASC Conference in Zambia, where it was noted that by 2050, the world would need to produce 50% more food to meet global demand. It’s a clear reminder that the RASC has long been ahead of its time in addressing such critical issues.
I am delighted to hear that the 2025 Sydney Royal Easter Show has been a great success. Congratulations to John Bennett and his team on all their hard work – I hope they are now able to enjoy a well-deserved rest! We were also very pleased to see three members of our Next Generation programme – Anna Playfair-Hannay, Alex Woods and Breyton Milford – attending, with Breyton even taking on the role of Goat Judge during the show.
Looking ahead, the RASC AGM will take place at the Royal Welsh Show this year on Monday 21st July. We look forward to announcing further details soon. We are very grateful to Aled Jones and the team at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society for kindly hosting us at their show.
Here in Northumberland in the UK, we have been blessed with excellent weather for lambing and calving. However, we could now do with some rain to help the grass grow – the ground has become so hard that it has made racing horses quite a challenge! We were thrilled to welcome a new foal four nights ago, which is always a special event on the farm.
In New Zealand, I am pleased to hear that a high percentage of lambs have been sold, achieving significantly better prices than last year – encouraging news for the sector. Meanwhile in New Zealand, our son Will is extremely busy with cattle scanning – he scans around 50,000 cows each year, a remarkable achievement!
The show season is now just getting underway here in the UK, and I look forward to seeing many of you at various events over the coming months.
