NORTH Sheep 2005 promises to be a major source of information and advice for producers coming to terms with the new farming regime.

Key industry speakers will give advice and inspiration; valuable exhibitions and demonstrations for meeting the market will be staged, and more than 190 trade stands and 42 breed societies will be there.

The event will be officially opened by the National Sheep Association chief executive, John Thorley, and seminar speakers include Caroline Drummond, LEAF chief executive; Clare Wise, manager of the Red Meat Industry Forum on-farm benchmarking project; and Dr Michael Fontaine, of the Moredun Research Institute.

A Lunchtime Question Time session will be held for the first time. Visitors will be able to quiz Richard Ali, Eblex chief executive; Norman Bagley, AIMS policy director; Richard Geldard, Cumbrian sheep producer, and Peter Morris, NSA deputy chief executive. The session will be chaired by David Raine, Eblex deputy chairman and Better Returns Programme chairman.

The day will begin with a breakfast seminar for those keen to learn more about export opportunities and how to seize them, led by Henry Lewis, MLC's export manager, and Len Chamberlain, North Yorkshire County Council export development project manager.

Exhibits will include Eblex and its Better Returns Programme; Signet; FABBL, and the National Scrapie Plan. Working demonstrations will range from electric fencing and sheep showers, practical shearing and maintenance, to lamb cuts and cookery demonstrations.

Sheepdog handlers from the northern region will compete for points to go forward to the English National.

Farm tours will run throughout the day round the 1,700 acre host farm and estate manager, Nick Scholefield, will be on hand to discuss the enterprise.

Carl Stephenson, North Sheep chairman, who farms at Woodland, near Bishop Auckland, said the event went from strength to strength.

"North Sheep is a key social event on the region's calendar," he said. "However, it has also evolved into a major business, technical and educational event.

"We also look forward to meeting buyers - importers, exporters and those in the home market - to demonstrate our technical ability and superb quality lamb, produced to the highest standards in Europe.

"We will exhibit the best of our breeding stock, which is noted for being among the finest in the world."

* North Sheep gates open at 9am and close at 5pm. Admission is £10 (NSA members £5 with 2005 membership card), children and car parking are free.