THE UNJUSTIFIED stigma hanging over sheep must be removed as a matter of urgency.

Les Armstrong, NFU national livestock committee chairman, said sheep had been vilified for too long. "They have been bad news; they have been blamed for this and that when they were not to blame," he said.

Sheep had become the target of several groups and others jumped on the bandwagon and demanded a cut in sheep numbers. Mr Armstrong said it was one of the challenges which had to be overcome.

"We have to get across to Government that we have lost 3m ewes or thereabouts," he told the annual meeting of the North of England Mule Sheep Association at Penrith. "We have to convince these misguided civil servants that there is no need to get rid of more sheep."

He was against any thoughts of a buy-up sheep quota policy because it would leave UK producers unable to meet market demand and would allow others to jump in.

Mr Armstrong said it could be fairly argued that the environment and landscape was a by-product of sheep production, not the other way round.

He warned the well-attended meeting that the issue of individual sheep identification would not go away, but said his committee had taken the view that it could only be introduced through electronic ID. Any other method would bring unmanageable paperwork.

Another challenge was the need to re-balance the sector. Many lowland producers had quit sheep and the effect was felt in the hills.

Mr Mike Gooding, marketing manager of Farmers First and just back from a major food exhibition in Paris, reported that the French were desperate to get British lamb imports back. Their loss had led to increased shop prices, with many shoppers refusing to buy lamb.

Mr Gooding told producers to sharpen up their act. Addressing the customers' need was one of the things which had come out of the last year.

Speaking on the eve of last week's calls for an end to live exports, he said Farmers Ferry had carried 2.5m lambs across the Channel without a single death - a remarkable achievement. It was ready to sail again as soon as it was commercially right but, though Europe would let lambs be moved, Defra would not. "It is politics," said Mr Gooding.

Answering a question from the floor, he said buyers never asked about farm assurance but always asked about traceability.

He revealed that Farmers Fresh was entering the processed food market with convenient lamb strips, licensed from the sole makers in New Zealand.

He urged producers to examine each stage of production, through to the customer, to see what the margins were and who took what out of it, saying: "There is no better way of holding on to the margin than by holding on to your own stock, which is exactly what Farmers Fresh and Farmers First are about."

Mr Stuart Bell of Penrith Farmers & Kidd's believed there was a big future for the Mule.

He claimed the live auction mart was the only way to sell breeding stock, although video and internet sales might be all right for pedigree animals.

He predicted lambing could be six or eight weeks late this year because of the effects of foot-and-mouth, even where areas had been disease-free.

l NEMSA members stood in silence in memory of two loyal members, Derek Peart and Bert Brownrigg.

Jim Gibson of Kendal was re-elected president. Geoff Carrick of Alston succeeds Jim Capstick as chairman. Richard Spensley of Leyburn was elected vice-chairman and Geoffrey Lawn of Skipton was re-elected treasurer.

The meeting was told income was £8,000 down, largely because of the impact of foot-and-mouth. A council resolution for a £5 increase in the annual subscription to £10 was unanimously agreed.