01-07-2025
Bluetongue restrictions' impact on Oswestry Show planning
Bluetongue restrictions will have an impact on the planning of an agricultural show, the event's chairman has introduced this month to prevent the spread of the potentially fatal livestock disease mean that cattle, sheep and goats need to test negative before they can be transported across the border from England to Kempster from Shropshire's Oswestry Show said it meant Welsh farmers were not willing to exhibit, because they would have to pay for their animals to be tested when they returned said it was "not ideal", but hoped to attract more English farmers to take their place this year.
The restrictions were introduced by the UK government to prevent Bluetongue from spreading from England to animal which crosses the border into Wales has to be tested at a cost of up to £70 each and Mr Kempster said he recognised it was a "huge expense".He said he knew of many "very loyal supporters" of the show from the Welsh side of the border who had chosen not to attend this included Helen Roberts, who farms said her family had been "big supporters" of the show and had been bringing animals for more than three decades, but could not afford to visit under the current restrictions."It will be very disappointing that we can't go there and compete," she Kempster said: "It's not ideal for the show at all but we've got to live with it and we've got to do our best."He said his committee had been "working very hard to attract competitors from the English side of the border" and he thought that would include some English farmers who had chosen not to visit Welsh shows this show is due to take place on 2 August and he said it would be "100% going ahead as normal", with preparations at the showground starting on he added: "I think the whole farming community needs this one to be sorted out, we can't carry on with this situation."
Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
