Chief Executive’s Foreword

While 2020 hasn’t been the year many of us expected, it has certainly been one of success for the Texel breed and Texel breeders.

The demand for Texel stock from the commercial sector has been phenomenal throughout the breeding sales season, with trade hitting new highs at many centres and averages soaring in both commercial and pedigree breeding sales the length and breadth of the UK.

Within the breed we have seen new male and female records set and new sales established to provide both breeders and commercial buyers with increased opportunities. The support of breeders for the breed this year hasn’t wavered and it was good to see many breeders at sales this autumn following a summer bereft of shows and technical events.

As a result of the disruption caused this summer by Covid-19, there are, naturally, no show or regional flock competition results included within this Journal. We can but hope there is more summer activity next year.

At a Society level it has been a challenging year, with office staff spending much of the year working from home and having limited face to face contact with breeders. However, I must commend all of the team for the effort they have put in on behalf of the members to keep things running smoothly in the face of significant adversity.

The implementation of iTexel has been great to see and the feedback from members has been good to hear. Further developments are planned to enable increased functionality over the next 12 months.

I must also thank the board for adapting to different ways of working this summer and virtual board and committee meetings have proved to be a great success while saving time and increasing productivity. How 2021 pans out is yet to be seen and there will, without doubt, be further challenges as post-Brexit agricultural policy becomes better understood and the impact of the new trading arrangements with the EU is felt across the farming sector.

I do though, sincerely believe that no matter what the future holds the Texel breed is well placed to meet the challenges ahead. And, thanks to the commitment of breeders and the board to continuing breed development the breed can adapt to future needs more easily than many others.

With luck 2021 will be another prosperous one for the sheep industry and the Texel breed and will enable our breed to maintain its prime position within the UK sector.

John Yates Chief Executive

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Members Bulletins and Primestock - seasonal publications delivering timely Texel news and views