'Feel-good' factor missing at Royal Show

By Jeremy Cooke
Rural affairs correspondent, BBC News

Livestock numbers are in their hundreds rather than thousands

Agriculture's prestigious Royal Show has avoided the wash-out which affected last year's event - but is facing a different problem this time round.

It is the showcase of British agriculture. But the opening day of this year's Royal Show in Warwickshire has been a subdued affair.

The weather has been kind enough - a mixture of sunshine and showers.

But the livestock which are the lifeblood of any agricultural show have been absent.

The problem is the restrictions on the movement of cattle, sheep and other farm animals because of the fear of spreading the bluetongue disease.

It means that only a fraction of the stock that should be here have arrived.

There should be 1,400 cattle - there are 200. There should be 1,600 sheep - there are 400.

Sad day

In an effort to make things feel a little better, the organisers have closed some of the huge stock sheds and moved all of the livestock into a single area.

Still things look sparse. In the Holstein cattle class, for instance, there are just five beasts on display.

And a close look confirms that they are all from the same farmer.

For Terina Booker, who is president of the rare breed Red Poll Cattle Society, it's a sad day.

"It's devastating for the Royal Show," she told me. "It's a big disappointment for exhibitors who only found out 10 days ago that they could not come."

Food production

The absence of stock, and a notable reduction in the number of visitors, means there's little "feel-good" factor at this year's event.

And Peter Kendall, the president of the NFU, has said that he believes that UK agriculture is not being properly valued, especially by the government.

Mr Kendall says that, while climate change and environmental concerns are at the top of the Defra's stated objectives, food production should also be there - especially at a time of global food shortages and rising prices in our supermarkets.

He said the landscape for British agriculture had changed dramatically over the past year and that the government should set a specific Public Service Agreement (PSA) to encourage more and better food production.

"We accept the need for strong environmental responsibility, but that has to sit alongside a clear-cut focus on the importance of productive agriculture," he said.

Another dominant issue at the Royal Show has been that of bovine TB.

Many, if not most, farmers believe that badgers spread the disease. They say that a cull of badgers is essential to stop the disease spreading.

The government is expected to make an announcement within days.