Better prices help increase Welsh flock

The number of Welsh sheep has leapt 10% this year as producers increased their flocks in response to improved returns for their meat, according to Meat Promotion Wales.

The Welsh flock now numbered 8.62 million, said the promotional body, citing a rise to an increase in lambs aged less than a year. However,the figure was still 27% lower than the historic high of 11.77 million sheep in 1999.

HCC industry information officer John Richards said Welsh sheep numbers were expected to continue to rise.