MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Eighth year Falklands Government is at Royal Show

The Falkland Islands renowned for its environmentally friendly and disease free agriculture will be exhibiting at the Royal Show in Stoneleigh for the eighth year running from 2 - 5 July.

The informative and eye-catching Falkland Islands' stand will be located in the International Village and manned from the Falkland Islands Office in London by the Falkland Islands Government UK Representative Miss Sukey Cameron MBE and Melissa McKinley as well as Henry Boughton, a Gloucestershire farmer with strong links to the Islands.

A new addition to this year's stand is a plasma TV screen showing beautiful images of the Falklands. Besides, younger visitors will receive special information pack containing games and quizzes as well as interesting facts about the Islands.

"It's great that Henry is able to join me on the stand to share his experiences of farming in the Islands. He knows only too well the challenges we face and also our determination to safeguard our rural heritage by diversifying our farming practices", said Miss Cameron.

Agriculture is the main form of land use across the Falklands and most of the 88 farms in the Islands are family run and operated businesses. They are basically "free range", employing extensive farming methods over an area of 1,140,500 hectares, with a total of 610,000 sheep and 4,600 adult cattle, with average farm size 10,000 hectares with 6,400 sheep.

Falkland Island farming is respected for its sound soil, water and energy conservation practices, which value environmental quality with 73% of farms utilising wind power and no artificial water sources.

The Falklands' disease free status is protected by robust importation controls. Sheep in the Islands are grown without the use of hormonal growth promotants or insecticides and food safety is paramount.

The Falkland Islands Government' (FIG) is committed to helping maintain a well-populated and sustainable community in Camp, the local term in the Islands for the countryside. Following a recent review, FIG is introducing temporary supportive measures which complement the Department for Agriculture's ten year business plan to help farmers run profitable businesses that can compete on world markets. Worldwide low wool prices as well as issues such as transport links, fuel and land costs have had an impact on rural profitability.

"The Government is committed to assisting farming families where possible in order to secure the long term sustainability and growth of the Islands' rural economy", underlined Miss Cameron.

In the Islands 2006/2007 Budget, £1.7 million has been allocated for direct and indirect support to the Camp community. This money will assist with the transportation costs of bringing wool to the capital Stanley for overseas export; enable residents to have a year's 'holiday' from interest on mortgages through the FIG or Falkland Islands Development Corporation (FIDC); and provide grants worth up to £3,000 per annum per farm to assist in the payment of maintenance work such as fencing, pasture improvement and major building development projects.

The Department of Agriculture is also committed to continue making long term investments in sheep genetics and pasture improvement, as well as investing in better transport links, including the introduction of regular ferry crossings between East and West Falkland.

Since 1982, the Falkland Islands has become one of the most modern, dynamic Overseas Territories of the United Kingdom, economically self-sufficient in all areas except defence. The Islands population has risen from 1,800 in 1982 to nearly 2,400 in 2001. Fishing, agriculture and tourism are the backbone of the Falklands economy.