THE UK's national sheep flock is a target on the Government's hit list for livestock production, according to Frank Langrish, chairman of the British Wool Marketing Board.

He told the annual conference in Bradford that he believed the Government no longer wished to maintain a national flock and that the future of the sheep industry, and the amount of wool produced, would be the sole responsibility of producers.

"Governments no longer wish to have any more to do with agriculture,"

he said.

"Any thought of food security has, for the time being, disappeared."

The conference was told that a period of cost-cutting was under way to reduce the Wool Board's operating expenditure.

Mr Langrish said: "We could save £600,000 at a stroke, by doing away with all marketing and promotion.

"It sounds a lot, but how much would the price of wool fall if we no longer promoted it? The marketing and promotion budget costs only £10 per producer - that's just 1.7 p/kg."

He also gave an update on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' review of the Wool Board's operations, saying the majority of submissions supported its activities.

A report is expected to be published in two months' time.