Auction marts back in favour

EVIDENCE THAT auction marts are returning to favour after the foot-and-mouth induced slump has been released by the Meat and Livestock Commission.

Latest figures show that prime cattle throughput rose across all regions in the first half of 2004, compared with the same period the year before.

English markets enjoyed the biggest recovery, with numbers rising 21% to just over 167,000 head.

In Scotland, the figure increased 12% to 28,800, and Welsh marts handled 9200 prime cattle, up 13.5%.

Overall prime cattle numbers through the ring during June accounted for 25% of the GB kill, according to MLC figures.

While that is only just over half the number achieved during the same month in 2000, before the F&M outbreak, it is 5% more than a year ago, and double the number sold liveweight in June 2002.

Slightly fewer lambs were sold through the ring in both England and Scotland in the first half of 2004.

In England, 1.28m were sold compared with 1.3m during the same period in 2003, and in Scotland 373,500 went under the hammer compared with 379,900 last year.

In contrast, nearly 5% more lambs were sold through Welsh marts (381,500 compared with 364,200). But this could be due to earlier marketing, said the MLC.

Bruce Daniel of Staffs auctioneer Leek Auctions and chairman of the Livestock Auctioneers Association described the news as encouraging.

“Producers are responding to the fact that auction marts have given a lead in the rise in beef prices,” he said.

The small drop in the number of lambs marketed was simply down to numbers. “There just aren‘t as many about,” said Mr Daniel.