North marts weather storms

LIVESTOCK MARKETS have escaped the worst of the severe weather that hit the north of England over the weekend (Jan 8-9), and are open for business, say auctioneers.

Chris Dodds, secretary of the Livestock Auctioneers Association, said there were no reports of marts closing or any disruption to sales fixtures.

But entries are expected to be down as farmers begin clearing up after the storms.

Local news reported some livestock had been swept away in the floods that left much of Carlisle underwater.

But a spokesman for Carlisle-based auctioneer Harrison & Hetherington said it was business as usual and farmers were managing to get stock through to the market.

Scott Donaldson, auctioneer at Hexham mart in Northumbria, said the weather had caused minimal disruption to business.

“At the moment we have no mains water, so we can‘t wash out the mart, but apart from that we‘re largely unaffected.”