Farmer Focus: Livestock market so much more than sale ring
Joe Mault © Richard Stanton We tried the store lamb market this past week with my daughter’s Black Welsh Mountains, achieving a very respectable £92.
The main flock is managed through to finishing, but these randy little tup lambs had become a real nuisance round the yard, pacing fence lines and churning them to mud, driven by the promise of forbidden romance with the ewes.
It was time they moved on.
See also: Contracts and grazing lets grow family livestock business
About the author
We sold them in our local livestock market in Rhuthin. While unloading, it struck me once again that the mart isn’t just a place to do business but a cornerstone of our rural community.
The October half-term suited me perfectly with work at the college, and the market was absolutely heaving.
The tail end of breeding sheep was still going through, store and breeding cattle were in serious demand, and of course the store lambs were out in force.
The cattle sale ring was packed to the rafters (literally), not only with buyers but also with those who simply wanted to catch up and have a natter, with the excuse that they were “watching the trade”.
That’s what I love about the livestock market. It’s one of the few places left where the farming community still comes together in person.
There’s the familiar sound of the auctioneer’s chant, the banter between ringside neighbours, and the comfort of one of Keith’s bacon baps shared over talk of grass growth and cattle prices.
It’s not just about buying and selling stock, it’s also about connection, tradition, and a shared way of life that can’t be replicated online.
It’s so important for us to continue to support the live sale rings, even with primestock.
The competitive bidding process is the underpinning of the market price, and we have seen other sectors within our industry struggle when they are at the peril of the processors setting the price.
I understand why some folk will sell directly to the abattoir: it can be a lot more convenient, the feedback on each carcass sold is better and resulting improvements to flock performance more targeted.
I accept information such as carcass classification is not available as easily through the prime livestock markets, but the dialogue between farmers and buyers is crucial.
If you are selling a product that receives repeat custom and buyers return, then you must be meeting the market specification.