Crisis spells end for auction marts

5 April 2001



Crisis spells end for auction marts

By Robert Davies, Wales correspondent

THREE livestock markets have announced they will remain shut when foot-and-mouth restrictions are lifted because it is not worth reopening.

Caernarfon-based Bob Parry Auctioneers is closing its livestock selling department, with the loss of around a dozen jobs.

Managing director Brian Sharpe said its livestock markets at Llanwrst, Bryncir and Talcafn had been struggling for some time.

He blamed bad debts, increasing operating costs, and Government policies that encouraged farmers to sell directly to wholesalers and supermarkets.

But the foot-and-mouth epidemic was the last straw, said Mr Sharpe.

“It is a very sad day for us, as we have been in livestock trading since 1905.

“The markets have been losing money each year and we cannot keep subsidising them out of other areas of the business.”

None of the marts had a big throughput – Llanwrst was the biggest and sold around 1500 animals a week.

But the auctions were important local outlets for farmers, and valuable sources of supplies for small independent butchers.

Bryncir also improved hill-farm returns by attracting specialist exporters of super-light mountain lambs to southern Europe.

Elfed Williams, local secretary for the National Farmers Union Cymru-Wales, said the farming community was devastated by the news.

“We could really have done without this in the middle of the current crisis.”

Costs would rise if stock had be moved further to market, although moves were afoot to see whether a farmers co-operative could run the auctions.

Meanwhile, extra police from England have been drafted into south Powys to control continuing protests over the disposal of up to 180,000 culled animals.

Culling is under way on farms next to infected units in the Montgomery area.

The first carcasses will complete the-80 mile journey to the burial site at the Eppynt military range later on Thursday (5 April).

Elsewhere, rumours that residents might stop 40,000 carcasses from Anglesey being taken to a landfill site at Menai Bridge have so far proved groundless.

The Farmers Union of Wales is investigating claims that the disease has been discovered in sheep grazing one of the biggest commons in Wales.