With half of the year now behind us, some of the auctioneering team at Harrison & Hetherington give an update from across all areas of the business and look back at how they have grasped opportunities, overcome challenges and marketed their livestock and machinery.

LIVESTOCK auctioneers, Harrison & Hetherington are putting the dark days of Covid-19 restrictions behind them and welcoming farmers back to their auction markets.

Managing Director Scott Donaldson said if they can take one huge positive positive from past months it is how well their industry has stepped up to the phenomenal challenge they were facing. “Our customers and staff did everything possible to keep the competitive marketplace that is the live auction ring, functioning, and proved without doubt how vital it is to maintaining trade.”

He added that livestock values have remained extremely encouraging through the early summer and demand for all classes of sheep and cattle had rarely been as strong at this time of year.

n Prime Cattle, Pedigree Sheep and Store cattle sales. Grant Anderson said: “Store cattle numbers have been remarkably good at Borderway for the time of year, with only a minor dip in trade in late May, as the cold weather hampered grass growth and finished cattle values dropped. This was short lived, as the weather improved, store cattle prices reached levels well above previous years. The outlook continues to look positive with a buoyant demand for finished cattle and an abundance of quality fodder in stock and let us hope that prices for grain and compound feed ease from their current levels.

Prime cattle numbers have been tight throughout the season and with the exception of the blip at the end of May, trade has been fantastic and exceeded all expectations. As numbers remain tight and demand continues to be strong across the UK and Europe, the forecast looks very bright for the coming months.

Throughout the spring and early summer, the pedigree sheep sales have created unbelievable interest with headline prices and averages exceeding even the most optimistic of valuers. The most recent Beltex flock dispersal being a prime example, as a huge crowd gathered to witness a quality sale of both breeding ewes and rams at a very early season sale.

Another dimension added to our sales program has been regular On-line timed sales of pedigree sheep; these sales have been immensely popular and very successful with good clearance rates. In addition to catering for our mainland UK customers, these sales have offered our Irish customers an opportunity to access the mainland market while Brexit export rules prove difficult to navigate.”

n Beef Breeding and Cast Cow sales. David Holliday said; “The Cast Cow trade has risen all year, and with 25 active buyers attending weekly Borderway has possibly the largest ringside in the country, which gives producers the best returns for every class of cow, every week. As demand increases for all specifications, the outlook looks set to remain very positive.”

“Here at H&H we have experienced one of the busiest and most successful spring seasons of Beef Breeding Cattle sales for many years. Drawn by the numbers and quality of the stock on offer from across the region both our dispersal and monthly sales across all our sales centres have attracted buyers the length and breadth of the UK. During the last six months we have also enjoyed substantial growth in Farm-to-Farm sales of all classes of breeding cattle.”

n Breeding sheep and store lamb sectors.

David Fearon said: “On the back of a very strong prime hogg and cast ewe trade, breeding sheep have been very easily sold from the start of the season. With no letup in demand in the finished market, buyers of ewes and lambs have been well paid. As we start to think about the early breeding sheep sales, confidence is high and with a fair wind, producers can look forward to being rewarded for their efforts this season.

“The store lamb trade has got off to a very strong start with light lambs being especially valuable. The impact of this however, may mean that numbers could prove to be short, as finished values tempt producers to offer them in the prime market. Store lambs, especially long-keep lambs, paid extremely well last year so confidence will be high, and this, together with an abundance of grass keep, should drive trade. Early sales have shown a £12 rise on the year.”

n Dairy cattle.

Glyn Lucas said: “The demand for dairy cattle of all categories has remained strong throughout 2021. This trend will continue for the short to medium term as milk prices across the UK continue to improve. At Borderway we will have more dairy cattle to sell in the remaining part of 2021 and already we have some major sales planned. Our monthly dairy sales held on the first and third Wednesday of the month continue to attract both consignors and buyers from the five home nations, these events now have a reputation with buyers as the number one place in the UK for quality.”

n Concluding the round up from the team.

James Little said: “The prime sheep sector has enjoyed a prolonged period of high prices and Borderway has led the way every Monday morning with both lamb and cast ewe values to rival any centre in the country.

“Carlisle has every market catered for customers, from those looking for the best export lambs to light hill lambs and everything in between.”

“The interest in pedigree beef cattle sales shows no abating, every sale conducted since the beginning of the year, of every breed, has been a roaring success, with records being broken almost on a weekly basis. The trade for pedigree bulls was exceptional this spring, with a very strong demand for quality commercial bulls and pedigree stock bulls of all breeds proving to be short of requirements.

“A number of dispersal and production sales, as well as new breed society sales, have been booked for the coming season so the sales calendar for this autumn looks very exciting.

“Store lamb sales recommence at Lazonby on the 5thAugust and before we know it, we will be looking forward to one of the highlights of the breeding sheep sales calendar, the ‘Alston Moor’ Sale of North of England Mule gimmer lambs, which takes place this year on Wednesday 29th September.”

Scott Donaldson concluded: “Hopefully, the most challenging of times are now behind us, and as the mart cafés re-open and the buzz begins to return, we very much look forward to busy sales rings and that electric atmosphere that we thrive on for our commercial and pedigree autumn sales.”