St Boswells Mart Sees Increased Demand

As we head in to 2023, Tom Story, Auctioneer and Alistair Black, Head of Sheep Sales/Fieldsperson, give an annual update on the Harrison & Hetherington St Boswells Auction Mart:

 

“2022 was a challenging year for the agricultural industry. In addition to the wider impacts of the changes to Government and the war in Ukraine, it was also a year of high input costs, a summer drought, and changes and reductions to farm payments.  

 

Here at Harrison & Hetherington’s St Boswells Mart, despite these challenges, throughout 2022 we saw an increase in farmers using this, their local market, and they certainly received the benefits.

 

Despite the year’s lack of grass, and some vendors choosing to sell through the store ring later in the season, we had a successful year’s trading. Values, on the whole, remained high and we saw an increase of more than 8% in the throughput of prime lambs. Cast ewe numbers were good throughout and we continued to see the client base for this market increasing.

 

The quality of sheep coming forward was excellent all year, and numbers for all classes of sheep were well up on 2021.

 

At the peak of the season, weekly numbers coming though the ring topped at 2500 lambs, and in the final weeks of the year we were regularly seeing in the region of 1500 lambs. 

 

On a weekly basis a large percentage of the top class lambs were purchased specifically for the major European Export Markets. For this market it is the highest quality stock which is demanded, with required lamb weights in the region of 38 to 45 kilos.

 

Prime sheep values averaged well in the early months of trading, but by October, in line with all other livestock trading centres across the UK, began to fall behind and at the end of the year were £12 to £15 down per head on 2021. 

 

Store cattle numbers were very similar and with the national suckler herd in decline we saw increasing demand for all types of cattle being brought forward.  In the live market, buyers were looking for quality and supremely well finished animals, and we are fortunate that our vendors have supplied this, week in, week out. 

 

One of the highlights of the year was when the Gibson family of Willowford Farm, Jedburgh, sold an Aberdeen Angus Cross in aid of the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation at our annual show and sale of Christmas prime cattle. The 2022 show of was one of the best we have seen for a number of years, and this particular Aberdeen Angus was purchased by W P Tulloch Butchers of Paisley, raising £3,000 for the MND charity.

 

Purchasers throughout the year at our prime sales were the local family butchers and wholesalers. They are consistently looking for expertly fed cattle, produced by some of the best finishers in the country and  they know that this is what they will find at St Boswells and of course we would like to thank them for their continued support.

 

Our specialist Spring and Autumn store cattle sales were incredibly successful, and this is testament to the reputation of the producers who sell at St Boswells, which attracts noted finishers. We cover from Aberdeenshire to Yorkshire and many local buyers present to buy top quality stock. Trade at these sales was much as expected with prices achieved representing the finishing costs. Demand for the stronger, older, and more forward cattle was high, and we saw prices considerably up on the year. For the younger leaner cattle, prices were on a par with the previous year.

 

Now we are in to 2023, we look to continue with the growth of both the prime cattle and store cattle markets with ever growing demand from these sales. 

 

The mart here at St Boswells has always been an important meeting place for farmers and the wider rural community, and now that we are post the pandemic this has never been more evident with more people attending, and many familiar faces returning. The mart really is a hub for old friends to catch up for a chat and hopefully this will continue to be the case.

 

On behalf of the entire team here at St Boswells Auction mart we would like to thank our consigners and buyers for their support throughout 2022 and we look forward to welcoming you back and working with you during this coming year.”