From Record Rams to Young Farmers' Wins: Middleton in Teesdale Livestock Sales Review - 2024

As 2024 comes to an end, Harrison & Hetherington Senior Auctioneer, Joe Bowman, reflects on the Middleton in Teesdale sales and personal achievements which highlight the very best the UK agricultural sector has to offer in terms of livestock sales.

 

The year started with a very brisk prime lamb trade which witnessed some record prices being achieved in H&H centres. These were not only new to the younger generation of farmers but many of the older customers who often recalled tales of selling sheep in single digits not that long ago.

 

We also witnessed a significant increase in demand in the store lamb sales I conduct alongside Rory Livsey, which has seen a 40% increase in number output in this year’s trading, with an overall sale average of £93 being achieved, roughly £17 ahead of 2023.

 

The February show and sale of store cattle in Middleton in Teesdale is one of my favourite sales of the calendar. It attracts buyers from all corners of the UK to witness the quality of stock, with many going forward to be shown in the summer shows as well as the winter events such as Borderway Agri Expo held in our own Borderway livestock hub.

 

The introduction of the new liveweight prime and cast sheep collection has gone from strength to strength providing our customers new ways of selling primestock. The current agreement we have with Yorkshire Hala Direct allows us to market stock often keeping in touch with, and in some circumstances beating other markets in terms of price. The scheme has increased our customer base up by nearly 100 different trading accounts and increased prime sheep number in the market by 75%, a remarkable achievement in such a short time frame.

 

I am also incredibly proud of the young farmers calf summering competition which we introduced here at Middleton in Teesdale Market this year.  The aim of the competition was to give our younger customers the chance to buy calves at any of our Spring sales, rear them during the summer and sell them at our end of October show and sale. I was delighted to note that a total of 17 calves were purchased and all 17 made a profit before the championship was won by Cumbrian stockman Seth Pattinson from the Temon farm with his Limousin cross bullock.

 

The last twelve months has given me opportunities to develop my own role with H&H. The year began strongly as I started to undertake the weaned cattle sale in Borderway every Wednesday. The cattle trade has continued to go from strength to strength with all monthly targets achieved with weeks to spare as we come towards the end of 2024.

 

Mule gimmer lamb season was a personal highlight and I consider myself to lucky to conduct our sales in Carlisle, Middleton and Lazonby. Carlisle had a record average, ending the sale with a marvellous trade of £164.40 (up £43) and Middleton market had its highest ever average of £147.54 (up £44.95) as well as a new market record of £300 a head being achieved by J C & J White of Rigg Farm, Barnard Castle. Lazonby was once again the star mule lamb sale with 14,000 sold at an average of £154.97 to one of the largest ringside gatherings of buyers we have ever seen at any sale, including faces old and new.

 

The October sale of Bluefaced Leicester rams will live long in my personal memory for bringing down the hammer on a ram lamb from Marion & William Porter, Skelgate T3, sold at a new market record in Carlisle of £32,000.

 

Another milestone in my career this year was being invited to Swatragh livestock market in Northern Ireland  in July to sell Dutch Spotted sheep,  a highlight was marked for me by selling to a top price of £5000.

 

Being nominated for the coveted award ‘New Auctioneer of the Year’ award by the Farmers Guardian at the NEC in Birmingham was an extraordinary privilege and something I will be proud of for the rest of my career.  This year also included a professional landmark for me, with the completion of my Harper Adams Livestock Market Operations Foundation degree, which when I graduate formally in January 2025, making me a full member of the Livestock Auctioneers Association.

 

So as we head into the festive season and out of a year which has seen many challenges for the farming industry I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Christmas and I hope very much that we can all have a heathy and prosperous 2025.