New recruit shows market’s faith in future

Anyone who undertakes a study of the recent history of livestock auctioneering in Yorkshire, at least during the past quarter of a century, might be tempted to believe that it shows a steady decline.

When you consider the markets that have closed at Pannal, Bingley, Penistone, Otley Bridge End, Huddersfield, Doncaster, Driffield, Stokesley, Seamer, Wetherby, Ripon and Masham it would seem that there may be problems in the industry.

Yet the county’s remaining livestock market centres are largely thriving at present on the back of strong prices for cattle and sheep that have been maintained for the best part of 24 months.

Prices have also remained buoyant due to throughput being lower than it used to be whilst demand has been maintained.

No livestock market has closed for nearly a decade.

Competition amongst the remaining livestock markets to attract the stock to go through their sale ring has seen a number of them gear up with new and ambitious talent and last month York Livestock Centre joined the fray.

Long regarded as one of the county’s leading livestock markets it is fair to say that York no longer occupies the number one position in the Yorkshire league table.

Thirty years ago there would be 3,000 pigs, 200 sheep and 1,000 cattle traded here every market day and York was seen very much as the top dog, but the world of livestock selling has changed.

Pigs are no longer traded live to any great number and both sheep and cattle are also traded direct to abattoir from farms, as well as through the market.

Scott Ferrie joined the team at York in December. He was born in the village of Alexandria by the banks of Loch Lomond and has been a livestock auctioneer since leaving school having worked initially for United Auctions in Stirling and then John Swan at St Boswell’s.

However, in between those two market experiences he also moved away from livestock auctioneering to work for a company that bought direct from farms.

So if he’s so committed to livestock auctioneering why did he move away for a while?

“I suppose I turned from gamekeeper to poacher in some people’s eyes, but I wanted to gain more knowledge of the industry and see it from that side, which I certainly did.

“As soon as I got the chance to get back into auctioneering I did just that.’

“I believe passionately in the livestock market system. Foot and mouth disease was a classic example of why it works best and will always work best.

“If the slaughterhouses had really put all their heads together they could have shut the fatstock market system, but they hammered farmers.

“As soon as livestock markets reopened the competition was put back into the market and values trebled.”

Scott’s appointment is a signal from the Murton-based livestock centre that they fully intend to compete with others in the county who have made appointments in recent times and are now upping their game as partner in the business and well-known auctioneer Richard Tasker points out.

“We wanted someone here who had depth of knowledge and experience specifically 
on livestock.

“We were looking for someone who would specialise not just in livestock auctioneering but also couple that with being out on farms with farmers and talking with buyers the rest of the time.

“For a number of years the rest of us here have all been busy with our various specialisms, including valuations, tax and permit work, and we haven’t had a major presence on farms.

“Now that the livestock industry has contracted 
there isn’t as much stock 
out there and that means more competition between all of the existing livestock markets to attract 
numbers.

“That’s why we decided to look for someone who was dedicated, experienced and knowledgeable, someone who could look after our existing customers and encourage others to come along.

“It is a major appointment for us, and people such as Scott who are available and have the necessary qualities we were looking for are quite honestly few and far between.

“I decided to source for the appointment via recommendation and word 
of mouth rather than advertising and contacted people in the prime livestock areas of the North West 
and Scotland to find out 
who was who and who might be interested. We’re aware that there is a narrower need for specialism in all business and we feel Scott ticks our boxes.

“One of the main things for us with Scott was that he is also getting married this year to a girl who lives in Northallerton and that 
meant that he was looking to move to Yorkshire where his fiancée lives at the moment.”

Scott started at York on December 10 and admits to still finding his feet at present, although he has quickly analysed the livestock world of Yorkshire and has been pleasantly surprised with the positive way in which the county’s farmers feel about York and others.

“From what I have seen in my limited time here the county is very livestock market-oriented and they want it to remain so.

“Whilst I will be selling stock every Monday and Thursday the rest of the time I will be out and about talking with farmers we currently sell on behalf of, those who we would like to sell on behalf of, and those who may have fallen by the wayside who we would like to return.

“Selling livestock is about knocking on doors as much as it is being in the rostrum twice a week.

“Today’s livestock world means that there may be as many as half a dozen people out there competing for a farmer’s stock, and that’s before it gets into the ring when there is strong demand too. If you’re not out there in the field and if you don’t offer an after sales service too, then you probably won’t get the business.”

Richard believes that Scott’s appointment is a major step forward for the market and that it shows York’s intent to not just maintain but enhance their position in the county.

“The livestock farming business is highly specialist today. You’ve lost a lot of the people who perhaps used to have a few cattle for the front paddock because they looked aesthetically pleasing. It’s now not about whether they look nice outside of the front window.

“If you look at the value of livestock, particularly cattle over the recent past, it has more than trebled in many cases.

There’s now a huge amount of money at stake and with margins being tight we all need to be at our best to make sure everyone achieves what they are looking for.”

One of York Livestock Centre’s greatest assets 
has always been its location on the A64 just south of York, and only 20 minutes from 
the A1.

Its more recent claims to fame in the agricultural world have been its massive machinery sales, the biggest in the UK and run by Richard; and its twice yearly rare breed sales in spring and autumn.

However changing prices and attitudes means they are now turning their attention, and their spotlight, onto the specialist world of livestock sales once again.

For centuries the market was the focal point of the area, where the most important purchases would be made. Times have changed but this point of principle remains the same.

It could be an interesting year.

Skipton sheep sale a success

Prime sheep trade at CCM Skipton was much better than anticipated at Monday’s weekly sale, though the weather played a major part, with light numbers countrywide in the morning helping to lift afternoon prices. (Jan 14)

While the overall selling average of £61.34 per head, or 147.9p/kg, was slightly down on the week, the overall quality of the 3,144 head forward was not quite as good.

However, some great runs of smart lambs sold well, with Beltex pens to the fore. Clitheroe’s Peter Fox achieved top price per kilo at 240.8p with a first-rate pen.