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Auctioneer describes a promising season.

We are busy among our spring sales at North West Auctions.

Despite soaring input costs being at dizzy heights never seen before, the red meat industry remains buoyant.

Spring has been kind this year and people have enjoyed a good lambing and on-going calving season with, hopefully, not too many hiccups.

Livestock auction markets are important for this reason, mainly the economic and social side, in which like-minded people can get together, talk and share stories of the trials and tribulations of working within the rural sector.

The spring sales of breeding sheep, mainly consisting of sheep with lambs at foot, have seen demand for all specifications.

Quality continues to shine through, with many purchasers in the market looking to source short keep families with the trade for these as strong as the previous year.

The next quality down saw the trade less than the previous year at start of the season but, as April arrived, trade perked up to as strong as the previous year - which is very promising taking into consideration spiralling input costs.

Young quality replacement sheep with lambs have been in big demand, especially shearlings with lambs at foot which have sold for prices in excess of the previous years.

The prime hogg season is now drawing to a close, with results unrivalled, and a large number of good quality prime hoggs on the market late into the spring season.

Demand early on for spring lambs this season was less, but many companies are not looking to change over to spring lambs, so trade set off strong with many markets averaging between 320pkg and 340p/kg this week.

Like many companies, North West Auctions has diversified away from livestock to create new streams of income, opening doors to other clients and increasing the footfall onsite.

Demand for machinery remains strong with purchasers now utilising our online sales format comfortably.

At last, livestock farmers are getting the rewards they deserve, but what can be done to move the media view away from any negativity and portray positivity?

We rear some of the best quality produce to feed a fast-growing population at the highest of welfare standards, with many farmers trying to do it as environmentally-friendly as possible.

All this also maintains the wonderful landscapes we all enjoy spending time in.

Ian Atkinson

Ian Atkinson is an auctioneer at North West Auctions.

Call 07766 521 472, or email [email protected]