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Stephen Dennis on supply and demand.

As I sell prime lambs at our weekly Wednesday sale, part of my ‘view from the rostrum’ includes the display board showing number of sheep, average weight and Farm Assurance status – yes or no.

Increasingly, the display shows ‘no’ as more farmers leave a scheme.

It was initiated to provide the consumer with assurance as to quality and welfare standards and in turn, supposedly add value to the product.

I have previously given fair warning within this column to the certification bodies that producers are becoming increasingly disenchanted with the never-ending, onerous standards required to comply, invented on an annual basis.

I am afraid the chickens are now coming home to roost with the producers’ decision to leave the scheme, reinforced by the fact that within the live ring at least, there is no premium for assured stock.

At this time of year, the ‘view from the rostrum’ also includes looking for hoggs marked as having ‘cut teeth’.

I might as well have my annual rant regarding this outdated and ridiculous regulation costing producers thousands of pounds and respectfully suggest that our representative bodies, such as AHDB, would earn the
respect of their levy payers by working towards removing it.

On a more positive note, the view from the rostrum continues to be very favourable with the live ring proving its worth.

Annual throughput figures for England & Wales published by the LAA show a turnover for 2021 of over 2 billion, up by 12.8 per cent on the previous year.

From a world record price of 180,000gns for a pedigree Limousin bull through the ring at Carlisle to a record entry at Bentham of prime stock when over 9500 hoggs, lambs and cull ewes sold through the ring a fortnight ago.

Thrive
Each case proves that whether pedigree or commercial, the live ring continues to thrive and serve farmers well.

Of course, supply and demand will always determine trade and as more land is lost to building, planning or rewilding, I can only see demand outstripping supply, forcing prices up.

Hopefully good times are ahead for those who stay the course and remember when there is plenty of demand, you cannot beat the Auction.

Stephen Dennis

Stephen Dennis is Market Manager & Auctioneer at Bentham Auction Mart.

Call 01524 261 444, or email [email protected]