Autumn sheep sales may never resume (From Western Telegraph)

Autumn sheep sales may never resume

The traditional autumn sheep sales at Brynberian may never resume because of new rules prohibiting livestock markets on green field sites.

It is the first autumn for decades that sheep have not been sold at Brynberian because of efforts to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease.

Last years sale may well have been the last.

A new set of guidelines governing the sale of livestock indicate that auctions must be held on an impermeable, covered surface.

At Brynberian, the auctions take place in the open air on common land. Because the site cannot be adequately disinfected it would fail to comply with the DEFRA criteria.

Auctioneers J. J. Morris, which annually sells thousands of sheep at this site, concedes it may have to find an alternative venue in the future.

There is also doubt over the suitability of the Crymych martground where auctioneer Barrie Thomas would, in normal circumstances, be selling up to 1,500 sheep a week from September onwards.

Although the auction ring, is covered the remainder of the site is exposed. Mr Thomas said the absence of sales had created a huge welfare problem on farms and had made it difficult for producers to plan for the future.

The knock-on effect of not having marts is totally devastating," he said.

Some of his customers will only use a proportion of their ewes for lamb production this year. They face losing their sheep quota if they dont use 70% of it and, under this system, they could retain their quota and concentrate on fattening a smaller number of lambs for a higher return. After another year of poor returns some farmers have decided to cut their stocking rates or abandon lamb production altogether.

Douglas Lockton, of Dolau Isaf, Mynachlogddu, will reduce his flock of 250 commercial ewes to 60. Among other savings will be the £3,000 a year he pays for winter tack.

He is unhappy with the current system of selling lambs directly to abattoirs because there is no price guarantee. It is also uneconomical, he says, for producers to meet the costs of transporting small numbers of lambs to the slaughterhouse.

The abattoirs have got it absolutely made for them at the moment. The producer only gets a guide price when they get to the abattoir and there is nothing they can do if they are later told that the lambs didnt make the grade. There is no proof and the farmer cant take them back," said Mr Lockton.

He and his wife plan to concentrate on their bed and breakfast and mohair businesses.

The return on sheep is pathetic, whats the point in working for nothing," he said.