Shows & Sales

Anyone who doubts how hard life is for agricultural shows at the moment should read the annual report of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS).

Kelso ram sales has become the latest casualty of Covid-19, with the Border Union Agricultural Society announcing this week that the September event had been cancelled due to public health concerns.

THIS year the Spotlight sale of elite pedigree dairy cattle took the form of an online auction hosted by Greenslade Taylor Hunt and attracted interest from around the world and peaking at £7,100.

Beltex led the trade at the Rising Stars online timed auction hosted by Harrison and Hetherington selling to £8,300 for Woodies Exquisitor.

In an online timed auction hosted by Farmers Marts (R.G. Jones), Dolgellau, sheep dogs sold to a top price of 18,525, which when including the buyer’s premium, amounts to 19,451.

Farmers attending livestock markets have been reminded to adhere to social distancing guidelines and ‘avoid complacency’ in order to avoid a second spike and ensure sales can continue undisrupted.

Running a team of teaser rams with ewes before tupping has the potential to manipulate lambing date and shorten the lambing period, Hannah Noble reports on how to best manage and utilise teasers on-farm.

The first reaction to lockdown has been how grateful we are to have been categorised as part of the food chain and have remained open throughout this very trying period.

While the world is captured by the ravages of Covid 19, the practice of a former political spin doctor to use a ‘crisis to bury bad news’ is as alive as ever.

A top price of 1,670 was achieved at the Hampshire Down Sheep Breeders Association premier breeders online timed auction hosted by Harrison and Hetherington.