Auctioneers declared record sales were made at the New Year Showing Sale and celebrated a ‘booming’ and ‘encouraging’ start to 2025.
Auctioneers say beef and lamb is ‘selling at unprecedented levels’.
Catalogue entries hit 494, which is similar to the same time last year, and the cattle trade is more than £300 up on the year. The entire sale of almost 500 cattle averaged at £1,730.
Although numbers of cattle have more than halved, sellers say they’re ‘delighted’ with the price tags.
A ‘booming’ and ‘encouraging’ start to 2025 at Hexham Auction Mart. (Image: RSweeney)
Buyers snapped up 263 males, with an average price of £1,781 and 137 females bringing in an average of £1,615. More than 100 of the cattle fetched over £2,000. The top male sold for £2,470 and the top female for £2,250.
Auctioneer Chris Armstrong said: “The two main points to take away are that in a quarter of sales, the cattle sold more than £2,000 per head and the second point, which is remarkable, the younger cattle have seen a huge lift. The best end of the younger cattle, these are calves that are 8-12 months of age. They have been selling more than £1,600 and we have had a huge turnout.”
Auctioneer Chris Armstrong (Image: CArmstrong)
The Mart would not usually expect to see as many buyers at a January sale and Mr Armstrong said they also welcomed new buyers from right across the country this time.
Explaining why they saw record prices for the store cattle, Mr Armstrong said, “The value of all livestock has increased dramatically since the pandemic. There has been a reduction in the breeding stock that are kept on the fells.
“Firstly, there is a reduced labour pool, there are fewer people prepared to work on the fells with the stock. Secondly, farmers are being channelled down an avenue of conservation, which doesn’t necessarily go hand-in-hand with livestock production. Also, the cost of keeping the stock on the fells.”
With suckler cow numbers in the hills around Northumberland, and other parts of the country, gradually decreasing, auctioneers say they are ‘pleased to be holding our share of the market cattle, which Hexham is renowned for’.