FARMING
By Neale McQuistin
Over the past 10 years, Scotland’s livestock marts and red meat sector have been promoting Scotch lamb as the meat to eat to celebrate St Andrew’s Day on 30 November.
In a bold move to supply free lamb to as many Scottish schools as possible during St Andrew’s week, the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS) is launching a lamb bank. The scheme will allow farmers selling any sheep via IAAS marts to donate lambs for the initiative which aims to get as many Scottish school children cooking and eating lamb on and around St Andrew’s Day. Neil Wilson, executive director of the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland, said: “The funds from any sheep sold via the marts and donated to the lamb bank will be used to supply lamb to Scottish schools during the week of the 30th of November.
“Between now and 30 November, farmers selling lambs through Scotland’s marts can opt to donate sheep for the Lamb Bank, all they need to do is to let auctioneers know when they book stock in for sale,”
John Thomson of C&D Marts added: “We’d like to get lamb into at least one school in every town and every rural school in Scotland, but preferably more than that, if the industry is behind us”.
The idea of donating lambs for schools was started by IAAS in 2020, when Scottish marts donated over 50 lambs to promote the Lamb for St Andrew’s Day campaign.
Market round-up
Messrs Craig Wilson sold 1,387 prime and cast sheep at Newton Stewart yesterday.
The 1,105 prime lambs averaged £102 or 236p/kg (+14p).
Once again well-fleshed lambs commanded a premium, however too many lean lambs held the average back. Top price per head of £121was achieved for heavy weight lambs, while Beltex lambs led per kilo at 262p.
Powerful well-fleshed ewes remained at high values whilst leaner and lighter sorts proved harder to cash. Trade peaked at £155 for a pair of Texel ewes, while £115 was top for Mules and Blackfaces peaked at £78.
C&D Auctions held its weekly sale of primestock in Dumfries yesterday where prime cattle sold to 255p/kg for a Limousin bullock.
OTM’s met a sharper trade with mainly dairy bred cattle in the mart. Dairy types sold to £1,438 or 163p/kg to average 127p, while beef types peaked at £1,186 and 185 to average 151p.
There were also 776 prime lambs that sold to £128 or 288p/kg. There were 631 lambs in the 39 – 45kg weight range that levelled at 244p.
The 389 cast ewes were easier this week. Heavy ewes (220) averaged £88, while 165 light ewes averaged £65.
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