A merry Michaelmas sale (From Gazette & Herald)

A merry Michaelmas sale

MEMORIES are short, and it hardly seems believable that it is only two years ago that we hired the Malton and Norton Rugby Club quarters to host the county's first video sale of sheep, which was the Michaelmas Fair substitute for 2001.

Although the clubhouse was packed with farmers, it did not compare with the wonderful audience that came last Wednesday to the reconstituted fair in the cattle market.

When Philip Place started to sell rams, there wasn't a seat to be had in the main ring, and the atmosphere took one back 20 years in time.

There will be those that yearn for the traditional showfield site, and I think the sheep generally presented themselves best on its gently sloping ground but, nevertheless, the overall facilities provided in the market give it a definite edge.

We may not now be able to hold as many sheep as on the showfield, but the four sales over the season have totalled around 15,000 sheep.

Last Wednesday, Keith Warters set the tone for the day, starting with cull ewes which made up to £62; and this was built upon by the Suffolk shearlings which were making from £75 up to a top of £104 for a pen shown by Mrs Anne Hewson.

When David Lindley took on the Mules and Mashams, these proved equally popular, and he hit a peak of £99 for some well-marked sheep from Mark Hall.

Perhaps the most impressive section of all was the rams, and for them, trade was good and steady throughout the day.

Full results are shown below, but suffice it to say that everyone seemed to be well satisfied with their day's work.

With little debate, and even less publicity, the European farm ministers voted through the regulations which will implement the mid-term review and introduction of a single payment to farmers as from 2005.

There will now be months of intense lobbying and closed-door discussion as to the details of the new entitlements regime, but there is one principle upon which a decision will have to be made.

Up to now, we have presumed that the new entitlements will be based purely upon the historical receipts of farmers during the qualifying years 2000 to 2002. This seemed at first the fairest way to do things, in that farmers would be entitled to receive a payment related to what they had earned in their production past.

There would be some losers - like new entrants to farming, those leaving the industry and stock farms that had temporarily been depopulated for one reason or another - but the disadvantaged would be able to claim for a reserve pool.

The mid-term review does allow for a further alternative, in that the total subsidy of a member state can be rolled up and divided out on a regional basis per acre. This single acreage payment is now being promoted, not unnaturally, by the land-owning organisations, but also it is gaining some credence with Government because of its simplicity.

It would be certainly less expensive to operate, but there would be some serious losers if adopted.

DEFRA has calculated that around 20pc of farmers would lose more than 20pc of their existing receipts if the acreage payment is adopted.

It would be interesting to hear what other people think.

My crusade to get proper labelling on meat was given further ammunition last week by the Irish, whose farmers are trying to name and shame those selling imported meat paraded as Irish.

A recent survey covered a range of outlets, from discount retailers to some of the top hotels.

It revealed not only a high level of imported beef but, amazingly, showed that of 15 samples sold as Irish, 12 of them were in fact of non-European origin.

Most of it comes, apparently, from South America; and this can be no less than fraudulent deception of the public.

Listening to the news this morning, I heard with some sadness that our own Ben Gill is not going to stand for re-election as the next NFU president.

There cannot have been a more difficult time to preside over our farming industry. He came into office when BSE was declared to be rampant; this was followed by the foot and mouth crisis two years ago, and he will have to see though the mid-term review negotiations before retirement.

Some may be critical, but few would swap jobs and I am sure all of us are grateful for his total commitment.

The breeding sheep season is fading and we now look towards the suckler cattle sales, of which we are having two at Malton this year.

The first is on Friday next, October 17, and there should be a good entry forward. For further details make contact with the office.

Our second sale follows on November 7.

This is the Rare Breed Weekend for York, and it is an event well worth seeing.

The display of cattle, sheep and pigs will be splendid, but the highlight of the show must surely be the poultry section, where a spectacular array of plumage combines with a cacophony of sound second only to the House of Commons at Question Time.

There will be 2,000 caged birds on display, from Gold Laced Bantams to Exotic Chinese Ducks.

Forward on Tuesday were 100 cattle including 24 cows; 448 sheep including 65 ewes.

Light steers to 102p from D J Sunley, Nawton. Heavy steers to 117p - D I Jackson, Carnaby (ave102.2p). Light heifers to 140p - G I Marwood, Harome (116.8p). Heavy heifers to 144p - G I Marwood (107.05p). Medium bulls to 120p - A W Hardwick & Sons, Snainton (100.09p). Heavy bulls to 116p - A W Hardwick & Sons (98.4p). Black & white bulls to 97p - M Wellford, Weaverthorpe (86.5p).

Standard lambs to 100p - N Avison, Thornton-le-Dale (96.2p). Medium lambs to 107.3p - W Nattrass & Son, Lockton (101.08p). Heavy lambs to 108.5p - C F Beal, Yedingham (104.9p). Overweight lambs to 100p - E W Stead, Lockton (98.2p). Ewes to £59 - Wilson Brothers, Ryton (£31.20).

Updated: 12:04 Wednesday, October 08, 2003