Has anyone noticed how a few bad buyers can ruin a market!

[banjo]

im only starting this thread because after 30 years going to my local market I'm thinking of not going again, I can't believe I'm saying it, it's only a couple of miles from the farm and I've always supported it even through bad times. I've never pretended to have the best stock, just middle of the pack and never expected top dollar, as long as it was above 1.40 to 1.50 kilo as it saved me driving to far, of course more was better but you know how it is sometimes with lamb sales. I've never been one of those who expect no profit for buyers, far from it, in fact I think everyone should make a bit on everything, but £7 a lamb is taking the pee!

Over the last two years the buyers seem to have taken it over, they are expecting far to much profit off every lamb and none for the farmer. It's not only me, many of my fellow farmers have stopped going and drive further afield. two weeks back there was a £7 a head difference beetween not sold lambs in the local market to the other one 15 miles away three days later. Different buyers!
I think the market is f**ked and nearly every farmer I know thinks the same. Sad to see a small market in Wales run like it is, very sad when the buyers run the auctioneer!
I'd hate to lose it but it's getting to the point where nearly all my naybours go elsewhere and I think I'm going aswell sadly.

 

[Cowabunga]

im only starting this thread because after 30 years going to my local market I'm thinking of not going again, I can't believe I'm saying it, it's only a couple of miles from the farm and I've always supported it even through bad times. I've never pretended to have the best stock, just middle of the pack and never expected top dollar, as long as it was above 1.40 to 1.50 kilo as it saved me driving to far, of course more was better but you know how it is sometimes with lamb sales. I've never been one of those who expect no profit for buyers, far from it, in fact I think everyone should make a bit on everything, but £7 a lamb is taking the pee!

Over the last two years the buyers seem to have taken it over, they are expecting far to much profit off every lamb and none for the farmer. It's not only me, many of my fellow farmers have stopped going and drive further afield. two weeks back there was a £7 a head difference beetween not sold lambs in the local market to the other one 15 miles away three days later. Different buyers!
I think the market is fudgeed and nearly every farmer I know thinks the same. Sad to see a small market in Wales run like it is, very sad when the buyers run the auctioneer!
I'd hate to lose it but it's getting to the point where nearly all my naybours go elsewhere and I think I'm going aswell sadly.

This wouldn't be Cardigan market, would it? I'm feeling the same about their calf prices. Not enough stock and not enough buyers, but the alternative is Carmarthen, which is a heck of a treck, being about 25 miles further counting both ways.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

People drive miles further than that to Carmarthen.

 

[KMA]

Stopped going to Castle Douglas many moons ago especially with suckle calves. Dumfries could be a bit crap depending on which buyers were there, Longtown was probably best when I was still selling.

 

[Forever Fendt]

im only starting this thread because after 30 years going to my local market I'm thinking of not going again, I can't believe I'm saying it, it's only a couple of miles from the farm and I've always supported it even through bad times. I've never pretended to have the best stock, just middle of the pack and never expected top dollar, as long as it was above 1.40 to 1.50 kilo as it saved me driving to far, of course more was better but you know how it is sometimes with lamb sales. I've never been one of those who expect no profit for buyers, far from it, in fact I think everyone should make a bit on everything, but £7 a lamb is taking the pee!

Over the last two years the buyers seem to have taken it over, they are expecting far to much profit off every lamb and none for the farmer. It's not only me, many of my fellow farmers have stopped going and drive further afield. two weeks back there was a £7 a head difference beetween not sold lambs in the local market to the other one 15 miles away three days later. Different buyers!
I think the market is fudgeed and nearly every farmer I know thinks the same. Sad to see a small market in Wales run like it is, very sad when the buyers run the auctioneer!
I'd hate to lose it but it's getting to the point where nearly all my naybours go elsewhere and I think I'm going aswell sadly.

same thing at our local market 2 buyers with upto 10 accounts and if they were not there on time auctioner would be on the phone asking how long before you are here and wait for them ,then you would see them in the bar afterwards having a drink to be fair they were not that far out with prices but the market has gone now

 

[banjo]

No it isn't cardigan, I won't say where as it would f**k it completely. How on earth the auction runners can't see it is beyond me as its been pointed out!
Farming sheep has never been a buisness where you make a large amount of money anyway but when a few certain people rig a market it's maddening.
The profit all going one way will end in disaster for the place, I'm sure of it.

 

[Hilly]

No it isn't cardigan, I won't say where as it would fudge it completely. How on earth the auction runners can't see it is beyond me as its been pointed out!
Farming sheep has never been a buisness where you make a large amount of money anyway but when a few certain people rig a market it's maddening.
The profit all going one way will end in disaster for the place, I'm sure of it.

Crying shame, not a good state of affairs.

 

[Hampton]

No it isn't cardigan, I won't say where as it would fudge it completely. How on earth the auction runners can't see it is beyond me as its been pointed out!
Farming sheep has never been a buisness where you make a large amount of money anyway but when a few certain people rig a market it's maddening.
The profit all going one way will end in disaster for the place, I'm sure of it.

Have you told the Auctioneer? If he can't sort his buyers out then is he worth dealing with?

 

[Castle Farm]

Pointless moaning about it on here without naming the market.
The only people making money in farming are the auctioneers.They would soon sort their shite out if sellers didn't use the market.

 

[banjo]

I thought a thread on hear might open a few ears up without naming the place.
You know what it's like, they know who they are and just push things to far thinking no one will say anything.
People forget the power of forums like this, it can reach a lot if people and magazines pretty quickly, so just a polite thread for now stating what's going on, that may well change, we will see?

 

[cudota]

Our local mart had a buyer dominating fat and store lamb sales with up to 10 accounts .... They asked him not to come to the sales any more . What a breath of fresh air more buyers straight away

 

[Hampton]

Gaerwen?

Going by the prices of some of the cattle I bought out of Gaerwen a few weeks ago, I don't think you boys have anything to worry about!

 

[Danllan]

As @Forage Trader has written, people go a fair way to get to Carmarthen. For us it's as near as dammit the same distance to Whitland, Crymych, Newcastle Emlyn and Carmarthen - unless we know we are on to a winner we always prefer Carmarthen.

 

[Nithsdale]

Stopped going to Castle Douglas many moons ago especially with suckle calves. Dumfries could be a bit crap depending on which buyers were there, Longtown was probably best when I was still selling.

CD is a pain! Fickle buyers won't pay if the face doesn't fit - regardless of the stock! I know folks who sell there and get on fine, but our cattle always make less there compared to Dumfries or when we used to send to Lockerbie.

I think (hope) Smithy and Finlayson moving down are changing things. They've made that place alot busier, in just a year!

 

[JohnGalway]

There's a lot of grumbling going on here about local marts, one in particular. There are a few buyers who won't bid against each other on pens of stock. Even seen two of them having a right chat about my pens of lambs at one mart. Used to be one time that buyers from better land would come and fill an arctic truck with store lambs, put great life into that particular day. Now, the cartel as I call them, have stopped that by offering to source and supply those lambs for the outside buyers. It will stuff both marts in the end as it artificially depresses prices to the primary producer who bears most of the costs in producing the animals in the first instance. There's a couple of other issues but not comfortable saying them in public tbh.

 

[Grassman]

So if the price is so different then surely someone else would buy and make money. What is it that stops this happening?

 

[banjo]

So if the price is so different then surely someone else would buy and make money. What is it that stops this happening?

That's what's happening, they agree beforehand to not bid against each other and only to go to certain level thus holding everyone to ransom. The other market is different, the auctioneer won't let em get away with it.
This market Also has more farmers buying storelambs to keep and fatten if they have a bit of space, it's thriving.
When you get a few dealers jumping pens and bullying everyone the other buyers don't bother, it's not worth the hassle for them.
I think as said before it needs a strong auctioneer who won't have that behaviour and needs to call them out as to his much profit they get on each lamb in front of everyone there!

 

[mark perego]

Talybont on usk?

 

[Sufukdup!]

Is it Llanybydder?

 

[icanshootwell]

What stopping you bidding against the buyer, Bid your lambs up to where the average is. If the buyer stops, take the stock home.