Co-op sees 33% surge in cattle and sheep sales

One of Scotland's leading livestock co-operatives, Farm Stock (Scotland) has just reported a 33 per cent increase in the year-on-year numbers of cattle and sheep it is now handling.

Operating in the Borders, west, south-west and Central Scotland, the company is owned by six regional livestock marketing groups, including, Scott Country Lamb, Buccleuch Farmers, Lothian lamb, Ayrshire lamb, and Galloway lamb.

Chairman Ian Watson said they had been achieved against a background of declining sheep and cattle numbers as an increasing number of farmers were now using the services and benefiting from the co-op selling power to achieve better prices with minimal transaction costs.

"Our year on year turnover of stock has increased from 110,000 livestock units to 147,000 - a staggering 33 per cent increase," he said. "Historically we have been regarded as a strong leader in the lamb market and indeed our sales of prime sheep rose 12 per cent on the year to 102,520 lambs.

"But farmers are increasingly seeing the benefit of our service for cattle and our close daily contact with all buyers means that we can direct prime cattle or fat cows to where the best price is."

In December 2009, the co-operative took over Caledonian Organics said the added business had been significant for the company. "The involvement of Caledonian Organics has given us a strong foothold in this high value sector with sales of 3225 organic lambs and 833 cattle," said Watson.