Mayo Blackface Group hosts 22nd annual sale
The Mayo Blackface Producer Organisation held its 22nd annual sale on Saturday, September 26th, John Noonan, a Teagasc Advisor in Co. Mayo, writes on how the group and its sale is going from strength to strength.
Boasting a membership of over 400 farmers, the Mayo Blackface Producer Organisation is continuously striving to improve, breed and present better stock annually for its group sale, along with producing both light lamb and heavy lambs for the factory outlets.
Hoggets
On the sale day and following the show classes, trading commenced with hoggets, which met a brisk trade.
The top price of €405 went to Jacqueline Prendergast, Letterineen, Tourmaceady, Mayo, who also has the second and third highest price lots – all Lanark type sheep.
The minimum price for hoggets was €165, while the all-important average was €230. Overall, a 94% clearance rate was achieved for an exceptional group of hoggets, the sale was off to a great start.
Mature ewes
The next category to come under the hammer was the mature ewes. Although smaller numbers are presented annually for sale, the trade is usually good, with repeat business strong for stock having reared lambs.
The highest price is this category went to Thomas McGlynn, Sandhill, Newport, Mayo, with his Mayo ewes making €300. A minimum price of €110 was achieved, while the average was a respectable €172 euros, achieving an overall clearance rate of 90%.
Ewe lambs
The final category on the day was ewe lambs. Nearly 1,200 lambs were on offer, providing choice and quality to the large number of buyers present around the ringside and online.
Again, it was Thomas McGlynn form Sandhill who achieved top price with his beautiful pen of Mayo bred ewe lambs, making €455. The minimum price for ewe lambs was €68, while the average was €162. The clearance rate for ewe lambs was 92%.
About the group
As part of my role in technology transfer with Teagasc, I facilitated the initial town-hall meeting, inviting sheep farmers from the region who were interested in joining a group that would add value to their sheep and increase returns from their enterprises.
The group now hosts the leading hill-sheep breeding sale in the Republic of Ireland, with more than 400 members who are pushing the boundaries in terms of quality and market specifications, while providing discerning customers with the stock demanded by a highly competitive sheep industry.
The group would like to thank Aurivo Marts for hosting the sale, as well as everyone who worked hard on the day to ensure that the stock was penned early and that the sale proceeded efficiently.
The group would also like to wish the buyers of the stock the very best of luck. Many travel to the sale each year from as far away as Kerry and Louth. The day provides an opportunity to meet others and offers a reward for the long winter and spring days of hard work involved in producing such a fine selection of stock.