ANM staged their annual backend sale of breeding heifers at Thainstone on Wednesday 25th October. Whilst numbers were marginally back on the year a massive boost to the trade ensured those who had stuck with it were extremely well rewarded.

At the pre-sale show sponsored by Agrimin, the judge Stephen and Raymond Martin found their Champion in a British Blue Cross Heifer calving to a cross limousin bull which was part of a consignment of almost 100 heifers from regular consignor Gordon Carroll, Edendiack, Gartly. She went on to achieve the top price of the day of £5,600 selling to Backmuir livestock. Champion pen of heifers went to two Simmental crosses which were in calf to a limousin bull and were consigned by another regular consignor, Gordon Dow, Upper Sauchen and went on to sell for £2,900 each to Messrs Stuart, Belnoe, Chapeltown, Ballindalloch. A feature of the sale was the annual consignment of 98 from Gordon Carroll which averaged £2,774.69. Overall, the entire sale levelled at £2,518.62 which was an increase of £635.29 on the year.

A small but select offering of breeding bulls met a top price of 4,400GNS for a February 2021 Charolais bull, Utopia Scarchio from W.J.Kinnaby, Main of Auchmedden, Pennan, Fraserburgh.

Commenting on the sale Aberdeen & Northern Marts, Head of Livestock, John Angus said “There was a tremendous show of breeding cattle forward on Wednesday, which met a fast-selling trade from the very first beast in the ring to the last. This is now recognised as one of the leading sales of breeding cattle in the country and draws buyers both live and online from Central Scotland to Orkney.”

The full show and sale report is available at www.anmarts.co.uk/sales-reports.