Ballybofey & Stranorlar Co-op Livestock Mart Ltd has been part of the fabric of Donegal’s ‘Twin Towns’ for over half a century. Mart manager Brian Crawford explains more.
Ballybofey & Stranorlar Co-op Livestock Mart has been an integral part of farming life in the Finn Valley since its first sale took place in June 1962. Established by a group of local farmers and shareholders on the site of the old railway yard in Stranorlar – which is separated from Ballybofey by the River Finn – the Mart has become one of the premier centres of cattle and sheep trading in the North-West. Run by farmers for farmers, it is committed to providing buyers and sellers with a fair platform.
The Mart, which sold 8,000 cattle and 35,000 sheep in 2014, has grown substantially over the years. A second sales ring was added in the 1990s, while more recently a new computer system, wash-bay and canteen were added.
Ballybofey & Stranorlar Co-op Livestock Mart, along with four other Marts, are members of the Donegal Marts Association. A familiar voice at all five Marts is auctioneer Jonathan Lucas, who carries out his duties in a professional and efficient manner.
“The Mart has been a meeting place for farmers in this part of Donegal for the past 53 years,” says Brian Crawford, who is only the fifth manager to have served in that time.
“The running of the Mart is overseen by 18 committee members and a four-man financial committee. There are 17 people employed, most of whom are part-time and work on their farms the rest of the time.”
He continues: “The facilities we have here are second to none. We use Newline Auction Management Software which provides all the information buyers and sellers need to know from the weight and age of the animal to its movement, test dates and whether it’s from a quality assured farm. It’s all there on a screen in front of them.
“The Mart is centrally located, easy to get in and out of and there’s lots of room for parking.”
Every Monday and Wednesday evening, hundreds of farmers descend on Ballybofey & Stranorlar Co-op Livestock Mart for the respective cattle and sheep sales. The cattle sale is held at6.30pm on Mondays (including Bank Holidays), while the sheep sale takes place on Wednesdays at 6pm. The sales are held in the evening time to avoid clashes with other sales in the area and to accommodate part-time farmers who also hold down day jobs.
The Mart staged a first annual Rare Breeds Sale & Exhibition on Saturday, August 1 last. It has also been playing host to breeding sheep sales every second Saturday since August 15.
“The Rare Breeds Sale & Exhibition has been a huge success,” enthuses Brian.
“The Sale attracts breeders not just from Donegal but from all over the country. Rare breeds of cattle, sheep, goats and poultry are all sold on the day.”
Weanling sales this year commence on Monday, September 14 and run until December. Other upcoming events include the Blackface Sheep Breeders ram and ewe sale at the start of October and the Wicklow cheviot sheep sale in November. From 2010 to 2013, the Mart staged a Winter Fair for show cattle on the October Bank Holiday weekend.
In addition, Ballybofey & Stranorlar Co-op Livestock Mart boasts a live export facility which operates every Tuesday morning. Here, livestock are checked by Departure of Agriculture vets before they are cleared for export.
“New John Deere combines have a 10,000 customer-base and that figure is increasing all of the time. We cater for all types of stock and use the two sales rings all year round. We receive tremendous support from the local farming community and are fortunate that two of the main cattle exporters in the country are based nearby and send buyers to our Mart,” Brian explains.
Ballybofey & Stranorlar is on course to surpass last year’s sales figures.
“Stock numbers in both sheep and cattle are up. The increased demand for cattle is being driven by a countrywide shortage. It means farmers who are selling are getting good prices right across the board.”
The cattle sale results on July 20 were as follows: dry cows €1,230-€2,120; bulls €1,760-€1,860; springers €1,210-€1,330; cows and calves €1,400 to €2,300; runners €505-835; heifers €468-€1,136 over; bullocks €496-€959 over.
The sheep results on July 22 were: lambs €50-€101; hoggets €100-€150; dry ewes €50-€100.
Ballybofey & Stranorlar Co-op Livestock Mart Ltd
Railway Road,
Stranorlar,
Ballbofey,
Co. Donegal.
Telephone: 074 9131101
Fax: 074 9190427
E: [email protected]
Website: stranorlarmart.ie
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 3 No 9, October 2015
Ballybofey, Co-op, Livestock, Mart, Stranorlar
