View from the Rostrum I Zanna Dennis I LAA Development Officer

For me, the show and sale season is when the live auction ring is at its best. Generations of genetics, months of hard work and hours of preparation, all leading to one moment under the hammer.  

Sale rings packed with buyers and onlookers, eager to catch a glimpse of trade and be the first to witness record-breaking prices. Marts filled with the social buzz of friends and families catching up, celebrating each other’s achievements. 

And this year has been no different. Amidst a wealth of challenges, from drought conditions to changing bluetongue restrictions, the strength of the live auction ring as the marketplace for prime, store and breeding stock, and a vital community hub, has shone through in challenging times. 

Persistent dry conditions throughout the spring and summer led to a varied trade in the early part of the breeding sheep sale season, with some sales in the northwest of England remaining strong among an abundance of grass, whereas those drought-affected sales in the south and east, saw mixed results. Quality was the name of the game this year, continuing to sell well throughout. 

Ewe lambs generally got away well, with markets reporting trade marginally up on the year, all be it, with running lambs more difficult to place in the early part of the season. However, as my father would say “nature normally puts itself right” and with grass finally starting to arrive in the south and east, boosting confidence across the sector, trade has strengthened for both store lambs and ewe lambs in the latter part of the season. 

The hill breeds however have been the sector to shout about, with auctioneers reporting a flying trade across centres, in some cases averages up by £40 on the year. Though sadly, this is likely due to the tightening domestic supply as worrying numbers continue to leave our hills and fells to make way for environmental schemes. 

Markets on the Welsh border continue to battle changing BTV-3 Bluetongue restrictions, in some cases adapting overnight to ensure trade continues, faced with a cross-border 2-tier trade and ever-growing frustration over a government that continues to resist a common-sense approach to managing disease spread, whilst enabling essential trade to continue.  

Whilst we battle the challenges facing our agricultural industry, last Thursday evening was a welcome moment to kick back and celebrate all that makes British farming great, as we attended the British Farming Awards as proud co-sponsors of the Farmers Guardian, Marts the Heart Awards. 

Crowning the 2025 winners for the New Auctioneer of the Year, Auction Mart of the Year, Auction Café of the Year and newly introduced award, More than a Mart, shone a light on the strength of our sector and the community spirit that truly makes our marts the heart of our rural communities. 

May I extent my congratulations to all the winners and nominees. Your contributions, innovations and commitment to serving our farming communities is truly outstanding. 

So, as the breeding sheep sale season wraps up, the weather changes and darker nights roll in, let’s stand by one another. 

With the uncertainty that lies ahead, from changes to Inheritance Tax in the upcoming autumn budget to a lack of winter forage, extreme weather conditions to cross-border disease restrictions, now more than ever we must stand by one another, because we’re all in this together.  

That’s why at the LAA, we recently launched our #StandBy campaign, proudly backing British farmers and livestock markets, the backbone of our food, our communities and rural life. 

Farming’s never been easy, but through the highs and the lows, we are a community that shows up for one another, with a future that’s worth fighting for.

Let’s standby one another, because together we’re stronger.