Arran farmers will send their sheep to auction this Saturday for the first time since the second outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the south of England over a month ago.
Around 1,000 sheep are expected to leave the island on Friday to go straight to auction marts in Ayr and Stirling.
Robbie Wilson is the Arran agent for Craig Wilson Auctioneers in Ayr. He said: ‘We are expecting about 1,000 sheep to leave the island on Friday. It is a very difficult time. No animals have left the island for more than four weeks. It’s crucial that we get these animals off to auction now.’
George Tod from Balgowan Farm in Shiskine explained: ‘It is time to move these sheep now. The lambs are ready to go to slaughter and if we’d had to wait any longer it would probably have been too late.’
At the beginning of September the National Farmers Union (NFU) reported that Scotland’s sheep industry was facing a welfare crisis as lambs were stranded on farms due to the movement ban.
Mr Tod said: ‘Even if they have enough grass to survive just now and temperatures hold up, their mothers will not have enough feed to make it through the winter.’
There is no expected price for the lambs because the market has been depressed badly by the lack of export.
Mr Wilson explained: ‘This time last year you would get anything between £35 and £40 per lamb. We will just have to wait and see what happens on Saturday. I would be surprised if they can get £30 this year.’
The NFUS said that the Arran farmers had been relieved slightly by having an abattoir on the island run by Donald Galbraith in Blackwaterfoot.
Exports to Europe are still forbidden but it was revealed this week that some fresh meat exports will be allowed again on October 12. However, certain conditions will have to be met.
NFUS president Jim Mclaren said: ‘We need the livestock sales to recommence as soon as possible to avoid a catastrophe. The penalty being paid by farmers was already horrendous and we have to do all we can to get these sheep off to auction.’
