Everything for the farmer …. except profit

We were back at Dingwall Mart again today, hopefully for the last time this year. This time we were selling the bullocks which have been grazing here since we bought them in April.

There is quite an element of luck about these sales, I am discovering, not least where you are on the list. This time we came after some big lots of high quality cattle and I think we suffered as a consequence. The selling was a bit flat and the prices ordinary, whereas we bought at a time when process were very good. As a consequence although our cattle had each put on more than 100kg of weight over the summer we really no more than covered our costs.

These things happen but it is disappointing when you consider how much effort goes into looking after them for six months. Still, I have to remind myself that our principal reason for having cattle in the first instance is because of their beneficial effect on the land. And of that, there is no doubt.