Stirling to absorb the Perth Mart
United Auctions (UA) is to close the Perth Mart next year and switch the operation to the new Stirling Agriculture Centre, where the Stirling mart at Kildean will also move. The new £11m Mart, due for completion in 2009 is built on greenfield land at Hill o' Drip and will feature two sales rings, 417 pens and 700 sq. metres of office space. The move says UA is necessary to protect the long-term future of the company. The firm added that existing marts will continue to operate as usual, with no disruption to scheduled auction sales.
While there will not be any redundancies accompanying the change in location, fears are raised about the knock-on impact on local businesses.
David Leggat, chairman of UA, said: "There have been huge changes in the industry which mainly relate to numbers. There are less and less people on farms. At the moment we haven't got a weekly sale at certain times of the year in Perth because there's not enough stock. But there is in the Stirling area, so we're joining the two up to give our customers more opportunities. Clearly it's a bit further for some customers to travel, but we're offering them a sustainable market for the future."
Perth MSP Roseanna Cunningham said: "This is a very disappointing decision indeed. I am absolutely staggered by the news that United Auctions are planning to close Perth Mart in a year's time. Perth Mart is not just a collection of pens and stalls. It lies at the heart of an agricultural complex that supports a number of businesses and there has to be real concern about the impact the mart's closure will have on those businesses."
NFU Scotland Vice-President Stewart Wood said: "Perth's reputation as a centre for quality livestock is worldwide, founded on the city's famous pedigree bull sales. The few weeks in the year when the pedigree beef world has historically focussed on Perth will have brought significant economic benefit into the area as well as enhancing Scotland's reputation as a source of high quality cattle.
"We hope that moving this event to United Auction's new market, currently being constructed at Stirling, will maintain and grow that part of the business."
He added that members who used to travel to Perth now face increased haulage charges at a time when farm costs are rising steeply.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk