One of the UK’s largest livestock trading companies has bolstered its live auction system and commitment to the financial well being of the countryside with the promotion of two senior members of staff to joint managing directors, thereby promising stronger marketing solutions for its customers and the entire farming industry.

While huge uncertainties surrounding Brexit and the future of Scottish farming remain, Harrison and Hetherington, based at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, hopes to further expand its already well-known commercial and pedigree sales centres and the amount of business done at its thriving Borderway Agri-Expo and Borderway UK Dairy Day events, with these two new appointments.

David Pritchard, formerly operations director for Harrison and Hetherington, and Scott Donaldson, the company’s sales director, took up their positions earlier this week and both remain confident for the future of the live auction system and that such trading facilities have and will become more important than ever.

“The way we sell livestock has been evolving for years and the way we operate will change again depending on the demands of farm businesses,” said Mr Donaldson, who joined the H and H team eight years ago and is part of a team of 14 respected auctioneers.

“The auction mart is the only trading system that allows farmers to buy and sell what they need at the drop of a hat, and that has probably never been more evident than this year, when farmers are looking to sell their animals at an earlier date than normal due to the lack of grass and forage.

“We’re already seeing increasing numbers of cull cows being sold and we’ll likely see larger store cattle sales in the weeks to come, which could affect prices, but at the same time, such sales provide opportunities for buyers.

“Our customers are not overly concerned about Brexit and how it will affect them as no one as yet knows what Brexit means. Their concerns are more immediate and relate to the prolonged drought, how they will feed their stock given the shortage of straw and forage and whether they should sell some of their livestock or buy in additional expensive feed.

“The mart provides solutions to these problems and it is the only system which produces a true value for their produce.”

It was a point echoed by Mr Pritchard, who has been operations director at H and H since 2001 and was previously the company’s senior livestock auctioneer.

“We have to be as versatile as possible to provide as many different buying and selling options for producers and we are doing that, such as offering an on-line bidding facility for pedigree sales and a small number of evening sales at a select number of centres.

“Farming is a 24-hour business and while most enjoy a day at the market, an increasing number need to get away by 4pm to get work done at home, so we look to accommodate that.”

Looking to the future, the two new MDs said business will remain very much as usual within Borderway Mart and throughout the company’s eight other auction marts to include St Boswells, Wooler, Kirkby Stephen, Lazonby, Middleton in Teesdale, Broughton in Furness and Newcastleton.

Mr Pritchard also pointed out that the business would continue to focus on its 150 full and part-time staff and particularly the younger generation, all of whom have helped to bolster turnover from £110m a few years ago to £170m, last year.

“By concentrating on the strengths of individuals we have a tremendous team here and one which works really well together. You have to have a generation of young people coming through at all times and we have, and they know they have a future here – we still have a huge number of youngsters looking to get an apprenticeship as an auctioneer,” added Mr Pritchard.

The new positions recognise the importance of David and Scott’s knowledge and expertise in the company, as well as their joint capacity to work together over many years. David will have the responsibility and focus for the operations of the business, and Scott will lead the sales team, with both being responsible for the overall running of the farmstock business, reporting directly to the group’s new CEO, Richard Rankin.

Recently appointed non-executive chairman of H and H Group PLC, Michael Scott, said: “With the recent appointment of a new chief executive, this is an appropriate time for change. I know Scott and David will work together, with our new chief executive, to build on the strong market position and reputation Harrison and Hetherington has, with the business evolving to meet the demands of an ever-changing, trading environment.”