Alistair Black has joined Harrison and Hetherington's livestock team as head of sheep sales at Newtown St Boswells Auction Mart.

Originally from a family farm in West Lothian, Alistair has worked in various agricultural roles in the Scottish Borders to include sheep procurement for Dunbia, and joins the team in a primarily field-based service.

Commenting on his new role, Alistair said: “The Borders area is renowned for having some of the best sheep farms in the UK and recognised for producing first class stock. The industry boasts exceptional health status and it’s important this continues to safeguard our industry from future challenges.

“The team at St Boswells is recognised for their specialist knowledge and this, together with the H and H teams from our eight other marts, will work to maximise the potential of this industry and focus on selling this sustainable, world class product through our various marketing options.

“I look forward to getting out and about to find out what our customers require from our portfolio. I believe, as a company, we need to continue our strong support for the markets to sell all classes of prime, breeding and store stock, as it offers a valuable platform to showcase our products. I also believe we will see an increasing demand for our farm to farm sales and dead weight services. It’s important we adapt our services to the changing marketplace, and I am excited to be a part of the team to do this.”

Scott Donaldson, joint managing director at Newtown St Boswells Mart, added: “As we have illustrated in recent years, H and H is fully committed to supporting our customers and as a company, we are progressive in recruiting leading individuals with detailed knowledge in specific livestock sectors. In doing so, we can ensure we offer the best advice and support possible.

“The appointment of Alistair Black as head of sheep sales is a strong addition to our sheep team, particularly in the Borders, and I am confident he will prove to be a very popular and successful member of the team.

“Alistair knows the area, knows the business and knows the people, and has extensive experience in all aspects of the sheep industry. He is highly respected and shares our vision to drive the output of prime sheep and store lambs and breeding sheep through our marketing opportunities”, concluded Scott.