John Angus, Head of Livestock, Aberdeen and Northern Marts (a division of ANM Group)

As we reflect upon another very busy spring selling season, everyone has a reason to be cheerful – values in the ring have remained very healthy and the number of our members buying and selling through our ring continues to climb. My reflection is that the throughput level itself, rising year on year, is the biggest single endorsement of how ANM Group operates as a business.

Here at ANM, our main priorities remain with both our customers and our members who we continue to provide with the best service and benefit.

That manifests itself in a number of ways, and all of them are valued by the farming community that ANM Group serves and has done for 150 years. From the massive discounts on commissions on offer to those who own our co-operative, to the individual independent advice on offer to each seller which is provided with only their interests at heart, being a co-op means that we do things differently to others.

Our growing membership base has saved over £370,000 in commission in the last trading year alone, and it is heartening to continue to see clients asking about the benefits of membership on a regular basis. As we always make clear, the more who join our co-op, and the more business we do together, the greater the benefits we can offer in future years.

This season, there have been some very happy faces in the selling ring – we have seen selling values high across the red meat sector. It has been encouraging too to see rising focus on the ring as the best place to ensure every seller gets best value on the day. Others may be keen to encourage direct sales out of the ring, but we know that those deals are only offered because they are not in the seller’s best interests. That’s why the ring should always be your first choice for selling.

It’s a fantastic thing to see so many of our members and clients enjoying the social side of visiting the mart once again once again. The buzz around our marts is something we all took for granted before the pandemic, and as a Group, we are delighted to be able to facilitate this hugely important part of the experience of buying and selling at the ring.

This fortnight is co-operative fortnight, a time to celebrate the achievements of co-ops across the country. I have no doubt that membership of our co-operative is a central part of the farming experience for so many, but with the benefits on offer it makes financial as well as social sense to use our ring.

If I or one of the team can provide any advice on stock you may want to bring to a sale-day now or in the future, don’t hesitate to call us on 01467 623700.