Scottish farmers have spent over £885,000 more buying breeding sheep this autumn than last year. The buoyant trade over the last six weeks has seen 5.5% more sheep sold and average prices are up 3.6% to £85.07. This has brought the amount spent on breeding sheep to £10.39m a rise of 9.3%.

Despite Brexit worries for the lamb sector, buoyant autumn breeding sales indicate sheep farmers are positive about the future. Delayed breeding decisions, restocking after an expensive winter and good grass growth have all been given as reasons for the rise in breeding sheep demand.

Chair of the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland Scott Donaldson said: “We had our euro continental sale where gimmers were up £26/head averaging £172/head. Breeding ewes were up £26/head to £144/head.

“Breeding sales at St Boswells were up £21/head for Mule gimmers on the year. There is a lot of interest in breeding sheep, with buyers coming north from England too.”

George Purves of United Auctions said: “It has been a strong trade from the start of the season where we had a record average for Suffolk ram lambs. There has been a good strong demand for tups ever since, with a record average at Lairg.”

Beast from the East restocking

“Breeding ewes has also seen a sharp increase. Dalmally saw a £18/head lift in draft ewes. This could be farmers continuing to restock after being hit by the Beast from the East. Gimmers have been scarce this year and flocks still need to maintain numbers,” Purves added.

Former NSA chair and Aberdeenshire sheep farmer John Fyall said: “I’d say there is a buoyant trade for breeding sheep, with better ewe lambs and gimmers being much sought after, perhaps because farmers are catching up after delaying decisions last year.

“It is not all good news, with a few particularly large sheep keepers consolidating and a few hill dispersals not being replaced, but they are getting a good trade.

“There is no real reason for the buoyant trade than optimism and grass growth.”

In the first two weeks of October the combined selling numbers of ewe lambs, gimmers and fully warranted ewes rose by 21.9% year-on-year to 21,700 head and the average price was 5.2% higher at £76.35. The total amount of cash spent buying these breeding sheep was up 28.2% on the same period last year at £1.66m, a rise of £365,500.

In September, there were increases of 3.8% in prices to £86.97 and 2.5% in volume to 100,300 head across the three categories. This meant that total spend rose 6.3% to £8.73m, which is up £520,300.