Cootehill Livestock Mart’s new DAFM-approved export lairage facility is “proving to be a popular hit” with its growing customer base.
That is according to its export lairage manager, Noleen Curran, who began working in the mart when it re-opened in March 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The mart – which draws customers from Cavan, Longford, Westmeath, Meath, Dublin, Monaghan, Donegal, Sligo, Galway and Louth – re-opened in March 2021 under the management of the Drury family as part of a ten-year lease.
Export lairage facility
She says that the mart has gone from strength to strength but, of course, not without its challenges, as she explains to That’s Farming editor, Catherina Cunnane:
“The mart had re-opened during Covid and experienced all the usual tough restrictions that businesses faced at that time with nobody allowed around the ring and full mask-wearing as well as no canteen.”
“The cattle and sheep sales have taken off in 2022 with some of the largest sheep sales in the region with numbers from 1,000- 1,500 head weekly.”
She continues: “Our export lairage facility is an important feature within the mart as it provides another sale outlet for local and regional farmers.”
“Northern buyers can use this facility to export stock they buy in the mart and indeed from any mart to go to Northern Ireland, in particular, and indeed to go on to several other beef markets.”
She says the 2.5-acre yard is “one of the largest mart yards” in the region. “This allows the exceptionally sized trucks to turn and reverse with ease.”
“There are also excellent facilities within the mart, including the dedicated export yard with cordoned-off feeding and drinking areas for livestock. “
The export facilities came into being in early 2022. It was originally opened to export dairy stock sold in the mart bi-weekly but has expanded to include cattle from any location.
It has been running since early 2022; however, the dedicated Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine office facilities are now fully operational.
The mart exports cattle every Monday morning and Thursday afternoon (other days can be facilitated with 72 hours’ notice), but all stock needs to provide two business days’ notice in any event.
Livestock and machinery sales
The mart hosts a general cattle sale every Wednesday at 11:30 am, a sheep sale on Thursday at 6 pm, a weanling, suckler, and suck calf sale every Friday at 6:30 pm and monthly plant and machinery auctions.
Earlier this year, That’s Farming spoke to Steven Drury, managing director of Cootehill Livestock Mart.
He discussed his family’s long-standing association with the mart, opening the premises during the Covid-19 pandemic and selling over 34,000 livestock in their first 9-months of business.
Read this interview.
Contact Cootehill Livestock Mart
You can contact the mart on 049-5555362 at any time or email – [email protected]
