From left to right: Jon Morris of LWM, Mathew Mayne, manager of Rugby Farmers Mart LLP, and Simon Frere-Cook, director of the Royal Show. Picture by Chris Nottingham on behalf of the Royal Show.
An award was given to Rugby Market by farmer Brian Swift of Hazel Farm, Bickenhill, for providing a good service to farmers in the region. Brian has been selling his beef cattle to Rugby market for many years and believes he gets a good return by doing so.
The Fair Deal Awards have been introduced by the Attwood Group to give producers and farmers like Brian the opportunity to tell us who gives them the fairest deal for their produce. Localise West Midlands is supporting the Fair Deal Awards as it believes that fair trade is an issue in the West Midlands as well as abroad, because power imbalances in trade exist between big corporations and small producers and between countries.
After 130 years, Rugby market has undergone some changes: in May this year trading was moved to a new location, Stoneleigh Park. The new market is run by Rugby Farmers Mart LLP – a co-operative of 250 farmers. Chairman Richard Heckford said: “we want to continue the work of 130 years of Rugby Cattle Market. Since opening we have tremendous support from our members and other farmer sellers, despite the restrictions that Defra have put on due to Bluetongue”.
Cattle markets are important to livestock farmers as they can achieve a better price in a more transparent way. There is direct contact between the seller and buyers, so the markets respond very quickly to trade pressures.
However, many cattle markets across the nation have closed. “There are fewer people working the land, so they have less time to go to the markets” said Richard Heckford. In addition, transport restrictions because of epidemics in the past have forced farmers to use other means to sell their livestock. Now is the time for farmers to support their new local market in order to reduce fuel and labour costs.
Farmer Brian said, “There are hardly any markets left in the area and going further afield to get a better price is no use because of high transport prices”.
Brian added, “Things are going to get harder. Farming doesn’t pay nowadays, and even after diversifying it is difficult”. Getting a good price for his livestock is essential – and so a straightforward and transparent marketplace such as at Stoneleigh is the way forward.
Rugby livestock market trades on Mondays at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire from 9 30 am with the sale of sheep and 11 30am with the cattle. For more information, contact Mathew Mayne at their office 02476697731.
If you would like to find out about other Fair Deal Award winners and nominees please visit: our website.
Notes for editors
i The Fair Deal Award being given to the Rugby Market by Hazel Farm is the third of four awards being presented as part of West Midlands Fair Deal Awards. Earlier awards were presented to Waitrose by Dairy Farmer Andrew Hemming in December and to the general public buying from their farm shop by Fordhall Farm in February. The next and last award will be presented this summer for which we will be submitting a press release.
ii The Attwood Group was set up in 2002 in memory of Thomas Attwood (1783-1856) who campaigned for the 1831 Reform Bill and was one of the city’s first two MPs. He was a democrat who opposed the growing mood of centralism at Westminster and promoted measures that would lead to full employment, peace and prosperity, regarding foreign trade as incidental to the nation’s wealth.
The annual Attwood Awards are presented to individuals or organisations who work for participative decentralised democracy, strengthening of regional economies or economic and monetary reform.
iii Localise West Midlands is a small regionally based not-for-profit consultancy and think-tank promoting the greater use of localisation to obtain social, environmental and economic benefits. By localisation LWM means local trade, decision-making and money flow.