The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Marts group beats blues to get back in the black
ANM Group bounced back into the black last year despite the challenges posed by Covid19 and Brexit.
The north-east farmers’ co-operative, which runs auction marts at Thainstone, near Inverurie, and Quoybrae, in Caithness, posted a pre-tax profit of £136,000 for the year to December 31 2020.
This follows a pre-tax loss of £160,000 the year before.
The group also reported a 3.5% increase in throughput to £121.39 million, from £117.22m previously, and its trading profit more than doubled to £525,000 from £245,000 in 2019.
“After one of the most extraordinary years since we were established in 1872, it is with a real sense of pride that our group is able to report on a very positive outcome for the 2020 financial year,” said ANM Group chief executive, Grant Rogerson.
“All of our teams adapted brilliantly to new ways of working over the year and have continued to refine and develop the way we operate.”
He said the group’s livestock division – Aberdeen and Northern Marts – was required to adapt and evolve to Covid19 regulations, but its position was strong.
Previous figures released from Aberdeen and Northern Marts reveal an increase in the number of cattle and sheep traded through its rings last year.
The company sold 12% more sheep – equating to 30,550 more animals – and 2% more cattle in 2020, than were traded in 2019.
Mr Rogerson said Covid19 restrictions placed an “unbelievable strain” on the group’s hospitality business; however, its specialist auctioneering division, Thainstone Specialist Auctions, adapted well to the challenges and was able to provide services throughout lockdown.
He said the group’s
estates division, Aberdeen & Northern Estates, witnessed a “very active property market” once the first lockdown ended, and the group was continuing to work hard to bring new value to its business park.
Mr Rogerson said the coop’s members had invested more than ever before in the business and share
capital £357,000 year.
“Our structure means that the surplus this year will go straight into investing in the member experience, allowing us to continue to offer leading benefits,” added Mr Rogerson.
“Looking
increased to £7.2m in to the
by the future,
we will look to maintain and build on the positive progress made and ensure we deliver our core values.
“Put simply, the more who join us by investing in ANM, or trading with us, the more we can return to members over time.
“This set of results supports the value of that strategy.”
After almost two years of absence from the show ring, livestock enthusiasts have only days to wait until they can enter animals to be judged at the Royal Highland Showcase in June.
Entries will go live on the Royal Highland Show website on Friday April 16 and the closing date is four weeks later on May 14.
The organisers have credited the success of last year’s online Scottish Agricultural Show run by The Courier and The Press and Journal as evidence the farming community can adapt to new formats.
The showcase, which will be free for everyone to view, will take place over the week of June 14-20 and aims to mirror the annual Royal Highland Show (RHS) as closely as possible.
It will include livestock judging, equestrian, food and drink and rural skills livestreamed from the Ingliston showground in Edinburgh to a global audience.
The full schedule has still to be released, but beef cattle and sheep classes will take place on the Monday and Tuesday, with heavy horse classes and forestry on the Wednesday and Thursday. Light horse (including HOYS qualifiers) will be judged on the Friday and Saturday and the show jumping will run from Thursday to Sunday. Saturday and Sunday will also see dairy calves and showmanship, poultry and sheep shearing take place.
The event will culminate in a highlights show on Sunday June 20.
Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) chairman Bill Gray said the organising team had been “energised” by the responses to the plans for the showcase.
“The team has been working extraordinarily hard to ensure we can still carry out our charitable remit of supporting and promoting Scotland’s agricultural industries this year,” he said.
“Our exhibitors and their livestock are no doubt eagerly anticipating the opportunity to get back into the show rings and we know that this will be an important event for the rural community to reconnect and come together after a tough year.
“For the first time ever, our classes will be livestreamed, meaning your livestock or business will be showcased to homes across the world. This is a unique opportunity to have a global shop window and we encourage all of our show community to get involved.”
Members of the RHASS will get access to a private area where they will be able to view exclusive content from throughout the event.
Health and safety protocols and draft guidance in line with Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council will be available for competitors when they enter the competition and overnight accommodation will be available for exhibitors for the night before their class, to enable those who need to travel from afar to compete.
David Stubbs, of AJR Farms at Ellon, the winners of last year’s online Scottish Agricultural Show in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, said he was looking forward to the showcase.
“While it was great to be able to participate in virtual shows last year, nothing beats the atmosphere of the show ring and we can’t wait to showcase our stock in person this year.”
Exhibitors, sponsors and trade stand holders can access more information at royalhighlandshow.org