Friday, March 29, 2024

ACROSS THE RAILS: Generational farmers support hogget fair

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The Feilding Marton Hogget Fair is steeped in history and while the venue has changed from the early days, many of the generational farmers still support this big event on the North Island livestock sales calendar.
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The Marton sale yards opened in December 1906, though it is unclear when the first official Marton Hogget Fair was held. However, these were well under way by 1920 when 8000 hoggets were offered. 

With much of the land around Marton cropping the country, lambs were purchased in autumn and then offloaded into the hogget fair as the ploughs headed into the paddocks. 

For buyers this gave them the opportunity to pick up good quality breeding ewe hoggets, which was the main focus back in those days, though more recently most hoggets are now eyed up for finishing.

At its peak, the Marton Hogget Fair was a two-day sale and there easily could have been 20,000 hoggets sold each day.

The closure of the Marton sale yards in the late 60s-early 70s meant the fair needed to find a new home, and eventually recommenced 30kms down the road at the Feilding sale yards. 

Hard times through the 1980s to early 90s meant the fair struggled to keep momentum and it took a few years to regain ground, but annual supporters – sellers, buyers and dedicated stock agents – worked hard and kept it afloat.

Sheep numbers may not be what they used to be but at an average of 15-20,000 hoggets yarded each year over the past 10 years, it is a day not to be missed for lamb finishers. 

While the fair is now held at the Feilding sale yards the historical significance of the fair and those vendors who continue to support it meant the name was adapted to Feilding Marton. This year, just over 17,000 hoggets were offered at an average weight of nearly 42kg and average price of $156.53, a far cry from the 1937 fair when wethers sold for up to 30 shillings and one pence and ewe hoggets, 38 shillings and sixpence.

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