IT MAY not have been the bustling trading day of pre-foot and mouth times, but the first market at Hatherleigh since the crisis hit a year ago was a huge confidence boost for the business and the farming community on Monday.
The sound of sheep bleating at the market was music to the ears of auctioneer Andrew Varney who simply said: 'It's good to be back.'
One hundred animals were sold on Monday — prime sheep and cull ewes — to one buyer, John Cleave, on behalf of West Devon Meat.
Farmer Richard Weeks from North Tawton, who had three pens of sheep for sale for slaughter, said he was pleased with the prices the animals fetched — £48 and £51 a head.
'We were hoping for the best part of £50 per sheep so we are pretty pleased,' said Mr Weeks, who farms with his brother Wilfred. 'We sell a fair percentage of our stock through the market and were very eager to get back and support it again.
'Hopefully, the rules and regulations will ease off as soon as possible so trading becomes easier for everybody.'
Auctioneer Mark Priest said the prices were on a par with other markets which opened again last week.
'It was okay but we still have a lot of groundwork to do,' he said. 'Yes, we would have liked to have seen more sheep, but when you consider this area was the second worst hit in the country, to start trading again is a big confidence boost.'
Mr Priest said February was a notoriously slow month for livestock trading but in the weeks to come he expected to see many animals and farmers.
'Some people said to us why start this week but we couldn't get started quick enough,' he said. 'Twelve months today (Monday) the area shut down and Hatherleigh was a ghost town for months. With the market open again so-called normality is returning to the area.'
The auctioneer added the market was not just a place where farmers bought and sold but where they could glean information and meet friends and colleagues.
'A lot of people just come to see how trade is doing — this is the contact point in the area where farmers find out what is going on,' he said.
Market staff have spent the past couple of months repairing market equipment, filling holes in concrete, re-painting and putting up signage and finally last Wednesday were given the go-ahead from DEFRA to re-open the market.
Strict biosecurity rules mean that cattle and sheep markets will be held on separate days and all vehicles will have to be disinfected, with disinfectant footbaths and protective clothing for pedestrians.
Farmer Steven Middleton said the success of the markets in Exeter and Taunton in the next few weeks would tell the real picture for the farming industry.
'Hatherleigh may well be a bit premature but the re-opening this morning is symbolic for them,' he said.
'A lot of farms have only just restocked and they are not going to have anything to sell at the moment.
'Hopefully in about six months time, the market which was the most hardest hit will be back up and running as normal.'
Hatherleigh market will be holding a diary cattle sale today (Thursday) and cull cows will be sold for slaughter on Friday. Tuesday's market will be poultry and antiques.