Baltinglass Livestock Mart has appointed a new manager of its weekly livestock sales.

John Fitzpatrick from Co. Waterford has taken on the role at the Co. Wicklow-based livestock mart.

Speaking to Agriland during the week, Fitzpatrick explained that his whole career has been involved in working with livestock as the Co. Waterford-native has experience working in meat factories, animal genetics and livestock shipping.

Fitzpatrick explained that he has been working on different projects with the mart over the past year, looking at ideas like the concept of developing a producer organisation within the mart.

He outlined: “It’s an ongoing project still. There are a lot of technicalities involved in it and there are a lot of new areas we would like to explore.”

The new manager has taken over the running of the cattle sales in the past few weeks, he explained.

Commenting on the type of cattle on offer at the sale, Fitzpatrick explained: “We are in a mixed farming area where suckler beef is still a major industry here.

“Dairy farming has expanded here like every part of the country and some farmers have continued a beef enterprice within their dairy structures.”

The cattle sale takes place at Baltinglass Mart at 11:30a.m every Wednesday, and the sheep sale takes place at 10:30a.m every Saturday.

“We are in a strong sheep area, so we have a busy sheep sale all year-round,” Fitzpatrick added.

Commenting on the future plans for the mart, Fitzpatrick said the mart is set to begin hosting a calf sale, which will take place every Saturday.

The first calf sale will take place at the mart on Saturday, February 19.

Baltinglass Livestock Mart was first established in 1968 and has since been serving the farming community in the region with the mart’s weekly sales of both cattle and sheep.