The Mayo Blackface Producer Organisation (MBPO) is set to host its 22nd annual sale this Saturday (September 26) at Aurivo Co-Op Livestock Mart, Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo.

The sale is set to kick off at 11:30am and is expected to feature approximately 2,200 ewes and 150 'pure Mayo' rams.

Ahead of the sale, Agriland caught up with sheep farmer Raymond Prendergast from Letterineen, Tourmaceady, Co. Mayo.

The sheep farmer runs a flock of pure-bred Lanark-type ewes and breeds them back to Lanark rams.

Ewes are scanned in the first week of January and lambing starts after St. Patrick's Day.

Ewes with singles go to a fenced hill for a few weeks, with doubles kept on green land.

Ewe lambs and hoggets are kept especially for the upcoming annual sale, with ram lambs killed from late July with a target average carcass-weight of 18kg achieved.

Raymond also works off-farm in the timber industry and depends on his son Micheal and his father Dan to help on the farm also.

He is very conscious of the importance of having the family assist him with the sheep.

Raymond has been supporting the sale since it started in 2004, and has seen it develop and improve significantly over the years.

The Prendergasts will have a selection of ewe lambs ranging from 35-40kg and breeding hoggets weighing over 60kg on offer in the sale this Saturday.

Commenting on the sale, MBPO committee member John Noonan said: "There will be 2,200 high-quality, home-reared sheep on offer in the sale.

"There will be a selection of pure Mayo, pure Lanark, and crosses of both for sale on the day, all well-grown, healthy and well presented.

"Also, the Mayo-Connemara ram group will have 150 pure Mayo rams for selling making the sale a one stop shop for sheep farmers," he said.

The Mayo Blackface Producer Organisation is supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.