Farmers told marts need their support

GOLDEN Vale Marts says it will cut sales days at Rathkeale Mart because livestock throughput is insufficient to justify operating costs.

Mart chairman Brian Buckley said annual throughput has dropped from 25,000 livestock to 9,000 over the past 20 years, with calf numbers dropping from 11,000 to 2,000.

Golden Vale Marts wants to temporarily revise the number of sales. It has been subsidising the operation of the mart at Rathkeale.