THE annual North of England Mule Sheep Association (NEMSA) autumn sale season is fast approaching and breeders across the region are preparing their ewes and lambs.

The association is also looking forward to, once again, welcoming end-users from across the country to source yearly consignments of the all-purpose North of England Mule.

Sales of North of England Mule ewes and shearlings are already underway and run right through to the third week in October.

Keynote gimmer lamb sales begin as usual with the traditional pipeopener at Hexham on Friday, September 3 and continue until the end of month with the big Lazonby sale on Wednesday, September 29, when up to 20,000 ewe lambs will go under the hammer.

Other northern auction marts staging official NEMSA ewe lamb shows and sales are Skipton, Kirkby Stephen, Kendal, Hawes, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Barnard Castle, Leyburn, Tow Law (at Hexham) and St John’s Chapel.

Further ewe lamb sales are also staged at Bentham, Longtown, Lancaster, Wigton, Carlisle, Penrith and Cockermouth, with dates and potential numbers for all sales of North of England Mules – ewes, shearlings and ewe lambs – posted on the association website at www.nemsa.co.uk

“The weather has been kind and not only do prospects look extremely promising for our 2021 autumn sales season, but after a torrid 2020, with its many restrictions due to the pandemic, we are, thankfully, also returning to near normality, with renewed confidence and optimism”, said NEMSA’s national chairman, Cumbrian sheep farmer Chris Harrison. “The northern auction marts who staged our 2020 sales coped remarkably well under extremely difficult circumstances and we cannot thank them enough.”

Shearwell Data is NEMSA’s keynote sponsor.