A local farmer and one of Forfar Mart’s longest supporters has blamed Lawrie and Symington for ”quietly shutting down” the auction centre after it ceased trading in May.
Margaret Wilson, from Greenhead Farm, who previously bought store cattle and sold through the prime ring at Forfar, blamed the Lanark based auctioneering company for its ”slow process” in selling the site.
Since its final sale on May 3, the keys were only handed over to the new owners – AM Phillip – last Friday, after AM Phillip Trucktech managing director Rob McWilliam, said he hoped to be in the new facility by June or July at the latest.
Mrs Wilson, whose late father was one of the first instigators to encourage Lawrie and Symington to acquire Forfar, said the auctioneering company claimed it would support the farmers in the transition.
“Local farmers feel very let down by the way this has all be handled – the closure of the mart has affected the whole community,” said Mrs Wilson.
AM Phillip Trucktech will use a proportion of the site as a dedicated vehicle preparation centre and for storage.
There is however, a remaining area earmarked for future development, and it’s possible that the main mart area could be let out to another party.
Mrs Wilson added: “We know another auctioneering company is very interested in using the facility but I reckon Lawrie and Symington were frightened another auctioneering company would come in and do a better job than they did.
“There are many of us who would most certainly be in support of the mart making a return. The area needs a mart and future generations.”
In regards to AM Phillip Trucktech’s future plans, director Sandy Phillip, said: “We have only just received the keys so we still need a few weeks to sort out plans on the remaining areas. We just need time.”
While some of Forfar Mart’s previous customers are now selling at other Scottish marts as well as C and D Auction Marts’ Longtown Mart, others are selling prime stock directly to the local butchers.
James Thompson from Fleming Butchers in Arbroath said: “We have continued to purchase direct from local Angus farms but this can only be done fortnightly now, resulting in us having to source cattle and lambs at markets out with the area to keep a steady consistent supply for our customers.
“Hopefully Forfar Mart can be saved in some form not only to preserve it’s status as a market town but also to protect the livelihoods and wellbeing of local livestock farmers that have faced very considerable additional costs of getting their animals to and from markets at either Thainstone or Stirling.”
Another butcher said the closure of Forfar had made it ”completely awkward” to collect stock and that Lawrie and Symington was to answer for making the mart unviable.
Andrew Steele, director of Lawrie and Symington said: “There is no way Lawrie and Symington has stopped any other auctioneering company acquiring Forfar Mart. The door has always been open.
“I told several farmers that they could contact AM Phillip with proposals and to my knowledge, nobody has contacted them. Lawrie and Symington emptied the facility last week including the office so the company no longer has any involvement in the site.”
