THE South West's first organic livestock sale in Liskeard on Thursday was hailed a great success with the farming attendance well up, the sheep pens packed, and the cattle ring extremely busy. Peter Bayliss, Liskeard based general manager of Cornwall Quality Livestock Producers, said he was so impressed with the event that another organic sale was being lined up for the town, with more to come. Well-known local farmer Geoff Maddever, who farms 575 organic acres at Pelynt where he has 500 sheep, as well as beef cattle and deer, said he was pleased with the amount obtained for his Jacobs. He said that no one knew what to expect from the new venture, but prices paid were well up to expectations. He added that he had taken the organic path five years ago, and was now convinced that it had been the right decision. Sellers came from all over Cornwall and Devon, with buyers arriving from as far away as Gloucestershire. On average the price paid for organic cattle was £40 to £50 above the rate for their conventional counterparts, while sheep were up between £5 and £10. Although you cannot tell the difference between an organic and conventional animal when they are auctioned, those who know say the taste tells you everything. The market generated a great deal of interest, with auctioneers Kivells sending out nearly 500 catalogues and dealing with up to 50 telephone enquiries a day. Peter Hoopers, of Kivells, said: 'The auction generated the most interest since the re-opening of markets following foot-and-mouth. It will now become a regular event, probably taking place three or four times a year. 'Organic livestock is a growing sector of the market, and we have had many enquiries over the past two years. Approximately 300 sheep and 250 cattle went under the hammer at the auction, giving members of the local farming community the chance to judge for themselves whether it could be worthwhile going organic. The much welcomed organic initiative was organised by Organic Livestock Farmers of Cornwall and Devon and Organic South West who have received Objective One funding to promote the cause of organic farming, and co-operative livestock marketing.

-Roy Lipscombe