Farming has shaped life in Orkney for thousands of years, and that heritage is still very much part of daily life across the islands today. Farming remains at the core of the local economy, with livestock regularly making the journey from Orkney’s fields to markets on the Scottish mainland. We have a fantastic and well renowned livestock industry in Orkney, and I think farmers should be very proud of what they are producing here. Loading cattle into a livestock container photo © Copyright Stephen Mercer Productions NorthLink Ferries play an important role in supporting this movement, with our two freight vessels – MV Hildasay and MV Helliar – carrying livestock safely between the Northern Isles and the mainland. We work closely with Aberdeen and Northern Marts (ANM) – a division of ANM Group, one of Scotland’s leading member owned co operatives – to ensure animals travel safely and reliably from Orkney to Thainstone Mart in Inverurie. To learn more about this partnership, we spoke with Kerry Omand – ANM Group’s Livestock Procurement Manager for Orkney. She told us about her work with local farmers, the scale of Orkney’s livestock industry, and the teamwork behind keeping this essential part of island life running smoothly. Q. Could you share a bit about your background and what led you to become a Livestock Procurement Agent for ANM? A. I grew up on a beef farm in South Ronaldsay, Orkney. I studied south for a few years before returning to Orkney in 2014 and have had various roles, but knew I always wanted to work in the agricultural sector. When the job of a Livestock Procurement Agent came up, I decided to go for it and was delighted to be offered a job with ANM. I started out as a part time Livestock Procurement Agent before moving on to becoming the Livestock Procurement Manager for Orkney. Q. For readers who may not be familiar, how would you describe the role of a Livestock Procurement Agent? A. The role is essentially to procure livestock for Thainstone Mart. This involves visiting farms throughout Orkney to view stock, sharing what the market is doing and learning about farm businesses and what their needs are. It is interesting speaking to farmers and seeing the variety of stock throughout Orkney. Loading livestock containers onboard the MV Hildasay photo © Copyright Stephen Mercer Productions Q. Could you talk us through the journey livestock takes from farms in Orkney to Thainstone Mart and beyond, and how coordination between ANM and NorthLink helps to make that process smooth and reliable? A. Every Monday, livestock must be dropped off at the lairage building at Hatston Pier in Kirkwall, before being loaded onto livestock containers and sailed on the freight ship down to Aberdeen. We are fortunate in Orkney to have state of the art facilities for shipping livestock from Hatston Pier in Kirkwall down to Aberdeen – particularly with the custom-made livestock containers. ANM have a really good working relationship with NorthLink and John Jolly – who operate the lairage at Hatston – and there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. Once the livestock arrives in Aberdeen, they are floated out to the Thainstone Mart at Inverurie on lorries, before being processed and kept on the lairage facilities there. This gives the livestock a chance to rest before being sold that week. Farming in the Orkney Islands photo © Copyright Charles Tait Q. What do you enjoy most about working with Orkney’s farming community? A. I really enjoy working with farmers all over Orkney and hearing about what they are doing within their businesses. We have a fantastic and well renowned livestock industry in Orkney, and I think farmers should be very proud of what they are producing here. Loading sheep into a livestock container photo © Copyright Stephen Mercer Productions Q. Are there any parts of your job that people might find surprising? A. Perhaps the scale of farming in Orkney. It wasn’t until I was going from farm to farm, and island to island, that the sheer volume of farms really kicked in – and just how important farming is to our community, both financially and socially. Standing at the lairage at Hatston on a Monday and watching hundreds of animals go through just shows how essential farming is to our community. A flock of sheep in the snow in Orkney photo © Copyright Charles Tait Q. What is your favourite, or most rewarding, part of the job? A. The most rewarding moment is definitely when you see farmers earning a good trade for their stock and seeing them do well. Farming is extremely challenging and I am always happy when folk get a good return, as there is a lot of hard work that goes into raising livestock. The freight ship, MV Helliar, transport livestock and supplies between the Northern Isles and the Scottish Mainland photo © Copyright Nick McCaffrey Q. What unique challenges do farmers in Orkney face when it comes to getting livestock to market? A. The biggest challenge would be the weather – both for getting things in and out of Orkney. The weather can make this challenging and unreliable at times, but you just have to work around it and be prepared for things not to go to plan. Q. What do you hope people understand about the work that goes on behind the scenes to keep farming in the Northern Isles running smoothly? A. I hope that people know that there are a lot of people that contribute to it all coming together and every role is very important. I am very grateful to work with such helpful and professional people. To learn more about Aberdeen and Northern Marts and the service they provide, please visit: https://www.anmarts.co.uk/ By Amy LeithBorn and raised in Aberdeen with an admiration for Orkney and Shetland, loves to travel and visit new places, enjoys cooking, always listening to music, spends a little too much time on TikTok. Pin it! Header image: Transporting livestock from Orkney farms to NorthLink freight ships photo © Copyright Stephen Mercer Productions
