Farm auction season

Auction sale season is just beginning. Ritchie Brothers has a big auction today at its sales yard at Rouleau, south of Regina. Throughout the month of April and well into May, there will be scores of auction sales across Western Canada. In recent years, farmers and ranchers have been travelling farther from home to pursue the particular piece of farm equipment they’re after. Bidding over the Internet has become commonplace, so you don’t actually have to be in attendance on sale day. With the late arrival of spring-like weather, this year’s early auction sales will be hampered by wet yard conditions. However, towards the end of April and into May, farmers start getting into the field and that can mean poorer attendance. In the south, sales start to peter out as May approaches. In northern grain belt regions, sales into the beginning of May are more common. While good used farm equipment seems to always be in demand, many observers expect competition to be a little less frenetic than last year. Sales at farm equipment dealerships aren’t as brisk as a year ago and that may translate into a few more bargains for those buying at auction. I’m Kevin Hursh.

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Kevin Hursh, PAg, CAC